Clash of the Titans: Online vs Classroom Learning

Posted on September 9, 2012June 2, 2014 by David C. Brake

Welcome, my name is David C. Brake. I consider myself one of those people who feels like they have lived “many lives.” I have been a musician, recording artist, entertainer comedian, manager, teacher, business owner, startup founder, husband and father–and a smart-aleck throughout. However self assessments are always biased, so here are some examples for you to draw your own conclusions:

The Smart-Aleck

At one point in grade school, my math teacher noticed that one of my test scores was not up with the rest of my subjects. She pulled me aside, and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. Although I appreciated that she was concerned, I also knew what she was trying to do. I told her I wanted to be an astronaut, and she replied that I would need to know a lot of math for that vocation, so I should put forth more effort in my studies moving forward to reach that goal. I replied that if that was the case, I no longer wish to be an astronaut, and I would appreciate if she could let me know what other occupations were math intensive so that I could make sure to avoid them in the future. (She called my parents.)

Fast forward to the smart-aleck adult. Continuing to make my case, below are some self-quotes that I found amusing, but the recipients at the time did not:

“I am considered an expert on most things that I’m not qualified to talk about.”

“If you look around and see you are the only one working for free, reassess the priorities of your co-workers.”

“If you knew what he really thought, he wouldn’t be a politician.”

“If you don’t believe in Jesus, I will kill you. Does anyone else find this statement ironic?”

And last but not least:

“People who get their degrees while they sit around in their underwear are either really smart, or not worth hiring.”

And it’s this one that I want to talk about.

When I said that, it was in reference to online learning. Unfortunately, the proponent of online learning to whom I was speaking did not find it amusing, and for some reason his response brought back memories of my “astronaut talk” in grade school. He came back with, “Is the guy who pays a quarter of a million dollars for his degree smarter than the guy who makes a quarter of a million dollars without one?” I thought about this. Was I smarter to avoid something I didn’t enjoy, or would it have been more intelligent to put more time and effort into grade school math? Everything, including the consequences involved, really depends on the objective.

There was a time in my life when all I wanted was to make a great salary going on stage and playing music for three hours a night. After actually doing it for a while, that objective changed and I had new goals, but at the time I felt that it would have been foolish to obtain a degree which would not have brought me any closer to that objective.

While I can see arguments (and even agree sometimes) that online learning is alienating or closer to research https://chronicle.com/article/article-content/133177/ or that classroom learning kills creativity https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson, I think maybe the battle should be less of a battle and more of a conversation about objectives. If you throw in all variables, I believe often times it really is what you make of it. The best classroom teachers don’t stifle creativity with a curriculum, they try to find a way to inspire it (albeit sometimes in spite of the system)—and let’s not forget that in its quintessence, students in a school can also interact and inspire each other to create. Unfortunately, Sir Ken Robinson (see the link above) is also right that too often that quintessence is left unrealized.

As for online learning, while it may not be optimum in some situations, in others it can be very effective—and in areas where nothing else is available, one could easily argue it is much better than the alternative of having no one to turn to for guidance. Yes, proponents of online learning will say there are many who have benefitted, and there is no doubt that there are also many who stand to benefit. Let’s hear what Bill Gates has to say on the subject. https://www.dailytech.com/Bill+Gates (Haha–how’s that for a segue? I actually agree with much of his argument though, and even though he is selling software, projects like Khan Academy and DotLRN are a brilliant success thanks in no small part to his help.)

Maybe what’s really interesting now at this time in history is the fact that soon online vs classroom learning may not need to be a choice. Enter Coursera: now you can even take Ivy League classes while you sit around in your underwear—at no cost to you. https://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/06/cheaper-than-harvard-ivy-league Interestingly (and not coincidentally), although it is the same coursework given and graded by the same professors, the classes are apparently not accredited. This is a point of contention raised by some of the students. (“What do you expect for free?” says the University… “Not much in this country,” says the world traveler…)

The point is that no one method of learning is “better” than another, but rather that learning should be judged by what is most effective and what is available for each individual at any given time. And that’s where LRNGO.com comes in, with an idea that’s been floating around in one form or another as far back as 1971. en.wikipedia.org/Deschooling_Society At the end of the day, the truth of the matter is that classroom and individual learning do not need to be mutually exclusive any more than online and physical, or instruction and research. Rather, there will (and should) be more choices available for each and everyone’s needs and applications. In short, it is what you make of it, and that’s probably something we can all agree on—even if you’re a smart-aleck.

