The world has gone digital, and while college students are quick to embrace anything that makes life more convenient, eases the load and allows extra snooze time, others draw the line at faux professors.
Online courses are a hot item and streamlined video allows time-crunched scholars to cherry-pick courses and plop them neatly into their schedule. Students can then sit in their pajamas in the comfort of their homes eating cereal or Ramen noodles at midnight and increase their knowledge.
Lessons arrive in the form of a prerecorded instructor, but there is no human interaction. While not being within eye range of a college professor sounds as if it may be a pretty good deal, it has a downside — there’s no way to build or earn trust.
Students who can’t seem to grasp an online video concept can always rewind or perhaps send the instructor, whoever that is, an email. But what if they sent an email saying they missed turning in an assignment because of a broken leg? Without a chance to see the student in person, the instructor would not know if the truth was being told.
Of course, if the students were lying, they would only be cheating themselves because the task of learning is theirs. But if that is true, are video professors really needed at all? Why not just buy a book and learn the subject solo? In some cases, that is what is happening anyhow.
Perhaps, college students learn a bit more from their professors other than expertise in a particular field. Lessons are learned when a professor says nothing but raises a gnarly eyebrow when a student walks into class rumpled and late.
While some things are convenient, they may not always be best. Amid a time of rapidly advancing digital technology, a balance between live and digital instruction should be maintained to ensure that learning from and interacting with humanity remains a core part of the educational experience.
