Internet Replacing Obsolete Teachers

[Winston Smith]

Small wonder Gollin decided to proclaim himself an expert in a field in which he had no training or experience.  His old job is rapidly becoming obsolete.

Who needs a boring dumbass droning on and on when you can dial up a YouTube video from somebody who actually knows what he’s talking about?

Are Teachers Becoming Obsolete?
How the Internet is slowly replacing formal education
By Scott Ijaz

From good-natured websites that provide free medical advice, to disturbing ones that explain how to build a firework bomb out of an onion and tin foil, digital dilettantes can learn all sorts of things by surfing the Web. Students often use the Internet's broad array of information to educate themselves.

By presenting course material as a teacher would, websites cater to students who prefer teaching themselves by simplifying the self-education process.

Selfscholar.com organizes and connects students with academic tools and resources. The website provides links for free downloadable textbooks, assembles learning communities comprised of students from all over the world who are interested in learning the same topic, and even has a section that teaches languages. Selfscholar.com also has a feature that allows its "students" to instant message a live tutor.

Mike Spuzzilo, a second year mechanical engineering major, said about the site, "Everything you need is in one spot. If I come across a tough homework problem, I can type it into YouTube," he said, adding, "A digital teacher will appear, taking me step by step with a similar problem."

Spuzzilo remarked that the process makes more sense to him. "I learn easier that way," he said.

He notes that the Internet better meets his needs. "[The resources online] are accessible whenever you can get an Internet connection. University teachers can only help out as their schedule permits. It is much more convenient," Spuzzilo said.

Top tier schools like The London School of Economics, MIT and Yale embrace the advent of self-educational websites through Open Course Software. Open Course Software streams recorded lectures from the classroom into the audience's room. The Internet viewer who doesn't drop a dime experiences the same explanations as the students in the classroom who pay high-end tuition dollars.

Nathan Shubick, a second year student studying physics, better comprehended the online explanation than the classroom's. "I went to the oyc.yale.edu, and listened to one of their teachers explain the same material on a podcast," remarked Shubick.

Shubick favored the Internet source over his classroom teacher. "Turns out, the Yale professor authored the textbook which my university teacher refers to in class. It was easier to learn coming from the horse's mouth," he said.

With such an ample and diverse array of resources, students question emptying their pockets to pay for university tuition if the same material is accessible on the Internet without charge.

Karen Diaz, the librarian at OSU responsible for managing online courses, emphasized the advantages of university schooling while pinpointing the shortcomings of an online education.

Diaz stressed the importance of learning in person. "First-hand experience are things you cannot experience in a free online environment," she said. Whereas the classroom is geared toward meeting individual's needs, the Internet tries to accommodate the larger population.

Supporters of formal education believe that student peers and mentors improve the structure of the overall learning environment. "You have the chance to interact with the instructor, ask questions, seek clarification or alternate explanations, and seek out help outside of class," Diaz said.

State-of-the-art facilities add another important dimension to the educational setting by applying what a student learns into everyday life. "There is a big difference between knowing how to do a lab involving a titrate and actually doing it," Diaz said.

The large quantity of online information doesn't necessarily ensure its quality. Diaz encouraged students to check their resources. "There's likely to be someone without any background in a subject producing material as well. Anyone can put content on the Web," she said.

The anonymity of sources can also lead to a misinformation effect. With one trillion URLs, a few are likely to contradict. One website, for example, explicitly states that the United States has 52 states. If a person comes in with a bias, they can find information to back it up whether it is true or false.

Chris Dougherty, a second year political science major, also questioned the average student's motivation to learn. "I don't think the typical person would have the insight, know-how, and commitment to actually educate themselves online. Most people need to be forced," he said.

Diaz acknowledged the existence of different learning styles. "Some people may learn material more easily than others in an unstructured free online environment. Others do not. Some people need the structure associated with traditional classes. Others do not," she said.

A free online education also doesn't have the capacity to provide a diploma, and the absence of a diploma can prove seriously problematic when applying for jobs.

"The advantage of the degree is to show that the person has received a sufficient level of knowledge in a subject matter to have been granted that degree," Diaz said.


Originally Published: May 19, 2010