Can Online Education Help U.S. Students Catch Up in the Technology Knowledge Race?
Pat Gelsinger is senior vice president and general manager of Intel Corporation's
Digital Enterprise Group. In March of 2005, he said that, “We have a lousy education system . . . [and] a weak infrastructure that is decaying." He also indicated that companies like Intel will be able to survive by hiring employees from other countries, but points out how fearful that is for America’s long-term survival. (http://news.com.com/Intel+exec+fears+for+U.S.+competitiveness/2100-1008_3-5598936.html)

So, what do you think? Is it possible for U.S. students to take the initiative and make up for their lack of technological knowledge? Do you think U.S. students really need to do that? Are they really behind in the Technology Knowledge Race, or just misunderstood?

Online Education Can Help Reform Prisoners

I doubt the idea of online education came about as a result of wanting some way to educate prisoners. Yet what group of people is more restricted from continuing their education than those who have been incarcerated? Online education in prisons is making a difference, not only to the incarcerated, but to society as well.

In England, thirteen prisons and five probation areas are receiving funds to provide online learning for offenders in prison and on probation. The funds will be directed at a new approach to rehabilitating offenders, which is expected to improve employability and lessen the chances of re-offending. (http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=4270&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0)

A study by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons found that among those inmates who received GEDs while in prison, a considerably lower number of them came back to prison than did those who did not receive one. (http://adulted.about.com/cs/prisoneducation/a/prison_ed_2.htm)

There are other examples, but the point is that online education can benefit not only those who receive it, but those who may interact with the recipients. If ignorance is the root of all evil, then perhaps educating everyone should be an important priority for society.

Virtual Courses Fill the Online Learning Gap

In several posts I've recently read, the theme tended towards a belief that online education was not posible for courses that required more hands-on than theory, such as chemistry or brick laying. But I recently received an article that includes information on one way in which such training can be done. It was referred to as "self-guided" training, and was done off the computer, but as part of an online course. The example it showed was of a student conducting a chemistry experiment in a small lab. (The article and picture came from EDUTOPIA APRIL/MAY 2005, pages 32-37.)

The picture above is from that article, and is a live HTML link to it. It contains much of interest to those who want more information about online education.