Market Models of Education - Pros and Cons - Essay Example

Effective levels of education and the means by which these are provided have always been of interest to educators and sociologists alike. Because of this, the recent technological change that has been exhibited since the dawn of the Internet age has created a dynamic in which e-education has come to transform the way in which traditional education is affected. Within this dynamic, it is not uncommon for individual students to take online classes as a function of fulfilling their requirements. The authors of the chapter in question argues that even though these online courses might have their place in providing for a higher level of education with respect to the social sciences or to the hard sciences, argues that the provision of online classes in terms of teaching creative writing skills is doing a strong disservice to students around the world. As a function of analyzing this particular point of view and summarizing it, the following critique will provide an interpretation into the method of argument that the authors in question uses and this student’s view of whether or not it is an effective argument or not.
Essentially, the authors indicates that there are several key reasons for why Internet sources are not sufficient in teaching creative writing, or even writing in general. Firstly, the basis of traditional writing courses, as defined by the authors, has been predicated on small groups for many decades. As denoted within the chapter, this is not by accident. Instead, the utilization of small groups increases the overall level of interaction, self and peer review, and other relevant factors relating to the way in which creative writing is taught. However, within the Internet classroom, the overall interaction between students is necessarily limited and a one dimensional level of interaction between the instructor and the student is ultimately affected.
Another rationale that the authors provides for why electronic courses are not as effective in teaching writing has to do with the fact that Internet classes necessarily pander to the elements of computer writing and professional business correspondence. The authors argues that even though it is true that these elements should doubtless be taught, to base entire courses on this is to lose sight of how effective writing techniques have produced exceptional articles, books, and opinions the past several decades. Finally, the authors present the view that online courses that teach writing exhibit key deficits. The first of these deficits is with respect to the overall level of classroom support software; oftentimes differentiated widely between different electronic course offerings. Secondly, student time constraints limit the overall level of engagement that an individual student might necessarily otherwise devote to a particular class. Finally, market models of education provides a dynamic in which the overall interests of the educator is to fill classroom space and to maximize the overall number of offspring; rather than to actively improve the overall level of quality of writing that is exhibited within the student body.
In terms of the critique of this particular point of view, it should be understood that although the essay represents an effective level of argument, a resistance to change is clearly denoted within the opinions and viewpoints that are put forward. Furthermore, the authors himself indicates that there is a general lack of consensus among students and teachers with respect to the actual data concerning creative writing and whether or not online courses are able to effectively improve your writing to the same extent that traditional courses are (Lockard & Pegrum, 2007). With an overall lack of data to support the viewpoints that are put forward in the chapter, the reader can only take these viewpoints as far as they are represented; not at face value. In conclusion, although the argument is well predicated and put together, the reader is left with no alternative but to fundamentally distrust the result; as a function of the fact that no corroborating evidence is effectively provided.
Reference
Lockard, J. & Pegrum, M. (2007). Brave new classrooms : democratic education & the Internet. New York: Peter Lang. Read More