"However, the easy way out is not usually the best way, and students may find themselves unprepared in another class or later in life when they need the knowledge they were expected to have learned." Clearly, with the foregoing sentence, the author has demonstrated her complete and total ignorance of the fact that most DL students are already "later in life". "True, these courses may have benefits. The appeal of organizing class times around your schedule is attractive to students who work or have hectic schedules. An obvious benefit for some is that these classes are not as challenging as courses taught in a traditional setting." Yeah, the benefits involve no commute and no fixed class time but those are the ONLY benefits of DL from my experience. The "obvious benefit" that the "classes are not as challenging as courses taught in a traditional setting" is simply NOT obvious. In fact, from what I've experienced, it is NOT even true. The classes are, indeed, MORE challenging and entail much MORE work. I have to wonder how many of the people who write articles such as the one mentioned here have actually taken a DL class. My guess is probably none because, if they had, I'd be willing to bet they'd have an entirely different perspective.
Let's see...we have a completely unsupported opinion in a student newspaper. Certainly we would not want to compromise a well-ingrained prejudicial opinion with something as nasty as data, since Ms. Foley's scholarship is encumbered by neither data nor any other signs of "conventional" research. Surely over seven decades of research into alternative delivery systems pales in comparison to such rigorous scholarship as the "well, it seems to me that distance learning can't be as effective as lecture" school of thought embraced by Ms. Foley. Tony (Gee, I'm in a sarcastic mood today. I usually make "nice" posts)
The following is a copy of a post sent to the Battalion: Name: Anthony Pina Location: California Occupation: College Faculty Comment: Ms. Foley, Having been in the field of instructional technology for over 15 years, I read your opinion with a great deal of interest. You state, "it is difficult to believe that a student can go through graduate school at Texas A&M without ever stepping foot on campus or in a classroom and have a degree equal to those who spend their time in traditional classes" Upon what data do you base this "difficulty of belief"? I am aware of over seven decades of research into instructional delivery systems (usually pitting some form of mediated instruction against "traditional" lecture-based instruction). These studies, by and large disagree with your thesis. Many talented students are completing degrees via distance learning and transfer successfully into graduate studies and the job market. I cannot comment on the "simplified" nature of Texas A&M online coursework; however, most students of well-designed distance learning courses generally find them harder than traditional courses, since they have a higher level of responsibility for their own learning. Anthony Piña Faculty, California State University, San Bernardino
She obviously did very little research, and probably hasn't even spoken with anyone who has direct experience with distance learning. The piece reads like something from a high school paper -- I wouldn't be at all surprised if she's just a 17 year-old freshman at A&M...
More of the Same Foley's opinion represents some of the more common ill-concieved notions about the nature of DL, as compared to traditional instruction. I can't tell you how much it irritates me that so many people equate class-room instruction to experience. So, to their way of thinking, the distance learner who maximizes the flexibility of DL so that he or she can actually gain real experience and applied knowledge is supposedly missing out. Here is what I posted in the replies to the article: "Just what we need, more apologists for bad professors. "Most distance learners are working adults, so they are dealing with people and real (not academic) situations daily. These people need the flexibility (a feature which is more important to working adults than convenience) offered by distance learning *because* they are spending most of their days gaining experience and knowledge daily on the job. I'm not sure that attending class can really be counted as experience, except as traditional academic experience. "You mention the "ease and efficiency" that is associated with distance learning. It has been my experience that distance learning classes are not any easier than their traditional counterparts. They are, however, decidedly more efficient than traditional classes for the working adult. (Efficiency is a good thing, by the way.)"
