On TechRepublic: Windows 7: Slower to boot than Vista?
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 1 of 97:
Next »
More to Harvard than the Classes
While I'm a big proponent of online and hybrid courses, I don't think that the residential college will go away entirely. People go to places like Harvard and Yale not just because they might learn more (and they might, depending on a lot of factors), but for the cultural capital they obtain from attending. Ivy League colleges are just as much about networking, making those every important connections to powerful people. Think about how many of our politicians went to those Ivy League schools. I'm sure many of the people they've surrounded themselves with were people they met in college. So, in that respect, it may be worth the price tag.

Secondly, I think even with social learning, a 1000 student class is just not a good idea. They have close to that at some large state schools. I know of several courses at UC Davis with 700 or more. I just think it's hard to motivate that many people to work with each other to learn. I mean, the Dunbar number is 500. If that's all the friends you can keep up with, imagine trying to keep up with more than that, especially if those people are mostly strangers. There have been a lot of studies, in fact, that have shown that teaching online can take more, not less, time than teaching face-to-face. And paying someone to teach online should be the same as paying someone to teach offline. Now, you may be able to get more teachers, especially if your pool is now nationwide. So, for example, I could teach an online course in California even though I live in Pennsylvania.

I don't think online courses are going to be the complete solution nor will they kill the university. They will, however, provide competition and many opportunities for people.
Posted by: edtechgeek   Posted on: 09/16/09 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story Reply to Message

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

More to Harvard than the Classes  edtechgeek | 09/16/09
Harvard is about networking - agree  BillDem | 09/16/09
That is the two edged sword.  mjolnar@... | 09/16/09
Any College is about the network you build while there... (NT)  paulfox | 09/16/09
(NT) means NO TEXT  billfranke@... | 09/17/09
Contacts and networking inspiration  rarsa | 09/16/09
Maybe for some people in some fields...  Henry Miller | 09/16/09
pick the best university  dgrainge | 09/16/09
I wouldn't call it "networking."  Henry Miller | 09/16/09
You need to do the exercises  Daddy Tadpole | 09/16/09
I would add that...  Computer_User_1024 | 09/16/09
aargh!  dgrainge | 09/16/09
Beautiful example...  dmcaplan@... | 09/17/09
The question you didn't ask is ...  Yagotta B. Kidding | 09/16/09
No  jabreal00 | 09/16/09
I tend to agree  MLHACK | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  Loverock Davidson | 09/16/09
How do you figure? (nt)  mwagner@... | 09/16/09
Compare prices  Loverock Davidson | 09/16/09
There are too many variables ...  mwagner@... | 09/16/09
You Quote Phoenix, Strayer, and KAPLAN???  itanalyst2@... | 09/17/09
I would bet s/he attended one (if not all) of them.  B.O.F.H. | 09/17/09
agreed!  dan4th3 | 09/18/09
This is correct, online is not cheap.  thommej | 09/16/09
It's true, the online cost is high, but--  mjolnar@... | 09/16/09
You have that right ($$$)  tkainz | 09/16/09
Also note that...  zkiwi | 09/16/09
BUWAHAHAHAH!!! OMG YOU ARE SO CLUELESS!!!  itanalyst2@... | 09/17/09
The interesting question here...  patibulo | 09/16/09
That IS interesting!  sicilias | 09/16/09
a falsehood I think  dgrainge | 09/16/09
Nothing is 'FREE' you are paying through the nose  katrillionaire@... | 09/19/09
Of course it won't, kill them, but it is ...  mwagner@... | 09/16/09
1000 students  cgreer00 | 09/16/09
What IS a "meaningful assessment" anyway?  mwagner@... | 09/16/09
People who have a true thirst..  oncall | 09/18/09
University is much more than training  rarsa | 09/16/09
It's not what you know....  ca1ic0cat | 09/16/09
A Correction from the Late 20th Century  bookmonger | 09/16/09
I see we're back talking about Bill Clinton again ... NT  dgrainge | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  SysAdminII | 09/16/09
The problem with that ...  mwagner@... | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  Teacee | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  MurphysLaww | 09/16/09
Only For English Majors  MichP | 09/16/09
Of course, this is a major problem ...  mwagner@... | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  tynansanger | 09/16/09
What's purpose, origin of universities?  Professor8 | 09/16/09
For what it's worth...  zkiwi | 09/16/09
retention rate irrelevant  dgrainge | 09/16/09
Get back to me when you realize that...  zkiwi | 09/16/09
distance learning didn't work 50 years ago  thosmason@... | 09/16/09
Research?  ajole | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  Dixie0908 | 09/16/09
yup, if I'm up for surgery that works for me ... happy  dgrainge | 09/16/09
Heh, don't worry, they're working on robots for that stuff!  zkiwi | 09/16/09
Alberta Education Discovered Early On  CowLauncher | 09/16/09
Education vs Degree  eeterrific | 09/16/09
I've been preaching that all my life!  bump911 | 09/17/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  covey22 | 09/16/09
Sure, like computers killed paper...  bernalillo | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  MWLaw | 09/16/09
DeVry?  John238 | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  BaltimoreBarry | 09/16/09
Online studies - NO, they will not kill the Universities  Computer_User_1024 | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  Brian63 | 09/16/09
there are online universities; and offline ones are damn good  dgrainge | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  tkainz | 09/16/09
IT courses are vocational  dgrainge | 09/16/09
a basic college education?  dgrainge | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  edtechgeek | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  PatCC28 | 09/16/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  jsnyder1954 | 09/16/09
I hope so... I hate paying for all the jocks  mikifinaz1@... | 09/17/09
I see a lot of big college grads responding  musicman121 | 09/17/09
New media do not kill old media  giantiago | 09/17/09
Don't really care  Ronny102 | 09/17/09
Bricks'n'Mortar universities only for 15%  Spats30 | 09/17/09
Can I pay someone to do it for me?  mr1972 | 09/17/09
How was your face-to-face degree authenticated?  jsnyder1954 | 09/21/09
Try Western Governor's University  itanalyst2@... | 09/17/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  mr1972 | 09/17/09
No. Parents don't want their kids staying at home.  CounterEthicsCommissioner-23034636492738337469105860790963 | 09/17/09
You Are So Wrong It's Not Funny  itanalyst2@... | 09/17/09
Actually you're wrong. Here's why.  CounterEthicsCommissioner-23034636492738337469105860790963 | 09/17/09
Sorry, You FAIL  itanalyst2@... | 09/18/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  Island Gecko | 09/17/09
I'm in the online education industry. I hope it doesn't, but it will.  bran.murray | 09/17/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  zoldello@... | 09/17/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  petercee | 09/18/09
What?  thx-1138_@... | 09/18/09
good points  CobraA1 | 09/18/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  danielcmalloy | 09/19/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  compunaut | 09/19/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  cduvel@... | 09/20/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  AnnMoss | 10/13/09
RE: Will online education kill the university?  wirecutter | 10/14/09

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads