When you go to the movies there are several things that you expect: big screen, comfortable seats, great sound system, quality movie etc. The relationship between hardware and software help in creating a memorable movie-going experience. Conversely, when students go to school, there are certain things a student expects to find. These include, seats, tables, books, a teacher and the classroom itself. All of these things together help to create what we have come to know as the classroom learning experience. Recently the advent of online learning has begun to introduce a new concept in how we learn. Through this technology students no longer have to leave their homes to attend classes.
Many universities have begun to use these distance-learning techniques to assist students who may have some trouble in attending classes on campus or for those who would just rather stay at home. These classes typically cost more than the regular ones and require the students to attend online forums, and use the Internet extensively during the curriculum.
Auburn University students at ASAP conference
Istanbul Technical University (ITU)
Screenshot of phpbb in use on a games forum.Though there have been a large number of students that have embraced this opportunity, standardizing this type of learning would be rather difficult. There would be serious obstacles to overcome.
Universities, like all other organizations?are in it for the money. This money is made not only in the form of tuition paid by students, but also from many forms of ancillary revenues. This can be anything from textbook sales, to group events, to merchandise with university logos to sporting event tickets. To standardize Distance or online learning would be practically synonymous to the ending of college campuses, as we know them. Who needs a campus when there is no need to ?attend? class? Why have a registration building if it is done online? The standardization of this technique would not only...