rui Wang

Web based online schools and distance learning have been attracting more and more attention from both educators, professionals and public as well.  Many colleges have now offered their online courses and even degree programs ( U of I Online)  The purpose of this project is to conduct an online survey to discover what people think that either online distance learning or traditional face to face learning at classroom shouldbe the major form of high education in the year of 2020? And, What do people think which one will actually be the main stream of high education?  Finally, the result of the survey is presented followed by the implication of the project, a project report and an evaluation
 
 

I have surveyed 26 undergraduates who are now currently taking Anthropology 102, "Human Origins and Cultures" and 8 graduates in a seminar of anthropology.  I have handed out questionnaire sheets asking them two questions. One is to collect quantitative data and the other requires comments.  All the comments are sent in by email. The questions are:

1) Do you think Internet based online schools or the traditional universities should and will be the
    main form of high education  in the U.S. by the year of 2020?

2) In terms of the quality of education, feasibility of online schools, technological
    stability, cultural and moral issues, briefly comment on why you think so.
 
 

16 students in the Anth102 responded that Internet online schools should be major form of high education by then.  11 of these 16 students had a very positive opinion that online schools will"dominate" high education. 5 of the 26 students said that "have no idea" nor have they ever thought about it. 3 of the 26 students think that traditional universities should stay and will stay. The rest 2 did not turn in their questionnaire sheets nor emailed me.  The 8 graduates said that the face to face traditional university learning should stay but only three are positive that universities will remain the main form of high education. Five of the eight students predicted that Internet online schools will be the main form of high education.   All of the 8 graduates gave their comments through email.
 
 

Online learning should be the main form.	16 undergraduates answer Yes, 61%; none graduates answer Yes.
University should be the main form.	3 undergraduates answer Yes,11%; all graduates answer Yes. 100%
Online learning will be the main form.	11 undergraduates answer Yes,42% ; 5 graduates answer yes, 62%
University will be the main form.	3 undergraduates unaware Yes, 11%; 3 graduates answer Yes, 37%

 

I report their comments here in a way that they fit into the categories where I present my own thinking about the issue.

Based on the literature about online distance learning and the results of the survey, two different opinions can be classified. One is positive that Internet online learning should and will transform the current high education; the other does not agree to the idea that online learning should and will replace the traditional face to face learning at universities.
 

The issue between these two opposing opinions reflects different thinking and understanding about technology, culture and learning, involving several essential issues such as the function of university, the essence of learning, relationship between different style of learning and learners' personalities, policy decision making, and so on.
 
 

Almost every sectors in today's society--business, media, politics, education and even home shopping are now experiencing a profound influence of the internet based information technology, which has been shaping and reconstructing every aspects of our social life.  It is under this technological and social context that the issue is raised and then debated.

 A more popular and overwhelming opinion asserts that Internet will inevitably cause a transformation of high education from the traditional face-to-face classroom teaching and learning to an internet-based distance learning.   Three main forms of web based communications in which distance learning can take place have been proposed:  1) "Knowledge webs"  is composed of interactive on-line tutors, on-line libraries and archives which can serve as source of information supplier; 2) virtual schools offer both degree course programs and job training course programs; 3) regional web networking provide a shared collaborative learning environment. All these three forms of internet based distance educating have already been attempted experimentally  in universities, community colleges and job training centers (Levin 1994, 1996; Dede 1996; Fiortoft 1996).  Statistics based on these studies show that students’ scores and performances from the online education are comparable with or even better than those shown in the traditional face to face learning settings. Therefore, web based distance learning should be and will be the main stream of high education in the year of 2020, because this is the trend of "social evolution" which has been observed during past one or two hundred years since industrial revolution.  My survey indicated that most of those who think online schools and learning should and will replace universities think so because they seem to be inevitable for them.
 
