Grantham University vs University of Missouri Kansas City - Essay Example

Grantham vs. of Missouri Kansas Contents Contents 2 Introduction 3 Networks 4 Technology 4 Grantham 5 of Missouri 6 Analysis 7 Conclusion 8 References 8 Introduction In the world of today, where the average person strives to compete against the ever-so-tough work demands as well as trying to maintain a personal life, it is bound to get tougher than it is. This is because the competition in all spheres of society has increased. The reason for this increase is the increasing population of the world. As the world population is increasing so is the demand of resources. The amount of resources cannot be increased. This includes recourses such as land and non renewable resources. This is one of the reasons that real estate prices have soared over the last few years. Universities have the job of training students in the design of society. This role goes beyond just giving them basic education. They also have to mould them to be successful. An integral part of this training according to the current competiveness should be to make students highly competitive. Therefore the university curriculum should include programs aimed at bringing the students up to date with current technological advances. The new advances being made in the field of studies should also be taken into account while making their curriculum. Networks We live in a highly digitalized and a highly fast paced track of streams of networks racing to catch up with one another. This only translates into the fact that what a person does today in one part of the world, can easily be tracked and checked in the other part of the world. Today, our schedules demand more from us. For those who don’t know how to multi-task or how to juggle their ever-increasing responsibilities, the Darwinian rules might apply to them – survival of not only the fittest, but also the fastest and smartest. However, it’s not all that threatening. With advanced technology requirements come, advanced technological benefits as well and now the world stays connected regardless of the geographical locations. The internet has indeed changed our very perceptions of how we see distance. Technology In this technological era, it is best to make the most of what gadgets and hi-tech facilities we have available today. This includes not only the youth, rather, people of all ages and backgrounds. We all know the importance of well-developed and well groomed educational background. This is so because the perception of a man’s capabilities and his talent is based or judged on the amount of education or training one has received in his/her interested field. This judgment is not only made by the society but most importantly the organizations that hire. They make sure that they get employees which know more than the domain of their technical knowledge. This technical knowledge more often not includes information on technology and operational uses of technology. A very good example is the usage of computer. All employees are expected to learn and apply computers. Today’s universities are constantly trying to upgrade themselves whether it’s the variety of programs available or the state-of-the-art facilities. This happens so that these institutions can sculpt a bright and a promising future. Such universities have the ability to generate new ideas and carve the ability for a person to learn new things as well as offer constructive critique when necessary. All this enables a person to sharpen their analyzing skills as well as groom him/her for his/her future endeavors (Sims& Sims, 1995). Now, there is an increasing need for the development and maintenance of quality education centers and with the demand for the product-education itself on the rise, new types of institutions as well as educational offerings have emerged which has modified the shape of the traditional education providers. These institutions provide multiple levels of learning, to cultivate a stronger relationship between the higher education and the external world with emphasis on the improved responsiveness and access to the labour market needs as well as opportunities to be recognized globally (Hénard, F & OECD, 2010). Online education is one of these advanced mechanisms to provide education which has challenged the traditional face of university education. The real problem that all institution of education faces is the incremental cost with the number of students. This is because in the legacy education system as a new student is enrolled in a program, his books, paper checking, on campus movement etc all cost the educational institution money. However if the student commutes from a distance then there is no need to spend money on his on-campus movement. Moreover if the medium of education is the internet there is an unlimited opportunity to teach as many people as possible. For example on professor can give a lecture to over two hundred people. Grantham University Grantham University itself is one of these institutions which provide education online. Its courses are 100% online and they are available to anyone and everyone who wishes to enroll. The university has a 59-year history of incessant commitment to providing quality education to the armed forces of the United States of America, veterans, their families as well as students from around the world. Its administrative offices are in Kansas City, Missouri. With its highly accredited links with major institutions like Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, United States Distance Learning Association, The Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges etc., gives the university a credible qualification to base itself on. Currently, there are many graduates of this university who remember it with fond words like this single mom, Erica Byrd, in her first year of classes at Grantham University, is pursuing a Master in Healthcare Administration and wishes to work for the Department of Health and Hospitals.1. One anonymous reviewer writes: “I am retired military and also work as a government civilian on a military installation. I completed my bachelors degree as well as my Masters degree at Grantham. ALL of my transcripts have been entered as official documents into my civilian personnel record and are deemed accredited for purposes of career advancement.2” University of Missouri Another university which is notable in its provision of great opportunities to its students and a promising quality education is the University of Missouri, Kansas City. This is the traditional brick and mortar school where the campus life, the available facilities as well as the programs are quite impressive and offer a glimpse into what the practical world would be like. It has extensive conveniences which are available to its students. The university doesn’t cater to an online or a distance learning program. It should be noted that the feel and the life that one experiences in such traditional brick and mortar universities is indeed unique. It can teach the students a lot about their practical lives and problems. The equipment and the practical (physically) available learning material can help the students to learn effectively. Analysis When the time comes to compare the two methods of education, my personal opinion would side a little more with the online system even though the experience that the on-ground universities teach a person is irreplaceable. If we focus on the learning and the courses, we see that research proves that the properly designed and well-constructed online learning programs can prove to be more effective than the traditional methods of face-to-face teaching. They can even cost less even though there is a debate about that, however, the cost to the student is still relatively less and the convenience is enhanced (Sloan-C, 2005). Even though this type of education may not offer the sense of a community (physically) and the extra perks of belonging to on-campus societies, e-learning still offers a very convenient and updated learning experience. The idea is to have a quality faculty and trainers who can actually pull off giving e-learning to their students. Moreover, in online education, the course remains current and the student has the luxury of deciding what classes suit him/her and the schedule remains flexible. This is a huge extravagance in today’s world where the people can study as well as work. Online education can provide a vibrant community where the people can vary in their backgrounds thus, have different points of views and more ideas (Lehmann & Chamberlin, 2009). Moreover, since usually the class size is smaller, the instructor can have time to understand each student. This is also an opportunity for the students to offer timely and effective feedback to their instructors. Conclusion One can pick-and-choose the advantages and disadvantages they see with specific learning program. Here, we can clearly see that the education at Grantham is very different from University of Missouri, Kansas City. However, if one focuses on the learning ability and value, in the end, it depends on the student’s ability and motivation to learn him/herself. References Hénard, F. (2010). Learning Our Lesson: Review of Quality Teaching in Higher Education.OECD Publishing. http://www.grantham.edu http://www.umkc.edu Lehmann, K. Chamberlin, L., (2009).Making the Move to ELearning: Putting Your Course Online.R&L Education Sims, R.R. & Sims, S.J., (1995).The importance of learning styles: understanding the implications for learning, course design, and education.Greenwood Publishing Group. Sloan Consortium., (2005). Elements of quality online education: engaging communities. Olin College - Sloan-C Read More