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L. Denise Jackson

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Do you think there is a benefit in providing a percentage of courses within every college free and online?

With the rising of educational costs and the competitiveness, the socioeconomic gap will continue to be wider unless there is a philanthropic mandate post-graduation to ensure that generations to come are not existing with a disconnected view of society and more importantly people that can contribute to our overall progression.

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Topics: Academics College Education Economic sustainability High cost college tuition access to higher ed free online education
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  • Dan F 50+

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    Aug 30 2012: No, not if it's gaming the system - ultimately you more or less get what you deserve.

    There is potential here and there is no reason high school should be exempt from this avenue of learningl, or a prison for that matter.

    In order to recognize student academic achievement for a given courrse at a given time, which has been truly earned demands more than smiles. It must operate with credible controls. Some independent operation (already mentioned). Perhaps is could be made commenserate with the institutional standard method via some independent staff and facility, suppose:

    The online class is certified from the high school or college institution, etc. Students then registerer the start and completion dates for the course and are bound by set timetables and instructions.

    Students take tests at a specified time including a final examination at a certified location. The final exam is sealed coming and going with a set time for completion and the posting of results.

    Students pay a fee for the facility including the sargent of arms, testing and grading experts. Academic achievement is measured by a grade A through F.

    To become an accredited course on a student's academic record a certified test location, process, and personnel need to be adequate and professional.

    Done right I would have no problem with someone getting a basic degrees online. It could be considerably less expensive than the standard method and offer more choices. Online classes can be demanding and what a solid education is all about.

    But nothing worthwhile is free in my experience.
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      John Moonstroller 20+

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      Sep 12 2012: It is interesting to note that when I worked with some young prisoners (they like the term inmate), so they could get their GED, they had almost no skills at all in writing or math. What was more interesting is the rate they learned the material and accomplished their goal, under pressure of the prison environment. Most of these kids were very smart; so smart they didn't believe they needed an education to make money.
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        Fritzie Reisner 100+

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        Sep 12 2012: I have also worked with a lot of people of all ages, mostly homeless, on GED. Sometimes between the time they were in high school and the time I saw them, learning that content became their own objective rather than that of a higher authority. Other times they were the victims of schools unresponsive to their needs and were getting on board to try again in a more hospitable, more personalized environment.
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          John Moonstroller 20+

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          Sep 12 2012: This is my opinion also.
          I often asked myself, how could such a smart kid not learn to read and write? Is it the fault of the school system or the living environment of the kid. They learned very quickly and everyone I taught ranked high on the GED score. I'm a bit tougher than most. I start off math with fractions. It's hard but once the see the light and master simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of fractions they tend to zoom through everything else with ease.

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