Essay Response to an Article: "Can you be Educated from a Distance?"

Does a Distant Education Work?

There has been an increase in distance learning in the last few years. Distance learning involves taking a course through the use of online classrooms that use chat rooms bulletin boards and the posting of assignments and class material online in order to allow students to fit higher education into the demands of a busy life. Distance education has become a popular trend in the field of higher education however, some critics such as, Barszcz argue that distance learning is not as effective as a traditional college education.

In the article "Can You be Educated from a Distance" author James Barszcz argues that distance education is not all that it appears to be. His main argument centers around the idea that the dropout rates for students involved in distance learning courses are on average 15% higher than dropout rates in a traditional college setting. Barszcz also claims that students who participate in distance learning are at a disadvantage in comparison to traditional students because they do not interact with professors and fellow students face to face.

Barszcz states that there are several reasons why colleges and universities have begun to promote distance learning as a credible and valid form of higher education. First, colleges make more money off of distance college classes than they do from traditional college classes because, they do not have the expenses involved in running a traditional college program. Second, distance learning allows staff to put less time into meeting with students and supervising students because the work is done online. Finally, Barszcz argues that colleges and universities are heavily invested in promoting distance learning programs and will do whatever is necessary to encourage students to participate in distance learning. (Barszcz, p.17)

While Barszcz appears to present a valid argument there are several problems with his claims. First, Barszcz provides a great deal of evidence on why distance education programs are not what they appear to be. However, he does not present the other side of the argument completely. While sources are cited for his arguments against distance education, very few valid sources are cited for his minor mentions of the opposite claim that distance learning is a credible form of higher education. Second, he relies entirely upon statistical analysis and demographic data. While this type of information is important it is also critical to present information about those that have successfully graduated and gone on to successful careers after getting their degree through a distance learning program. Barszcz's argument is poorly set out because he does not fairly represent the argument for distance learning in higher education.

Barszcz also claims that schools that offer distance learning courses or degrees are little more than diploma mills that promote the idea that learning merely involved gaining new knowledge rather than learning how to use it. He argues that the claim that schools claim that education will be based on knowledge rather than connections because the focus will no longer be on what school a student went to. This may be true of some schools however; many reputable colleges and universities offer distance learning programs and these programs are not mentioned by Barszcz even in passing. Finally, Barszcz argues that students who participate in distance learning miss out on many aspects of college life including, building relationships with professors and interacting with their fellow students. (Barszcz, p.17-18) This argument may be true for students who are of traditional age and are more interested in the traditional college party scene but, for students who are more focused on academics distance learning may not put them at a disadvantage.

Barszcz's argument is weak in this respect as this is not actually the case. While distance learning may not be well suited to programs that require experiential learning, they are well suited to the liberal arts and humanities. Another fault is with Barszcz's claim that students miss out on the more traditional aspects of a college education. This is simply not the case as students in today's society are more likely to interact with each other and their professors on online sites like Facebook, than they are to meet their fellow students and professors at parties or meetings. They also do not particularly miss out on the ability to create a network within the academic and professional community as many of these communities are now located online. Barszcz seems to be stuck in a time prior to the blossoming of the online community that gave birth to distance learning and fails to recognize that many accredited schools now have online programs of study and that students are as efficient in building academic connections in an online community as they are in building these connections face to face.

While distance learning programs do appear to have some fairly significant disadvantages, Barszcz is solely relying upon data gathered from statistical sources rather than the personal experiences of people who have participated in these programs. He does not appear to have a strong grasp of how the academic community has changed in the last twenty years, specifically, in terms of the student population and how this has affected the popularity of distance learning. For instance, he seems to address issues surrounding online learning solely in terms of traditionally aged college students while failing to realize that while online may not work well for traditionally aged students other students who are non-traditional do very well in distance learning programs. While not all distance learning programs are good, others offer high quality education that is both affordable and time efficient. This allows students who may not have the ability to obtain a college education by other means the chance to get a college education. It can be concluded, that while Barszcz's arguments make sense in terms of mere statistical data he is not looking at the entire picture. While there are some students who do not do well in distance learning programs, others do quite well in these programs and go on to have successful careers.