How important is the quality of education in America to its citizens? Although it may seem obvious this question may not have a very clear answer. Traditional classroom style education that this country has followed for hundreds of years is becoming endangered to electronic takeover. Not in the way that the classrooms will become more technologically advanced, but that they are being replaced by at home online courses. Unfortunately many of the students enrolled aren’t because they need this type of education but rather that they do it out of pure convenience. The problem with all of this is that people are so impressed by the possibilities that they forget that homeschooling is not necessarily the best environment for education. Although convenience may be important to many Americans today, the potential harm of an online education to a young student is not worth its possible benefits.
One aspect most often overlooked when discussing education is the social skills that are acquired throughout years in a classroom setting. It is taken for granted that school is majorly responsible for the way in which a student socially develops. In an article that discusses the barriers faced by students enrolled in distance education Jill Galusha concurs with this by stating, “The ‘Distance’ aspect of distance learning takes away much of the social interactions that would be present in traditional learning environments” (Galusha 4). Even when presented with this evidence it is not always understood the drawbacks of not being in a classroom full of students. Teamwork skills will develop much slower if at all, as well as the skill to simply socially interact with a peer or a student of the opposite sex can become greatly underdeveloped.
When en...
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...ance Learners?" Find Health, Education, Science & Technology Articles, Reviews, How-To and Tech Tips At Bright Hub - Apply To Be A Writer Today! Web. 20th Mar. 2011.
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Tomlinson, T. (1998). Distance education offers new challenges for many students. Hudson Valley Business Journal, 9, 20.
In his article, “Can You Be Education from a Distance?”, James Barszcz effectively weighs the pros and cons of online education compared to the traditional method, while effectively supporting his position with factual information and statistics. While distance education proves to be convenient for students, Barszcz asserts that it eliminates valuable experiences necessary in order to get the most out of the material being learned.
Since social interaction seems to be essential for group maintenance and instrumental for online learning by students, many instructors employ a n...
Pearcy, Mark. “Student, Teacher, Professor: Three Perspectives on Online Education.” History Teacher 27.2 (2014): 169-185. Education Research Complete. Web. 2 April 2014.
In comparison of various viewpoints, many opinions are similar regarding the value and soundness of online education.
A myriad of schools around the world have successfully utilized the advancement of technologies to create more appropriate learning conditions for learners. Beldarrin (2006) stated that the evolution of technology encouraged distance educators to use new tools to launch better learning environments where learners are prepared to be life-long learners. With distance education, schools have been able to take in more students, but they do not need to expand their physical space. Adult learners believe distance education is more accessible and self-regulated. Among the distance education models, hybrid learning has become more popular because of its combination of...
Education has traditionally consisted of a student or group of students receiving instruction from a teacher; with everyone involved in one location. Distance education is changing the way instruction happens today. Distance education is "the acquisition of knowledge and/or skills wherein time and/or space separates the learner and provider" (McMahan 4). Distance education in its most basic sense happens when student(s) are in one location and the teacher(s) are in another location. In traditional education students use textbooks, listen to lectures, and use other locally available resources. In distance education students use a variety of technological resources (that is, interactive video, television, computers, and even audio and video cassettes). Distance education changes the practice of the student coming to the teacher. It gives students and teachers more flexibility and options concerning when and how to study and teach. Distance education "has provided students with more opportunities to participate in a richer, broader educational experience" (Kessler and Keefe 44) by crossing city, state, and international borders.
One of the things that attracts many students to online school is the fact that they can do their schooling at their own pace whether it be the fact that they work odd hours and maybe doing their class at 8 o’clock is more doable or that they work faster than most people and online school gives them ability to move as fast or as slow as they learn instead of staying at the pace that their class is set at. Learning at a personal pace is actually more beneficial to students, according to the Department of Education’s study that was done in 2009, students in online courses scored slightly higher on exams, and on average, they fared better than traditional students. Another great thing about online schooling is that it is more comfortable than traditional schooling. For traditional schooling the student needs to wake up and physically go to a school whereas a student in online school can log onto their lap top and do school in their pajamas and wouldn’t matter because they are by themselves. So comfort wise online schooling definitely wins, hands
Distance learning is coming. It is not imperative that everyone take advanage of the medium because as has been shown, people can and do learn in “one room schoolhouses” and in “Ivory towers” but if someone is going use every possible means to educate and receive an education as varied and inclusive as possible, then we must consider distance learning as at least one means to that end. It is coming and is already here. Are you ready?
Orellana, A. (2006). Class Size and Interaction in Online Courses. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 7(3).
Furthermore, some may suggest that online learning is benefiting our students in society. There has been a breakthrough in time and geographical limitations of education via online courses (Ho, 2009). Online education is cost-effective, efficient, and easily accessible (Schmeeckle, 2003). Online classes are used for individual and independent learning in which the student can learn at their own pace (Gonzalez, 2009). Not only is online education beneficial for breaking down barriers, online education has the potential to help students learn material more efficiently. Students are more likely to seek help from their instructors when the material is taught online (Whipp & Lorentz, 2009). Computer use in statistical classes could help decrease math anxiety (Gundy, Morton, Liu, & Kline, 2006). In a study that measured online students’ ability to achieve the same efficiency of course material as face-to-face students, at least 98% of students reported that they had, so one may be lead to believe that online learning is just as efficient as face-to-face courses (Liebowitz, 2003). With all of the positive aspects of online education, one may wonder why there is any debate as to whether or not online education is beneficial for
“With face to face interaction you develop lifelong contacts, memories and experiences ... These types of interactions humanize the educational experience in a way that online learning does not.”
Many people think online education can be more expensive than a traditional school setting. Previous generations did not have the option for online learning experience, so why should we start now? An interesting point about online education is that LeBaron (2010) states, “The largest school in the U.S. is the University of Phoenix Online, with a whopping 380,232 students. That’s over 5x more than the largest public school, Arizona State University, which has 68,064 students” (para. 7). Despite the cost effectiveness, distance education is becoming the educational model of the future.
Students are also able to interact with their classmates better in school than online because in school students are in classrooms. When a st...
"Ten Advantages of Online Courses." Is Online Learning Right for Me?N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.