Ruddy Lelouche (lelouche@ift.ulaval.ca)
Fri, 16 Apr 1999 11:59:36 -1000
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 11:59:36 -1000 From: Ruddy Lelouche <lelouche@ift.ulaval.ca> Subject: Re: IFETS: Technology & The Future of Higher Education
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Thanks, Fred Nickols, for your (long but) well structured comment. I agree
with all of it, but would like to add another facet to it.
>First off, distance or "off-site" learning has the potential to be
>considerably less expensive. However, so far as I am able to ascertain at
>this time, it isn't significantly less expensive -- yet. Further, as with
>all financial or economic issues, there is the matter of value. It isn't
>yet clear that an off-site degree (e.g., one obtained via distance
>learning) has equal stature or standing with what will an "on-site"
>degree (i.e., a degree obtained by attending classes on the physical
>premises of an accredited higher education institution). Accreditation
>itself doesn't enter into my thinking, because there are fully accredited
>institutions offering fully accredited degrees via distance learning right
>now. However, the value attached to these off-site degrees doesn't seem to
>be as great as the value attached to an on-site degree.
Not all people choose on-site or off-site courses for financial reasons, or
for standing reasons. Some, in particular part-time students and students
already active in the marketplace (often they are the former because of the
latter!), appreciate distance courses (whether they are Web-based, TV-based
or mail-based is not the point here) simply because that is the only way
for them to learn. Saying it more abruptly, distance courses simplifies
their lives tremendously, compared to traditional sit-in classes
(especially if they have to occur in the day time). The problem for them is
not to compare the cost of one to the cost of the other (at the University,
they'd pay the same tuition anyway), or the quality of their learning
(still at the university, whether we like it or not, they get the same
degree eventually), it is the relative flexibility these courses offer TO
THEM. True, it may be that the average level of the students having taken
the distance course is slightly lower than that of the students having
followed the traditional face-to-face approach. Distance courses cannot
give the feedbacks and living interactions that you have in a classroom,
both between students and between student and teacher, and that factor may
account for much in the different final levels. But for those part-time
students working in the marketplace, distance courses are either the only
or the simplest way to learn. The problem then is not only a matter of
finance -- does such a course modality offer better return than such other
one? -- or of stature -- will I get better credentials this way or that
way? -- it is also a matter of clientele -- whom do we want to service? --
Certainly not only the majority, I hope!
That is why I think that both types of modalities, face-to-face and distant
(that includes Web-based, TV-based and mail-based), are here and are to
co-exist for still a long time to come. In addition, self-directed
independent study will take a bigger and bigger share of the total, thanks
to the Web, even without any credential at the outcome: people do learn
something by simply surfing on the Net (even if this learning is less
efficient), and they do so because they are motivated to do so (no matter
what their motives are).
Best regards to all!
Ruddy Lelouche Phone: +1(418) 656 2131 (X 2597)
Departement d'Informatique Messages: +1(418) 656 7979
Universite Laval Fax: +1(418) 656 2324
Quebec G1K 7P4 CANADA E-mail: lelouche@ift.ulaval.ca
Presently on study leave at:
Dept of Information and Comp. Sciences Phone: +1(808) 956 7352
University of Hawai'i Fax: +1(808) 956 3548
1680 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96822, U.S.A.
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