[Air-l] Technology Transforming Education

[Heidelberg, Chris]

Kevin:

Rhodes (2001)may not have intended to make your point but he does make
it by illustrating in his book how the Ivy League schools are already
providing distance learning and it is not cheap. He even cited and
executive graduate program at Duke that was $80k for an accelerated
program that was part hybrid (students showed up for approximately 1-2
weeks). We as a nation will have to make a concerted effort to make
education affordable for the masses if we are to compete globally. 

-----Original Message-----
From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
[mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Kevin Guidry
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 5:18 PM
To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
Subject: Re: [Air-l] Technology Transforming Education

On 5/22/07, Dr. T. Michael Roberts <dr_haqiqah at yahoo.com> wrote:

> We are moving, in practice, toward an educational system where the 
> good students learn online and the students who need lots of help are
taught face to face.

   I can't help but view this discussion through the lens of (a) my
student affairs background and (b) current trends in funding, financial
aid, and access in the United States.
   Given that, it seems to me that ideally the decision of how one
should "attend class" would be made primarily based on the learner's
desired learning style.  But I think it's pretty clear that many other
factors play into this, including economics (on both the supply and
demand sides) and pressures related to cultural and personal
circumstances.  Further, it has not been my experience that many
students, particularly undergraduates, choose to "attend" online classes
because it's their preferred style.  Instead, they seem to choose it
because of the flexibility in scheduling, geographic independence, and
course/instructor availability.  I am sure that is changing over time
but it relates strongly to a previous comment about demand outstripping
supply as institutions try to balance or increase their resources.
   On a broader scale, SES *has* to play a role in this.  Will we
eventually move into a future where only the rich can afford (a word
with many denotations and connotations) a traditional, face-to-face
education?  Will residential liberal arts institutions remain the domain
of the elite as others "choose" distance education (because it's
cheaper, not because it offers an equivalent or better education)?


Kevin
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