Online Classes

 

For over 10 years I wore a mustache and while I did look very similar to the caricature illustrated above, I decided that I no longer wanted to be bothered by its maintenance...  so, off it came.

My PROBLEM all my life has been that I am very outspoken and so much so that I have been terminated from employment numerous times because of my outspoken behavior much to the constant disappointment of my spouse who has had to live wide the adverse side effects of my bullshit. 

Today, I am speaking out against education, specifically online education which seems to be gaining traction, especially in light of the COVID Pandemic that had become a global nightmare.

Personally, I have designed online courses and have taught online courses and in both instances, I have come to believe that online instruction is by far THE WORST WAY TO LEARN...  in general...  I say in general because for some people, online education is not only ideal but perfect.

My biggest problem with online education is...  it is very difficult to be hands on...  The best way to learn is to teach other.  The second best way to learn is to be hands on.

For me, learning means RETENTION.

The next problem I have is student interaction.  It is difficult to simulate student interaction in an online environment without being in some sort of chat room...  and, even in those chat rooms, there is very little that the instructor can do to stimulate the conversation and interaction.

My next problem is the quizzes.  Most quizzes are multiple-choice, T/F, fill in the blank, match items, and essay questions.  Online courses avoid essay questions because the instructor will have to do some work.  But more importantly, students have a very hard time answering essay questions as they have not been taught how to drill down on a subject or answer a question with a response longer than 1-2 short sentences.

How can an opinion be formulated in one to two sentences?

How can a student demonstrate competency and UNDERSTANDING in one to two sentences?

I can imagine teaching math in an online environment...  but, I cannot imagine teaching theoretical physics in an online environment...  or even applied psychology.

Opinions are like assholes...  everybody has got one...