 

It is proprofessionals--education researchers, CEOs and even legislators who have seriously been discussing the impact of internet on future education. However, the popularity of this enthusiastic view is not so much due to professors' researching as due to the thinking of the conventional wisdom that new technologies will, as it did before,  invariably transform and bring the society into a higher stage along the evolutionary stepladder.  Since industrial revolution, however, the fact is that the traditional university which appeared hundreds of year before the revolution has not changed much. Actually, since then, new technological inventions have provided high education with more powerful tools but never transformed it into anything different from its original form. This historical fact brings about the first and also the foremost question regarding the issue of whether future high education will be transformed or not.  The question is that why we think that the new technology should and will revolutionize high education this time while it has not done so been during the past hundreds of years?  Almost no students I surveyed touched upon this question.  The 8 graduates did not think that online schools should take on the central role of high education, but 3 of them are inclined to predict that online education will be our schools in the future. 11 undergraduates who think that online education should be the major form also think that online education will be the main form of high education.  The result indicates that most people think that technological revolution such as Internet will definitely replace the old schools.  For them, that online education replaces traditional universities is similar to the transformation that trains replaced chariots after industrial revolution. Is this the case?
 

The question of why relates to a whole series of issues not only about education but also about a more broader and complex concept, that is, culture. Universities in every societies and cultures do not just deliver knowledge, furthermore, they bear some profound social functions and responsibilities.  Before predicting  the presence of "decentralization" and the disappearance of universities when Internet online schools are marching on, we need at least to be aware that what responsibilities and functions universities bear.

The goal of high education, from learners’ perspective, is to acquire a certain skills to make a living. It has been said that distance education can serve the goal of education as effectively as does the traditional face to face teaching and learning. The function of high education itself, however, is far more than just offering learners’ a means of making a living, it turns learners into a social being whose behavior to some extent signify social ethos and social norm that change from generation to generation. Campus life functions as a necessary stage during which a youth can be, most often unwittingly, "ushered" into a mature adult who can be more compatible with society than does learning at home through computers.  From this point, I think that traditional learning setting is better to fulfill the goal than does online schools.  3 graduates in my survey mentioned the same that technology itself will not have social and cultural functions played by universities.
 
 
 

Effectiveness of learning and, performance of learners as general, are highly affected by their motivation and devotion to what they are doing.   A good performance or efficient learning is not so much a matter of intelligence as that of willingness and of a sense of honor.  The fundamental difference of the high educational systems between Great Britain (also other European countries) and U.S. is that Britain is practicing so called tutor ship system and that U.S is conducting a common competition. In Britain's universities, doctoral students do not need to take any classes but work with professors.  They are called thesis Ph.Ds. In U.S., Ph.D. students are required to finish a dozen of 300 level classes with undergraduates altogether.  Students are then in high pressure that compelles them to perform well in order to avoid embarrassment. Personal honor and motivation are tied to everyday practices by this sytem. The result of this system is that among 50 world class universities across the glob are about 40 in U.S. How to keep pressure on  and maintain this strength when students are all online at home or nearby churches?
 

Education and learning are conducted through communication, inquiry, expression and construction (Bruce and Levin 1994).  Online education has strong capability to allow learners to conduct communication, inquiry, expression.  Yet,  that internet has such capability to do so does not automatically mean that it can so better than do the face to face discussion and presentation.
 

People have long agreed that a highly interactive learning environment is advisable, because learners in such environment can play a more active role which, according to the principle of "learning by doing" is highly desirable. Both traditional learning activities such as group discussion and presentation and web-based distance learning are indeed interactive so that they both meet the challenge.  However, the question is that learners respond differently in terms of efficiency of learning to different delivery forms (Keegan 1996).  I think that traditional learning setting is more real and sparkling, because interactive learning is both a group(social) and individual behavior which requires a synchronously "on site" interaction.  From this vantage point of view, I think that traditional learning setting would serve the goal more effectively.  Most undergraduates enjoy communicating online through email to others but not very active in class discussion.  Graduates in my survey enjoyed their small group discussion seminar very much and had not intention to lose this "privilege".

