Webhunt #2, question 8

Question #8, Webhunt #2:

What happens when these things go away if the DL model does indeed replace the traditional university? Who will be affected? Does the convenience of DL negate these costs? Or will DL sufficiently engender a community of graduates similar to that which is generated by the traditional model?

Support your opinions with course readings and information which you may find online.
First let me address the concern of DL replacing a traditional university. I’m not convinced this will ever happen for a variety of reasons. DL for all its conveniences and time saving abilities also has many flaws: some courses will loose required face-to-face (F2F) instruction; many students will not have the required equipment to participate in online courses, and students learn at different rates thus online courses limit the instructors ability to recognize these differences for the student. Elizabeth Watson in “Access to Audiovisual and Multimedia Materials: What Are the Challenges for Developing Countries” (page 2) addresses this exact issue. She states, “Research indicates that there is a large range of learning styles and that for many people the stimulation of their other senses improves learning.” Although this is used in a context to support AV materials regarding libraries, it compelled me to view the importance of instructor participation. My own experiences have shown me instructors quickly identify students who are skilled or have some form of education within their field and conversely those students who have little knowledge. I argue, online courses prohibit the quick identification of those students due to communication being correspondent only.

Other issues are for example mathematics; Yi-wen Chen in her essay “The Merits/Defects of Distance Education for Curriculum, Teachers, and Students:” (http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/courses/ci499sp01/students/ychen17/pages/dlearning.html) argues a valid point in that use of computers to conduct homework assignments limits the use of some required symbols frequently used in math; thus making mathematics a poor candidate for DL. Students also will be required to possess and maintain a computer which is, in my opinion, the main focus point of Baase’s “digital divide” in “A Gift of Fire” (Page 370). Baase here identifies a good point: telephone operations are required for poor people and subsidized by others under the Communications Act of 1934 and as such, should internet access be the same? I’m not sure I’m ready to be giving poor people all of the benefits of internet, as I’m not sure the internet is really a necessary requirement or still a luxury item. With only a few of these issues identified, I’m not convinced the online experience will ever take place the traditional role of university instruction.

Having taken only one online course, my experience and arguments are limited to that one specific class. In it, I found it to have more beneficial results than not. I’ve heard in our class that in-class participation is more common than on-line; however, I disagree. I’ve seen in-class sessions typically have only a handful of students continually respond or talk to one another regarding instructional topics. On the online class, every member was required to post and reply, as is done in this class. Of course, there are always the one to two sentence token replies, but I feel the responses by many would be more than if in a classroom setting. I also found the convenience of the class far outweighed the inconveniences I encountered during the class (just my opinion.) This however, does not conclude my opinion about the DL experience. I’m still a big proponent of in-class meetings, believing there is still something to be gained by learning to siphon through a lecture what is important and what is simply small talk.

There is so much to a college experience, just look at the fraternity or sorority life. One has to rush or join, learn to juggle that responsibility as well as maintain a scholastic balance, and as such learn to time-manage. The process to join one of these groups alone is almost exclusively a F2F requirement. What, is someone going to join via a chat room, or personal service; I don’t think so. These groups and communities alone would suffer greatly. Student government would almost collapse because who would they be catering to? Admin and instructors would suffer due to no interpersonal relationships (although after meeting some instructors, maybe this is a case in their favor). I believe instructors learn from students almost equally as students learn from them. This affords instructors the ability to modify their instruction semester after semester; otherwise, couldn’t there be one instructional tape or video used time and time again?

I just don’t see DL ever replacing traditional instruction. It may have a place for those who are handicapped or perhaps student may be required to participate in an online class or two for their degree (as there is much to be identified for both arguments regarding DL), but I’m just not convinced DL is the instruction of the future; at least in regards to university degrees.