Widely Used As Textbooks: Do We Have A Choice?

Posted on September 3, 2012June 2, 2014 by David C. Brake

Given the chance, most any college student will lecture at length about the steep cost of education, including the price of textbooks and books widely used as textbooks. The typical price of books for one college semester bought through the school store can easily reach $500, and in some cases much more. This has led to the creation of an old college tradition – watching the jaws drop and the pale faces of the people in front of you in the bookstore line as they bend over and kiss their sweet cash goodbye. It’s practically hazing, and you know your turn is coming up soon.

So Why Do Textbooks Cost So Much?

Here’s the dirty little secret. The textbook marketplace in the US does not function using the usual supply-and-demand economic model that we are all familiar with. Instead, it has been likened to the health insurance marketplace, in which the content (books) are prescribed by the professor or instructor (the doctor) to be used by the student (the patient). In most cases, the books are paid for by parents or through a loan (the insurance company). This leads to higher prices for books, because for students they are an essential service and the money must be provided to pay for them. Think it’s not a fair analogy? The 2005 report by the General Accounting Office stated that from 1986 to 2004, textbook prices rose an incredible 186 percent, compared to a 3 percent rise in prices in other areas.

So in 2006, The U.S. Education Department studied the college textbook situation and came up with five key reasons for high textbook prices:

Students must buy certain books if they want to excel in the class. What else could you do, refuse to buy it? The professor will just have one less person to teach.
As is the case with many industries now, the textbook publishing industry is dominated by just a few companies. Due to high publishing costs, others just can’t compete with Thomson, McGraw-Hill, Prentice Hall, and Houghton-Mifflin.
College bookstores charge high retail prices and are often designed to make a profit for the university.
Professors often receive copies of textbooks for free in the hopes that they will be used, and therefore may not know how much they cost. (Some professors need all the price breaks they can get too.)
Some professors who author textbooks might assign them to their classes to increase their royalties. (You know they’re out there.)

In addition to all this, textbook publishers frequently “update” older books to a new edition, adding in a small section or pictures. There is usually not much new information, but this means that students can be required to buy the latest edition for a premium price.

Quality yet Affordable Textbook Sources

As a reaction to the textbook pricing dilemma, the more recent trend is to look for alternative sources. Yes, the internet is once again the great equalizer, and more people are opting to buy their textbooks used online instead of buying them new or through their school. Books that are widely used as textbooks can be found online that are often of good quality, with a much better price than new books or those purchased through the university. Thankfully, there are quite a few internet options for finding and buying textbooks. Here are a few picks.

Amazon.com I know it is now cliché – sporting everything from swimming pools to tweezers, but it is still one of the best places to buy textbooks online because of the vast ability to search and choose from bookstores all around the world. Some of their most popular books that have been widely used as textbooks are the 8^th Edition of Mastering Biology, Biology: Concepts and Connections with myBiology, Managerial Accounting, Principles of Microeconomics, The Art of Public Speaking with Connect Lucas, and Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies. The latest word at Amazon is that they even RENT textbooks now. (Woohoo!)

Abebooks.com is another great place to find books that are widely used as textbooks. Though usually more limited to the United States, this site sometimes finds books and stores that Amazon and other searches do not. You can find new and used books here. Half.com, associated with Ebay, is a good place to find cheap used books. You can often get a great deal here because many of the sellers are individuals like you who are done with the book and would like to make anything they can off of it.

Bigwords.com and Chegg.com are also worth checking out. BigWords is an interesting site because it will optimize the shipping of your books to get you the lowest price possible. This site also allows you to sell back your books that are widely used as textbooks for a little extra cash at the end of the semester. Chegg is good for college students looking for cheap books that they will only use temporarily. Instead of buying the book, you only rent it for a semester or however long you may need it. Free shipping is provided for the return of the book.

