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This essay was published in the Daily Nebraskan, the student newspaper of the University of Nebraska, on November 29, 2011.
RELIANCE ON ONLINE MATERIALS HINDERS LEARNING POTENTIAL FOR STUDENTS
DAVID SMITH
1
Students of today should be thankful for the . . . plethora of ways available for them to learn. Compared to our grandparents, parents, and even older siblings, we have access to modes of communication and education that would not have been possible even 10 years ago.
2
Students today, not just in college but in high school, middle school, and elementary school, take in and process astounding amounts of information on a daily basis. We have access to TV and the Internet, social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook, and a nearly inexhaustible supply of ways to keep in contact with and learn about one another.
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This variety has begun to work its way into academia, as well; more and more, it seems, organized instruction is moving beyond the classroom and into cyberspace. Pencils and paper, once the sole staples of the educational experience, are slowly being ousted by keyboards, webcams, and online dropboxes.
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Here at the University of Nebraska–
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Look at MyRED, which now handles everything from class enrollment and scheduling to residence hall contracts and meal plans.
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“While the Internet has certainly made learning easier, has it made it better?”
Look at things such as the Love Library’s EBSCO search engine, which gives students access to a greater wealth of information than even the most practiced scholar would know what to do with, and online courses such as the Keller Plan, which allow students to complete coursework and earn credit without having to leave their dorm rooms.
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It’s clear to even the most casual observer that taking in and processing information is far easier for the students of today than it was for the students of 100, 50, or even 10 years ago.
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But it begs the question: While the Internet has certainly made learning easier, has it made it better? Not necessarily.
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Think for a moment about the fundamental differences between a traditional course, taught in a classroom, and one conducted entirely via Blackboard’s online services.
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In the former, students are bound by structure and organization. They must attend class on a regular basis or suffer the consequences, typically (though not always) complete regular homework assignments for points, and are constantly reminded of the work that needs to be done by the ever-
11
Such is not the case with classes taken outside the classroom. The instructions for such courses are, at least in my experience, pared down to the following: “Read this by this date, this by this date, and this by this date. There are quizzes on Day X, Day Y, and Day Z, and the final exam can be taken at any time during finals week in the testing center. Have a nice semester.”
12
Now, I know that college is supposed to be a place of greater expectations, of increased responsibilities and better time management skills. I get that, I really do. But the sad truth is that all too often, giving a student that kind of freedom doesn’t end well.
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By removing the sense of structure from a course, you remove the student’s notion that he or she is under any sort of pressure, any sort of time constraint. By removing a constantly present instructor, you remove what is, in many cases, the sole source of motivation students have to do well in a class. You take away the sense of urgency, the sense of immediate requirement, and by extension the student’s drive.
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Readings are put off or forgotten, material review sessions (if there are any) are blown off or missed, and quizzes and exams are ultimately bombed. More often than not, the student will get caught up with work from the other, more traditional courses on their schedule—
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The Internet is a powerful tool. It allows us to share, distribute, and absorb more information in a single year than our ancestors absorbed in a lifetime, and its capacity to do those things is constantly growing. What people, educators in particular, need to realize is that no matter how powerful a tool it becomes, the Internet should never become anything more than that: a tool.
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There will never be an adequate online substitute for the watchful eye and the stern voice of a professor, or the pressure of an exam time limit that is about to expire, or the dismay and subsequent motivation to improve that can come from a handed-
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Now . . . off to class.
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AT ISSUE: SOURCES FOR USING ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO ARGUMENT
Paragraph 8 expresses Smith’s thesis in the form of a question and answer. Paraphrase this thesis statement in one sentence.
Why does Smith spend his first seven paragraphs discussing the amount of information currently available to students?
In paragraph 8, Smith says that his previous statement “begs the question.” What does he mean? Is this statement actually an example of begging the question? Explain.
How, according to Smith, is online education different from classroom learning? What problems does Smith identify with online learning?
In paragraph 13, Smith says that online courses remove “the sense of structure from a course.” What evidence does he present to support this statement?
What does Smith mean in paragraph 15 when he says that what we “need to realize is that no matter how powerful a tool it becomes, the Internet should never become anything more than that: a tool”? What is he warning against here?
Where does Smith use the techniques of Rogerian argument? Does he use these techniques often enough? Does he use them effectively? Explain.
In paragraph 16, Smith says, “There will never be an adequate online substitute for the watchful eye and the stern voice of a professor.” Do you agree? Do you think this highlights a disadvantage of online education (as Smith intends) or an advantage?