Yesterday, New York Times op-ed columnist Bill Keller discussed the trend toward online education within the world of academia and warned against its perils in an article titled “The University of Wherever.”
Keller called the proliferation of online education “an earthquake for the majority of colleges that depend on tuition income rather than big endowments and research grants” and forecasted that many institutions, at the onset of competition of this nature, could “go the way of local newspapers” in that only the most heavy-hitting professors and programs would maintain enrollment, while most others would perish in the face of a lower-cost alternative.
Many arguments have been made cautioning against online classes: impersonality, low quality and minimal input from students, to name a few. But the fact remains that in order to be successful in America, a college degree is unequivocally necessary. If low-cost alternatives to the traditional college experience are able to flourish, it will equate to a better-educated and more self-sufficient populace, which should be a welcome possibility considering the current economic climate.
This year, renowned Stanford professor Sebastian Thrun is offering his Introduction to Artificial Intelligence class online free of charge, in addition to teaching the traditional course at the university. As of one month ago, over 130,000 people were enrolled in the course. Those who opted for the online education would not receive Stanford credit but would still receive a certificate of accomplishment upon passing.
While some might call this unfair to those Stanford students who are paying upwards of $50,000 per year to take those classes, the bottom line is that courses like these mean more education for more people.
We should not expect these online courses to rival the traditional format in caliber, but when the former is not an option, the latter should be available, and we should welcome any additional opportunities for students to take advantage of online resources.
Online classes are undoubtedly a less effective way of learning, and as such could never completely replace the four-year residential system. Colleges should not view its expansion as a threat, but rather as a welcome appendage.