Are Computers in Schools Worthwhile?

Few would argue that computers and the web are useful tools, but do they help school children learn the fundamentals? A series of articles from The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel explore this issue.

Part one "Is technology in schools the future or just a fad?" Wisconsin's public schools now have 1 computer for every 3 students. Is it improving education for the students? The article reports that the results are mixed. The primary uses involve web searching and Powerpoint presentations. Also, skill-drilling software has become popular in an attempt to improve standardized test scores.

This question about the usefulness of computers in schools was debated on this shashdot thread.

In part two "Schools must weigh cost vs. benefits of technology", the cost and funding of computers in schools are reviewed. Tax-funded programs for schools are drying up, and many schools can't fund the maintenance of the computers, networks and software.

A state representative interviewed by the reporter made an important point:

In every other area of the economy of our society, technology has done two things: It's improved quality, and it's lowered personnel costs.

He asks why this hasn't this happened in education.

My Opinion

In my opinion, computers and the web have not yet been effectively used in a widespread fashion. The potential to help education is great for not only adults but also for young children. As the representative said, the quality should rise and the cost should fall.

My Example: Using the Web in Education

Here's an example of mine on how the web can be used to help students learn. This could be useful for all grades. Instead of just using the web to find information, students would be instructed on using it to build on subjects. Web and blogging technology would be great for documenting science and history projects.

Students would learn not only about linking to references, but the concept of building upon the work of others. Science and history projects of previous students would be online and available for students to learn from, link to, and build upon. Each new class would be encourage to build on the work of others.

Impact of Education on History

This is perhaps one of the most important abilities of mankind. Basically, it's learning from others, applying it, and building upon it. Without this simple concept, mankind would still be in the stone age.

PBS had a documentary series called Guns, Germs, and Steel. The author examined why certain civilizations in history grew powerful and were able to dominate others. One important factor was having time to learn from others. This included the proces of making steel for tools and weapons which took several generations to perfect. Also, it included the development of writing which allowed people to learn from others.

The process of learning from others and building upon it is where the web can have a major impact on mankind's educational endeavors. Being able to quickly access, reference, and interact with information will allow this building process to expand more rapidly than any time in human history.

Technorati Tags: education, online learning

The Growth of Kaplan University

The Miami Herald recently published a story on Kaplan University which has a support center in Fort Lauderdale Florida. The support center and the rest of the company has been growing fast. Its internet-based school now has 21,000 students. In 2001 it had only 264. In less than 5 years Kaplan has become one of the nation's largest online colleges.

The Miami Herald article didn't have any negative issues regarding Kaplan which has been able to avoid problems seen at other institutions. It mentioned that Kaplan's competitor, The University of Phoenix, had been fined $9.8 million by the US Department of Eduction last year over student-recruitment practices. University of Phoenix is the largest online instituion with over 140,000 students. The article also reported Kaplan University has been able to avoid the diploma mill reputation that many for-profit institutions have acquired.

The tuition at Kaplan is $280 per credit hour for its undergraduate programs. In my opinion, this is still way too high for an online school. The technology should allow for much lower costs. However, there are things that can't be improved with technology. I found this quote in the article insightful:

... education is ultimately about relationships and, in particular, the relationship between teacher and student. You can't automate that.

It looks like Kaplan is on the right track and hopefully Kaplan and its competitors will make education more accessible and inexpensive.

Problems with Career Colleges

Last night CBS rebroadcasted a story that originally was shown earlier this year regarding career colleges. It specifically investigated Career Education Corporation (CEC). CEC had grown into a major company with $1 billion in annual revenue with over 100K students in 82 campuses.

Some of the accusations that were made against CEC in the broadcast:

• lies told to students regarding job placement
• lies told to students regarding graduation rates
• failure to assist in finding graduates jobs
• degree that lacks of credibility
• administration that was more interested in making money than in educating students
• very aggressive sales tactics
• instructors pressured to pass students to keep them in school

And this was after the students were paying "$30,000, $60,000 and $80,000 depending on the program".

The broadcast mentioned that:

"CEC is not the only publicly traded career-school operator in trouble with the federal government. Last fall, the Department of Education handed out its largest fine ever ($9.8 million) to the Apollo Group and its University of Phoenix for admitting unqualified students to boost enrollment. And a year ago, federal agents raided the headquarters and 10 campuses of ITT Educational Services, investigating charges of falsified grades and attendance records."

So no matter whether the college is online or at a physical campus, be sure to do your research before you sign the contract.