Goodbye Professor? Hello Computer?

As students at UC Davis, a large portion of our ability to access school materials depends on the internet. To communicate with students, professors can make announcements in lecture, but for the most part, information is disseminated online, then reiterated in class. Syllabuses are posted on Smartsite, midterm room assignments are sent via email, assignments are submitted online, and grades are recorded electronically. This has increased the efficiency of teaching as information is easily accessible to students and class time is focused on instruction (class policy and other information can be posted online outside of class).

However, despite these leaps in technology in the classroom, a New York Times article posted recently raises the question of online courses. Currently, instructors have been utilizing technology in their classrooms, but what about online courses without an instructor at all? Would it be possible to teach a class without the oversight of a teacher? Are virtual classrooms possible?

This topic is a hot issue among top universities, but as this article notes, a school "would have a hard time being the first one to make a change as drastic as offering an entirely automated course."Nonetheless, in addition to the interest generated among other universities, this is an issue popular even in our own school system. Last year, the UC Regents "approved a proposal to test the viability of offering a bachelor's degree that could be earned entirely online." Clearly, this desire to create online learning environments is shared by many. However, the current, major obstacle in the formation of an extensive online learning network is funding. Still, this idea has garnered much support, with some universities beginning to explore and invest in creating such a learning system.

With the possibility of automated courses on the horizon, we ought to reconsider our definition of education. As we explore this issue of constantly connected, we must begin to question the value we place on technology. Is it a force encroaching on our lives, or is it a powerful force uniting the world's greatest minds?