Response to Mr. Thompson's Pro Technology & Online Courses Post

Response to Mr. Thompson’s Pro Technology & Online Courses Post

By Ian Bourgoine

Mr. Thompson cites four (4) primary reasons for being positive about online learning. They are:

1.       Courses can be taken anywhere there is an internet connection

2.      Flexibility, people can log on to the course website and complete assignment   24 hours a day

3.      Online education can be less expensive

4.      Online course do not conflict with work or family responsible

The problem with Mr. Thompson’s positive evaluation of online education and virtual universities is his reluctance to discuss the quality of the online educational experience.

It is true that online courses are more flexible, tend to be less expensive, and are more mobile than traditional ground courses. However, there are trade-offs for each of these positives. First, the mobility of online courses comes at a cost of the face-to-face interaction and quick feedback that comes with a classroom instructor. Second, the flexibility of taking a course at any time comes at the cost of student isolation and frustration of taking an course online.

More importantly, the positives of online education come with a terrible drawback: only half of the students enrolled in virtual universities obtain a degree within six years. And for stand-alone online courses and MOOCs, the dropout rate is much higher. This means that the isolation, frustration, and lack of face-to-face interaction with an instructor leads to complete failure to achieve student goals.

Finally, online universities have a problem with reputation. That is, online courses and degrees are not respected inside or outside of academia. This is why tradition institutions are so reluctant to give transfer credit for online courses or degrees. Hence, it does not matter how flexible, convenient, and cheap online courses are when the above measurable outcomes are so terrible.