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.
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The majority of students prefer studying with group of people. Thanks to the Internet it allows students to work together collaborating with ideas and knowledge at the same time. For example, last quarter in my world politics class, I send out an email with two links that helped the whole class study for the midterm. I send out a Google doc’s link that helped the class organize their notes and a Skype link to answer any questions face to face video chat over the sections that they needed help understanding. The amazing part about Google docs is that multiple classmates would edit the document at the same time. Many students found this studying method useful not because they gain better grades, but they got to meet new students on campus and allowing them to be social connected through social media. On the other hand, Stoll may argue that students may face loneliness and depression, which in reality Internet has help students meet other students and become friends. Therefore, Students should keep studying in groups sessions online meet other students on campus to become
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.
In the world of education, modern society and technology have revamped our ideas of what might be considered a traditional way of gaining education. Face-to-face courses and online courses are both similar and different in relation to the content of courses, student-professor and peer relationships, class participation/interaction and effective methods of both teaching and learning. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This still is, and always will be an accurate statement because it does not matter how your education is obtained; in the end, knowledge is power.
The technological frontier marks one of the last chapters in the development of American society. We have survived the cultivation of land, ranging from the first exploration of Christopher Columbus to the last expeditions of Buffalo Bill and the Wild West. Now, as there is no longer any land to explore, we must focus our attention on the rapidly increasing technological age. Without a doubt technology has blazed a pathway to a new and unmapped educational frontier. This frontier is pioneered by a completely new academic system: distance learning. The "distance learning" frontier features education of students from outside the traditional classroom setting through the use of technology. For example, quizzes are taken online, classes are taught over televisions, and degrees are earned on the Internet. Although this new and unexplored path has vastly expanded our academic horizons, just like the West expanded our country, we must not travel into the frontier without nurturing it first. In order to fully utilize technology we must cultivate the technology frontier in order to tame its communicational dangers.
The United States prides itself on its public education system making it a core value of many families. The level of education a person has will influence their career achievements. Americans expect their public system of education to provide a solid curriculum. Most of the people in the United States place their trust in the public school system in which they support through taxes. This trust although is contradicted by the public system of education’s current shape. Much of the schools in the United States are either deteriorating, or failing all together. The drawbacks of public education create an unhealthy environment for student learning.
One thing all Americans have in common is that we all had to attend some form of school. While some are home schooled or attend private school, the vast majority of people are the products of the American Public School System. A system that has been slow to change over the past decade despite the roller coaster speed of culture we live in today. So, two daring articles tilted “Major Challenges Facing Public Schools in the United States” by Mr. Admin and “10 Reasons the U.S. Education System Is Failing” by Mr. Lynch make the bold claim that there are problems that need to be addressed in the public education systems. Some of these problems include household dynamics, technology, and educators.
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.
In school, one doesn’t just learn subjects like math and english, but they learn how to get along with his colleagues. What good is distance learning if when one is done learning they can’t put their knowledge to use. When a student learns how to make friends, he/she learns how to branch out their social network, which can result in them more likely getting accepted into colleges and earning jobs. Though one could say that social media helps a student make friends, since they aren’t establishing relationships in reality they aren’t truly working on their social
Online classes have grown more popular over the years due to the fact that they are more convenient than face-to-face classes. In fact the main reason for online education is to aid students that have a difficult time attending on-campus classrooms. Online courses allow students to attend school at a time and location most suitable for them. Even though online courses are a growing trend, students must take into account the differences between online education and a traditional classroom education before deciding which form of instruction is best for them. Students must take into consideration whether or not peer and teacher interaction, meanings, and messages are compromised when courses are offered online and how this will affect them. Although digital education may provide an excellent opportunity to access education, this method seems to be less effective than the traditional.
Friedman, Hershey H., and Linda Weiser Friedman. "Crises in Education: Online Learning as a Solution." Creative Education 2.3 (2011): 156-63. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.
"Pros and Cons of Homeschooling." Pros and Cons of Homeschooling. N.p., n.d. Web. 10Nov. 2012.
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
Today’s generation is like no other. The nation as a whole has completely evolved from past times, with technology being one of the greatest improvements. Traditionally, schooling takes place in a classroom setting, but, with the many modifications in our world’s system, we are able to assimilate more modern means of education, such as online learning. However, with many changes comes differences and requires adjustments. The online learning system has proven to be just as effective as traditional learning, with some minor differences, however, nothing of great significance. A few of those insignificant differences include online learning being convenient, especially for the non-traditional students,
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.
"The Teacher's Role in Developing Interaction and Reflection in an Online Learning Community." (n.d.): n. pag. Taylor and Francis. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.