One major feature of online learning in these three categories in which learning and teaching are performed is its asynchronousness so that learners can communicate and participate in discussion whenever and wherever they can  The asynchronousness of web based learning has been regarded as the most advantageous and a distinguished feature, because it provides users especially distance learners with very flexible choices of time and space, which first time allow learners to take courses whenever and wherever they are able to.   Traditional learning has its "on site" synchronous characteristics and online learning has its asynchronous advantage, so, how can we assess the advantage and the disadvantage?

                                                 Whom Are We Addressing
 
 
 

To answer the above question above to assess the advantage and disadvantage of asynchronousness of online learning, we must be clear whom we are addressing the question. Who are most beneficial in terms of the asynchronousness of online learning.  Most people would agree that working adults, who are compelled to renew their skills and learn certain special knowledge, are the targeted groups.  As a result of this profound changing in business world, adult education, lifelong education and professional job training are becoming increasingly crucial for the success of business and individuals themselves. One unique characteristics of the adult education is the distachment of time and space and, this makes highly desirable those online distance job training programs such as "distributed apprenticeship" (Levin1998) and part time professional degree on line programs (Keegan 1996), because the objectives of learners and the natures of distance education accord to each other very well
 
 
 
 

However, the full time college students do not have the same situation as these adults have so that college students do not have to take online schools or distance education.  I am saying that college students "do not have to" but they definitely can. The question for those who advocate online education is that why people should and will take online schools while they do not have to.
 

Another important issue related to the question of Who is that of social equity. Who is eligible to this wired online education?  Equal access is another major concern.  People have already expressed their worries that minority especially those living on social warfare will hardly have necessities such as appropriate family environment and financial support to allow their children to get access into this web based and computer supported distance education.  One of the key issues facing today's America's educators, legislators, politicians, presidential candidates, and the sitting president is to emphasize the irreplaceable importance of parental care and engagement in their children’s school education. What will happen to those young people if they need to finish their college or even secondary education at home?
 
 

Questions can become very trivial but they are not less important.  When does online learning occur? Neighborhood learning centers, home, workplaces and even churches.  Are these learning places able to provide learners good learning environment?  Advocates of online learning argue that family education, private education, and churches sponsored education are all forms by which online learners can pursue their their goal.  However, all these these forms of education appeared long before universities became the main stream of teaching and learning and, they have been proved not so efficient as are universities.  Does online learning really bring us revolutionary choices of transforming the traditional university learning style?  My answer is no.

Web based OnLine distance learning fundamentally changes learner and teacher relationship and, learners instead of instructors will take on the central role in the learning process. Online learning requires learners to be self-reliant, self-disciplined, and self-structured.  This feature has been applauded for it renders the "authority and responsibility" of learning back to learners (Keegan 1993).  In theory, I agree that this can have very positive results.  However, in reality, this may have given rise to confusion and even unexpected outcomes.  Can online learning lead to egoist and egotist minds which would make it hard, if not impossible, for learners to understand team work skills and ethics as the most valued personal quality to ensure a healthy personality and their success?

 One insightful study of online distance learners regarding the relationship of learners’ personalities and their achievements has supported the above point that more successful web-based distance learners are those with more self-control and self-discipline (Biner et al 1996). Interestingly enough, however, the study shows that more reserved, timid, undisciplined and disorganized people preferred distance on-line learning at home to traditional face to face learning at school, but few of them succeeded finishing the two year course work.  Most undergarduates in my survey prefer online learning at home, because they would not have to go to school. This finding strongly indicated that traditional high education carries some unique social functions in affecting and even shaping young college students’ personalities which will be important in their careers and that web-based distance education can be, in this concern, very problematic.  So, I think that traditional learning should and will stay in future.  This research echoed the issue of university as a culture discussed above.
 

