OFTEN, people make changes in the educational system because of what is referred to as modernization or changing with the times. Humans, in their everlasting desire to make the world smaller, have succeeded in putting information within reach with the touch of a finger. With its e-mail system and numerous informative sites, the Internet has improved communication dramatically. Now more than ever, college students are able to produce thoroughly modern and up-to-date information, and they are able to expand their minds by learning about unique ideas that they otherwise would not be exposed to. However, there is a point at which this type of convenience can become too much of a good thing. A prime example of this are the plans that have recently been made for a virtual university in Virginia.
The concept of such an institution is misguided, and the legitimizing of such a school would be detrimental to the education system.
The idea for this virtual university came as a way to deal with the explosive number of students applying to state schools. To solve this, Virginia state education officials have come up with the Virginia Virtual University. Set to open in 2003, this new "university" will have no courses or core of its own. Rather, it will rely on a conglomeration of online courses from other schools, allowing students participating in this program to design their curriculum exactly as they see fit. All of the credits derived from these various online courses would then be counted toward a specialized degree. All the while, a special team of professors would be available to advise the student on the construction of his schedule ("Virginia's Answer to Enrollment Boom: Virtual U.," The Washington Post, Oct. 17).
While the personal attention and schedules at this virtual university would appear desirable to a college-bound student, the decision to pursue this path would be the wrong one for a student to make. The main reason for this is that a human teacher, rather than a machine, should determine whether someone earns a degree. As convenient as the Internet is, it should be restricted to use as a resource, and unless it is used in conjunction with a live class, it should never be used to give a person a degree. Although computers are valuable, they were created by humans, and computers never created humans. Thus, a computer can never be that much more knowledgable than the humans who programmed it.
Furthermore, a computer, unlike a human, does not have the ability to reason, and it is limited to pattern recognition. A human would be able to see where a student is having trouble, and he would be able to have a pulse on whether his or her class is fully understanding the material. A human teacher could act as a guide through the problem spots of a course, whereas a computer-based course would provide less access to people who could answer specific questions. A computer is only good as a reference, and it should not be entrusted as the sole conduit of instruction. To do this would require insight and the ability to personally interact with a student. When it comes down to it, nothing can substitute for the human touch.
Many of the things that make college what it is are the people that one interacts with on a daily basis. Although special exceptions could be made for those who are limited by physical or monetary constraints, a person who is not presented with such challenges should remember that there is more to college than academics. College is the transition to adulthood, and one reaches social maturity through his or her interaction with a new environment. If he was to hide behind a computer screen to earn his degree, he would have the means to venture into the real world, but he may not have the tools. Encouraging a virtual school only focuses on book intelligence, and graduates of such a school will be socially at a disadvantage when compared to their dorm-hardened friends, who have befriended a wealth of unique individuals over time.
Lastly, on a personal note, a virtual university would degrade the image of the University. As the highest academically ranked school in the state, U.Va's courses may be put alongside those of many other colleges, many of whom would be ranked lower. Is it fair then that students will be able to take whatever online courses are made available to them? Unless the University has a personal say in who is admitted to this virtual university and who is not, the selection process becomes fraudulent. The University will not be able to hold these students to standards such as the long cherished honor system, which would become difficult to enforce over such long and separated distances. Thus, this would make the grades earned by these students possibly fraudulent as well.
To avoid and disassociate itself from these repercussions, the University should not participate in this virtual program. To do so would be to jeopardize the school's reputation, and we should never take such risks in the name of progress. The Internet always has been seen as something that advances people forward, but in this case, it is something that will ultimately hold the University back.
(Keving James Wong is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.)
Read More
BURSTEIN: Federal workforce cuts target Virginia — and Youngkin’s response falls short
By Carly Burstein | 3 days agoForcing employees to choose between uprooting their families or losing their livelihoods is not just callous — it is economically reckless.
HUYNH: Virginia’s proposed ‘whippets’ law is laughable
By Viet Huynh | 4 days agoAs people continue to be harmed by nitrous oxide abuse, Virginians will see this new law as the ineffective, ultimately harmful policy that it is.
EDITORIAL: We can demand more of our university presidents
By Editorial Board | 5 days agoWe hope for greater transparency because for the principles of solidarity in this statement to be enacted and effective, stakeholders must be treated as partners in resistance.
