I'm pretty sure we've all seen the annoying education connection commercial many times but our discussions of the virtual have made me see it in a new light. For the first time I saw this
commercial and wondered, what would it be like if college was all online? Will we one day evolve to the point where not only are our readings/assignments posted online, but our entire education
is earned by watching a screen? What would it mean for society and human interactions? Would we actually be able to evolve into beings with limited virtual social interactions or none at all?
Just a thought...
According to The Matrix, we'll be able to just boot up information into our minds. It's funny that they went there with it, because I think the availability of information via the internet has actually made it even harder to thoroughly learn something. Wikipedia has turned just about everything into one or two good sentences.
ReplyDeleteWere you watching Teen Mom or something when you saw this? They only play these commercials during really bad television, like that or Jerry Springer. I'm not criticizing you, either. I know this for a good reason.
SHUT IT KANE
ReplyDeleteWow. I was all ready to give Lissette a hard time about being so harsh but, um, I'm with her!
ReplyDelete1. Don't be a film snob who looks down on TV--that's such a cliche!
2. As someone who watches a lot of good and bad and so-so television, I can personally attest that the ads for for-profit "universities" and "find financial aid" are on most TV networks, usually dependent less on content and more on time of day/when ad times are less expensive.
3. The whole online education thing is a huge mess of issues and source of debate amongst higher ed types and more generally. At some major universities, virtual courses are increasingly standard (I have a friend who teaches for a school in Wisconsin but lives in California). Personally I'm kind of skeptical--I guess I've seen one too many flame wars and I also romanticize the notion of having ones' Socratic method take place in a shared space.
-your cranky professortype person
Whoa whoa whoa! I admitted to knowing that by watching Jerry Springer and Teen Mom! No snobbery here! Also, it should be noted that Lissette and I are longstanding WFF's.
ReplyDeleteUm, I did say I was cranky, right?
ReplyDeleteAlso, apparently I am old and out of it. What the, um, what is WFF?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WFF
Actually this one is pretty funny:
http://www.pcffa.org/wff.htm
as is this:
http://www.wisconsinfamilyforests.org/
We're definitely the second. Actually, it's "worst friends forever." To call it "love/hate" would be a stretch, so we'll settle for WFF.
ReplyDeleteI just saw all of this and I can't say I'm part of any WFF but I think Matt is part of this organization:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhull_Freedom_Foundation_%26_Federation
Sounds pretty noble. Much respect Matt.