Media Monday: Technology vs. Higher Education

First, an apology to my readers for my absence. Work and other projects have taken up a lot of my spare time.

A friend of mine recently enrolled in one of those online "universities", where they promise you degrees in just a fraction of the time. These "colleges" do, for the most part, mimic public programs, and that includes classes like the oft-dreaded "Intro To Public Speaking".

But, alas, this school is 100% online. They do not meet in a classroom. So instead, the student has to obtain a web-cam, and record their speech ahead of time. In other words, their public speaking is decidedly not public.

The recording isn't even live. My friend was bragging how she can stop recording if she makes the slightest mistake and start all over. Take away the audience, and the "live" element, and even the most timid of introverts become star speakers, and fail to learn to crucial elements of the class (read: enunciation, volume and clarity of speech, overcoming fear of audience, etc).

I'm not going to go into some old man's rant about how things aren't the way they "used to be". I'm all for online testing, making lectures into downloadable podcasts, and having Skype conference calls with "guest speakers". Technology is meant to supplement or enhance the learning experience, not substitute it.