Time to retire from online learning? – by Tony Bates
Excerpts:
Teaching in higher education is about to go through as major a revolution as one can imagine. This is not going to be easy; indeed it could get brutal.
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…this is not a profession where you can be half in and half out. Dabbling in online learning is very dangerous (politicians please note).
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Lastly, I am concerned that the computer scientists seem to be taking over online education. Ivy League MOOCs are being driven mainly by computer scientists, not educators. Politicians are looking to computer science to automate learning in order to save money. Computer scientists have much to offer, but they need more humility and a greater willingness to work with other professionals, such as psychologists and teachers, who understand better how learning operates. This is a battle that has always existed in educational technology, but it’s one I fear the educators are losing. The result could be disastrous, but that’s a theme for a whole set of blog posts.
From DSC:
I am very grateful for Tony’s work! He has helped many, many people develop their own learning ecosystems in a variety of ways throughout these last 45 years. As I, too, am passionate about online learning, I have really appreciated Tony’s insights and writings about topics that related to online and distance learning. I was glad to hear that Tony will continue to write in the future.