Do the best-loved professors at many colleges shun distance education?

Many Students' Favorite Professors Shun Distance Education.

Chronicle article about professors with strong teaching skills who want face-to-face interaction.

The Chronicle has an online discussion on this topic at http://chronicle.com/colloquy/2002/distance/distance.htm (No submissions yet.)

 

I read the article. I was a bit amused by the biology professor at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln who stated, "I do not believe for one minute that such education comes anywhere close to the mentoring ideal that should be a part of university teaching."

Since he was talking about distance education I couldn't help but wonder about those large university mentoring classes that have hundreds of students in them.

The University of Western Sydney's Internet astronomy program had a high degree of interaction. Especially at the upper level. Students would collaborate with the professor on professional astronomy topics and research using Netmeeting. It was an inexpensive way to bring global learning together, get involved with the professors research area and other students and in my opinion did mirror the mentoring of university teaching.

John