Contrary to the usual narrative that the traditional academicians will feel disruption due to the influx of online teaching modes, two economics professors at the Texas A & M University are using the technology to leverage their existing knowledge base. Jon Meer and Steve Wiggins have pre-recorded all their sessions on an interactive platform which is a transparent whiteboard. Unlike a lot of earlier experiments, this platform allows for better interactivity than traditional classrooms where more than three hundred students sit in a large hall. The professors’ love for the subject prompted them to take up this initiative as they feel it will allow many more to take up learning. This is an ideal tool for distance learning and Executive MBA programmes. There are pitfalls of online teaching, most notably the further reduction in socializing where classrooms play a part in a world which is already struggling under the onslaught of constant social media and smartphones. Another fear is that with more number of students taking up online options, further massive chunks of data will be created for the likes of Amazon to peer into for the sake of business intelligence. But biggest benefits are managing logistics and even the cost of education.

Source:https://qz.com/1050869/the-college-lecture-is-dying-and-good-riddance/

Uploaded Date:21 October 2017