Online School and the Art of Verbal Communication

I started taking an online course to help me graduate next May. It's interesting because you see all the ads for online schools, be it on TV or in the Inbox of your email account. They offer the convenience of classes when you want and appeal to adult learners like myself. As I have gotten into the course, I've started to learn more about some of the downside to online schools. For starters, the interactions with classmates are obviously absent. The instruction can also be absent at times. In a typical classroom, many professors lecture based on students' readings. Assignments are given and topics are debated, sometimes heatedly. Students can also compare grades on exams and papers to know where they stand. The beauty of online school is its convenience. Students can get an undergraduate degree or graduate degree online in their pajamas, if they want, but is it really higher learning? The classroom discussions and the sharing of opinions is vital to the higher learning process. Sure there are group discussions in online classes, but much like society today, you don't get to look the other people in the eye when you post discussion topics. Our technology has done a lot of damage to the art of face to face communication and I wonder how kids raised in this technological age will be able communicate in a job interview, perhaps. This will be a challenge for the future. I work on my kids constantly about verbal communication and presentation skills. I'm still trying to hone my own skills. I can be uneasy at the first basketball practice of the year and during a presentation where I'm uncomfortable with the subject matter. I must admit though, I've gotten a lot better. Until next week, keep learning.