Creating a virtual learning environment sounds unique but also carries some questions along with it. Does switching to virtual education create some different problems? Will it be an easy transfer from past education techniques, and more importantly, will it be just as effective if not more? It is true that some new challenges arise when incorporating a virtual classroom to student’s curriculum, but the benefits far outweigh the cons. Here are some common arguments against computer mediated education.
“Students will lack in face to face communication with peers and not develop good social skills.”
-Computer mediated education is aimed at higher levels of education sophomore high school level and up all the way through graduate school. The students will develop proper social skills by this age, and in addition, will gain valuable viral communication skills and become familiar with different web communication platforms. Relationships can still form within the viral learning environment as well as exist in the students every day social life.
“The instructors will have minimal control over the student’s behavior and do not have as direct impact on student’s education as with traditional in-class lectures.”
-Computer mediated education is all about developing young adults and preparing them for the real world and higher education. Students will need to be self motivated and intelligent to succeed in an online learning environment…much like the expectations of a student in a live classroom. Ultimately education and learning is up to the individual this method of teaching stresses that while educating students on new technology they will someday need to use.
“The teachers will need to be “taught” on how to teach in this format which is time consuming and expensive.”
-Teachers will indeed need to have education on how to properly communicate with students via a virtual classroom and setting. Virtual communication classes can start to be included in teaching undergraduate programs at universities and colleges. This transition to virtual education will not be expensive due to the money saved. Traditional education requires building construction and a plentiful staff to keep it running. The combination of these two can be quite costly and will be reduced, if not eliminated, by computer mediated education.
In today’s hectic world schedules are more crowded than ever. It is important that education stays at the forefront of students minds. Computer mediated education can help eliminate many problems we have today with traditional schooling and allows for students to balance their busy schedule. Giving the students the opportunity to work on their own in a technological environment, that will be around for years to come, and save money will be both beneficial to them and school administrations everywhere.
