The Internet is a wonderful, useful tool. All the information in the world is instantly available at your fingertips. A popular trend in universities today is to integrate the Internet into their courses in the form of online classes or an online/face-to-face “hybrid.” Four out of my five classes are somehow tied to the Internet. I really have no complaints. Usually the set up of the homework is quite convenient. Step-by-step exercises show examples of how to work each problem, tips and pointers on what you’re doing wrong, and a text guide at the click of a mouse. It honestly is very useful stuff. But, should everything college-related go online?
For instance, what happens to the niche of Americans who are not technologically inclined? There are still people who do not feel comfortable entering their credit card number online to buy required online texts. Also, access can affect those who have full time jobs and maybe do not feel it convenient to have to sit at the library because they lack the Internet at home. In addition, many people cannot afford $500 and up laptops because they just spent thousands on tuition. What happens to these people when a text goes exclusively online? Do their teachers just expect them to wing it?
I say this is prejudice to a ‘T’. By restricting access, the powers that be are putting college into the hands of the elite class. Those who cannot afford the commodity of the Internet are completely left behind. Believe it or not, there are still people who cannot afford online access, especially those who are new to living on their own.
“I lack the motivation required to go online every day to keep up with the extensive course material,” senior and public relations major Morgan Corley said. “I feel that it is unfair to people who want to take certain classes to have to log in everyday when they lack resources to do so.”
Are teachers getting lazier and going online because of the lack of file keeping needed? What about the people who say online classes are greener? ‘Think about the trees man.’ Trees can be re-grown; GPAs, on the other hand, cannot.
With this much said, I think the Internet is still an amazing tool. The education world is just not ready for a full transition to online classes. There are still plenty of people who lack the time, motivation, and resources to have a laptop glued to them at all times. And why would you want that? In my opinion there is nothing more free-flowing than reading a book versus staring at a cold, dead screen all day.