Trend toward online universe is alarming

In a fast-paced world where time is money and money is everything, we have begun a trend, a trend that has the potential to diminish the quality of our higher education system.

On the surface, it appears to be harmless – a person working forty- plus hours a week can now accomplish the added task of taking college courses from their living room. Convenience is stressed here, and understandably so; the demographics of college students have changed, and there are more non-traditional students than ever. This can mean people with children and demanding jobs which take precedence. Despite my empathy for these types of situations, it boils downs to a marketing strategy: colleges are recognizing that convenience sells.

Convenient or not, the trend towards an online universe alarms me. It seems like we are beginning to avoid social contact whenever possible. Christan Amundsen, professor of psychology at North Lake College, believes that this trend will leave us with a generation of “social phobics” or worse. He fears that our increasing tendency to impersonalize all contact will exacerbate our society’s problems of “depression and aggression.”

Not everyone sees the situation as being so dire; however, many professors are skeptical of the overall experience of online classes. Dr. Paul Magee, professor of sociology at NLC, said that online classes are “credible, but will never offer you the same experience.” I, myself, question the credibility, quality, and reliability of online classes. I’ve considered that the quality of an online course may directly correlate to the subject matter being taught. A technology-related class may be a better candidate for an online format than, say, biology.

Today we eat on the go, we work all the time, and we see education as a means to a higher income. If that’s all education is, than does the quality of the education you receive even matter? Erin Slay, a student from Tarrant County College, said that in her online speech class there is “a lot less work” and that “you don’t get as much one-on-one time with the teacher.”

Another student, Chris Buchanan, who is studying sales and marketing at Devry, said that his favorite part of online classes is that they are self-paced. “So I don’t get bored,” he said. He also mentioned “convenience” as a factor. Buchanan enjoys the interaction of class, so he takes some classes that are called I-Optimize, which integrate in class sessions with online assignments.

In addition to the material, the student also plays a role in the effectiveness of the class. North Lake is now offering an online test, called READI (Readiness for Education At a Distance Indicator) to help assess and measure a student’s aptitude for online classes. Alina Nawar, Spanish professor at NLC, said that an online class’s effectiveness “depends on the student, who must be diligent in order to succeed.”

For the sake of education, I think we should question the validity of these classes so that academic dishonesty does not occur. But as technology advances and convenience progresses as our first priority, we will continue to see the augmentation of our disengagement with the social world. What is at risk here is our very humanity.

— Kristin McClain is a North Lake student and a contributing writer to the News-Register.