inputs/outputs

I’m going to write about a system which has a bunch of bugs, inconsistencies, and overall problems: the education system.

There’s almost something humorous about the phrase “virtual learning.” Just like “virtual reality” refers to a situation which is not, in fact, real, virtual learning seems to refer to a situation where it only appears as if knowledge is being attained.

I guess the main thing to determine is whether or not the social-interactive component of education can be eliminated and still have the same effect on the user. Or at least, an equally beneficial effect. One of the arguments is that online learning is teaching students to interact with computers, something that they will have to do in their future. To me, this is silly. Non-virtual learning (we’ll refer to it as actual learning) allows students to learn how to use a computer at an early age, and still provides all of the same social benefits.

Virtual learning is cheaper, faster, and overall much easier. Thinking about a parallel universe where I took online courses and didn’t interact with any classmates, I probably wouldn’t have landed the job I’m in now, which requires a great deal of thinking, but is completely based around the way I communicate with people.

If all you can do is read, write, and crunch numbers, and you don’t have a clue how to act socially, you’re a commodity and can be interchanged with someone who’s a million miles away, in a different country.