Moving intro classes online cheats students

According to its website, Thomas Jefferson’s goal for the University of Virginia was for it to…According to its website, Thomas Jefferson’s goal for the University of Virginia was for it to be an “academical village,” where students and professors would study and research side by side in an atmosphere of open inquiry. The model of a university as an open forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas where interactions between students and professors enhance knowledge sounds like an ideal that most universities strive for.

But the “academical village” might undergo some major changes as administrators push to move many introductory courses toward a hybrid model with substantial online components. UVa already uses technology extensively in instruction; it offers graduate degrees and certificates that are fully online, and many professors already use some online teaching methods in their undergraduate classes. Administrators say that the hybrid model for introductory classes will free up manpower and money; with this model, professors will be more able to focus on their third- and fourth-year students.

We believe that using a hybrid model for introductory classes may not deliver all that these administrators hope. We believe that a traditional course model, with lectures, labs and recitations done in person, is a more effective way to teach introductory classes.

We think as much in-person interaction as possible — both among students and between students and professors — is beneficial for learning. With substantial portions of classes being held online, the amount of traditional classroom communication will probably diminish. In-person interaction between students and professors is valuable not only for instruction, but because it makes students feel a sense of accountability. How many students will actually attentively watch online lectures as opposed to letting them run in the background while doing something else?

Courses with substantial online components require a lot of motivation and self-discipline, without many consequences if students aren’t paying attention during an online lecture or if they use Google to find answers during an online quiz. We believe that it’s easier for students — especially underclassmen — to succeed in courses when a more substantial portion is conducted in the classroom.

Additionally, we are troubled by the idea that hybrid courses will allow professors to focus on their third and fourth-year students. We believe that professors should focus equally on students in all years of college, especially because the first couple years of college help build a solid foundation for future study. Several of us at The Pitt News have been inspired by the professors of our introductory courses, and these professors and classes have influenced our decisions to choose certain majors, pursue more courses in that field of study or do research in a certain area. If time spent face-to-face with these professors decreases or diminishes in importance, the potential for younger students to be inspired by their introductory courses may lessen.

We think that the idea of a community of professors and students learning side by side is best maintained in courses taught entirely in person. While technology should be used to enhance instruction, it should not take the place of traditional class meetings.