Online Learning

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer points out that upon beginning this research into the socio-historical issues of online learning, the writer felt that it was a great boon to society. However, with time and study the writer has come to feel that online learning only heightens an already serious trend. The writer maintains that just as Walter Benjamin argues that actors have auras that are necessary to their performance on the stage, and just as physical art pieces have auras which create a "ritual" surrounding themselves, the writer has come to believe that traditional pedagogues and schools of higher education maintain a certain aura of presence which cannot be reproduced digitally and which is therefore lost in the online learning environment. The writer concludes that the non-academic social and psychological effects of distance learning have not been adequately studied so far, but it is the writer's belief that distance learning takes away the sacred aura from learning and, in so doing, passes on to the student only the shell and form of an education rather than its true substance.

From the Paper:

"Perhaps because advanced education became so widely available, it began to be increasingly required of all people, even those whose line of work did not actually require specialized college training. For example, working as a secretary or salesperson in no way requires college training, but many positions require a degree (regardless of the area of specialization in the degree) before applying, as if to prove that one is at all capable of serious effort and success. No doubt the expectation of adult learning has grown with the increased demand for college graduates in the work field, and vice versa. Yet in many cases, continued education is not pursued for the sake of learning itself, but for the sake of qualifying for positions."
"In the traditional educational setting, deep bonds are forged between teachers and students. The position of a sensei, a teacher, or a mentor has been an extremely sacred one in many traditions. Bonds were forged between teachers and their students that were expected to be not just academic but also personal and, in some cases, life long."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" 1936. http://bid.berkeley.edu/bidclass/readings/benjamin.html
• Syracuse University Archives. "Enrollment statistics for 1943-4 through 1951-2 present dramatic evidence of the impact of returning veterans on Syracuse University." Syracuse and the GI Bill. http://archives.syr.edu/arch/gi/impact.htm

More papers on Online Learning:

• Research Paper # 52342 : "Online Learning"
• Article Review # 140563 : "Online Learning"
• Research Proposal # 112413 : "Designing Online Learning Management Systems"

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