Destroying Our College Culture

In my previous blog posts I discussed the consequences of moving from traditional classroom education to online education. There is no doubt there are some serious consequences in making this move into a new form of higher education. There is clear evidence for the positive implications of internet education on society. It will offer global education to anyone with internet access providing the world a new and easier way to learn. I acknowledge the positive aspects of educating the world via the Internet but I am more concerned with the negative implications that arise in the transition from traditional college education.

The experiences and human interactions found on traditional University campuses are important to society and need to be taken into consideration before we replace it with online education. Universities help shape and define our culture and acts as a foundation for individuals. The environment of traditional Universities promotes the creation of individual values and identity. I am concerned with the Internet’s inability to produce this “student culture”.

Personally, I would not be the individual I am if it had not been for my attendance at a University with a strong culture and exciting campus. I am a student as well as an employee for the University of Cincinnati and my personal experiences has allowed me to find out who I am and build personal relationships with fellow students and faculty. These experiences and relationships would not exist if I had attended an online University and I would not be the person I am without them.