The fundamental issue here is not just that what the new information technology can do but also that people respond differently in terms their learning effective to different technical forms of learning and teaching.  The difference is related to learners' age, gender, major, personality and cultural background.

Large scale web-based distance learning can only be possible through cable transmission instead of phone line transmission,  and this would encourage several long distance phone companies such as AT&T, MCI and Sprint to perform monopoly.  AT&T has already launched its billions of dollars bid deal to run local cable services, and in competing against AT&T’s move, MCI and Sprint have attempted to join their online service into one new department in order to monopoly the remaining market.  However, their attempt is not supported by Congress. As a result, accessibility and stability of online service will be strongly affected by commercialism and pursue of monopoly and, this will definitely  pose threat to the equity of high education.

The lack of appropriate training of faculties in computer supported and web-based teaching methods and skills would have make online distance education difficult put into effect. All the graduates in the survey pointed out that most liberal arts and humanities professor not only do not know much about computers. At same time, it seems to be very unlikely that online science education especially complex lab experiments simulated on web-based software can produce as much informative and precise results as do the original tests. This year U.S. senate voted against the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and, one of the paramount concerns which made them do so is the fact that no computer simulation can yield as precise information as do the real experiments.  Online distance education is very advisable but can hardly be done in many aspects.

The issue of lack of technically qualified faculties concerns us that when students take online courses they need not only to learn the registered courses but also to learn about the technique which may be even more challenging that are the courses they are taking.  Will this be a problem for the feasibility of online teaching and learning?  The 2 undergraduates in my class, Anth 102, expressed same concern that they would have to spend more time and money in learning computer technologies which will probably be a prerequisite for taking a certain class especially the science and engineering.
 
 
 
 

The idea compelling me to do this project is this: evolutionary and analogical thinking comprise the core part of our tradtional/conventional wisdom which has pervasive impact on our world views.  This way of thinking is easy to get across and will never make sound blunders. However, this way of thinking is very often unable to speak to the uniqueness of the object being discussed and thus unable to cover the scope of the object. For example, with evolutionary thinking, everyone would think that since industrial revolution every new technology has transformed social life greatly and society has become much industrialized every time.  By the same token, internet will one more time bring us to a higher stage in this evolutionary stepladder.  However, with this way of thinking,  we easily overlook one fact because it becomes trivial here in this thinking, which is that not only universities but also the relationship of between instructors and learners have nearly changed since industrial revolution.   With analogical thinking, we think that the influence of Internet on how business will be conducted is a sound analogy in predicting that internet will greatly transform high education in the future in a same way. However, the differences of the culture of education and in business are overlooked because, once again, they become trivial.  In short, we are overlooking many details and might even overlook some of the basics everyday about every event due to our own way of thinking that has long and firmly been rooted in our minds.
 

This project is, I personally assess, overall good.  I have discussed some of the major issues aimed at breaking down the traditional way of thinking as I briefly discuss at the end of the project.  In this report, I want to address the weakness of the project.

 Because the issue is both a technological and social one that is much interrelated to the questionees' age, gender, cultural background and profession/major, the surveyed sample is therefore not representative. However, the representatives of sample is always a problem in social science studies.  This is because that statistics requires variables to be independent, social science studies, however, very often have people as their surveyed variables.   As pointed out, questionees' social position, age, gender, cultural and financial background as well as profession will heavily influence their opinion about the issue so that their responses can hardly be considered as hard evidence rather as references. To overcome this weakeness will require a large sample size which this project does not have.

My own evaluation is that this project has its strength in discussing ideas but leave its empirical conclusion open due to the problems of sample representativeness and sample size. The format is pretty doll and should have had a thematic picture inserted at the top of the page.

Bruce, B. C., & Levin, J. A. (1997). Educational technology: Media for inquiry, communication, construction, and expression. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 17(1), 79-102.

Jacobson, M. J., & Levin, J. A. (1995). Conceptual frameworks for network learning environments: Constructing personal and shared knowledge spaces. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(4), 367-388.