View "Online" as a Tool

Is "online education" the next revolution in higher education, as some would say? Or is it a sign of diminishing quality and lowering standards? There is so much hype surrounding the world of online or distance education! In the end, online education is just a tool for the person committed to learning.

Writing on a personal note, I remember my years in a rural African region working to establish literacy programs. When a few people in a village had the desire to learn, but could not afford the chalk or blackboard used in classes they would smooth the side of a mud hut and use charcoal bits from the fire for their lessons. They sat under mango trees or grass shade huts driven by a passion to learn. The tools were simple. The drive to learn was key.

Distance education has changed and developed greatly as communications technology has advanced. Those who went through the first days of online courses, some with negative experiences, would be amazed at the versatility of online these days. Using the analogy of building a house, we have moved from hammer and saw to power tools. But in the end, the tool is only functional in the hand of one using it. The learner with a passion to learn will learn.

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