Another trend worth noting is that many people are now moving to e-books, many of which are widely used as textbooks. There is some controversy over this though, because of the assumption that students will have plenty of internet access to make use of them. Most often this is true, but not all students have this access, and some professors are still using them anyway. They are much cheaper than physical textbooks though, and arguably (depending on who you talk to), this alternative does not take away from the educational value.

Hauling them around is no longer a feat of strength, and in some cases they are available from any internet access point. The method of viewing e-books is not perfect, however; some people would rather read a physical book than a computer screen. Tablet computers and e-book readers are a good solution to this, but often students cannot afford these devices in addition to the cost of an ordinary laptop.

Speaking of new trends, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a big tip of the hat to some of the new open education platforms where all e-books and online learning materials are completely free: Ck12.org (they call them “Flexbooks”), Saylor.org, and of course Khanacademy.org. (Wave of the future perhaps…? Don’t get me started!)

Primary & Secondary Education: What’s the Status in the Lower Grades?

In the lower grades, kindergarten through 12^th grade, the textbook marketplace has very different yet equally devastating problems. The students obviously do not buy their own textbooks – the schools do. The issue here is not price, but content and quality. It turns out that the lower grade textbooks used throughout the entire country are developed according to the standards of Texas in particular, and to a smaller extent, California and Florida.

This is because these three states are what is known as adoption states. That means that they buy such a large percentage of the total textbooks needed for the country that publishers end up tailoring their content to suit the particular requirements of the adoption state, usually Texas for grades K-12. The other states of the nation end up adopting and using the books that are approved by the adoption states. Therefore, the Texas Board of Education composed of five Democrats and ten Republicans determines the content of the textbooks that the whole country will use. This has led to some very controversial (and many would say incorrect) interpretations of both science and history, particularly concerning an attempt to omit Thomas Jefferson’s belief in separation of church and state in 2010. https://truth-out.org/news/item/10188-bill-moyers-messing-with-texas-textbooks

Back to the Books

Anyway, while textbook content issues in the lower grades may have no easy end in sight, at least the issue of price is diminishing somewhat for many college students due to choices available today. There is no longer any reason to buy the most expensive new college textbooks through your university, when most of the books that are widely used as textbooks can be found at much lower prices through an online used bookseller. If you are instructed to use the latest edition of a certain textbook, ask your professor if it would be OK to use an older edition which is typically much cheaper. There may be a legitimate reason not to do this, but letting the professor know privately that it is a financial consideration might garner some acceptance. Either way, it’s worth noting that a bit of shopping around can help save hundreds of dollars on a semester of books, and much more over the course of a college education.

Infinite Possibilities/One Idea

Posted on August 27, 2012June 2, 2014 by David C. Brake

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably noticed that it is attached to a website, and that the website is a collection of articles. I know what you’re thinking. Why would a website that is a collection of articles need a blog? Why would anyone read the articles instead of the blog, or read the blog instead of the articles?? What are you trying to do here??? Why do you need so many question marks???? Well you deserve an explanation—so here it is.

In the 21^st century, I believe the development of learning platforms and grids that help enable people to find any source of knowledge or skill and to connect with each other through learning paradigms is inevitable. Furthermore, I believe that a unique focus on social learning solutions will eventually help to redefine the global education industry, the 2^nd largest industry in the world. The new technology-based social paradigm will appeal to the primary and supplemental needs of not just traditional teachers and learners, but to all people who seek assistance for knowledge and training in any situation to achieve their personal or professional goals.

For these purposes, the word “teacher” will mean not only instructors in classroom settings or with credentials of all levels and experience, but also “tutors,” “coaches,” and any individual with a skill, knowledge or training that they have acquired and would like to impart. With the progression of technology that connects us all and increased access, I believe the ultimate scope and potential of this user base will continue to grow indefinitely.

The vision of LRNGO is to create a “learning market,” a wide open social learning space on the internet that allows any potential user to find another who can teach them anything they desire to learn. Not just online, but face to face in the real world. Education (meaning not just research learning or “teaching yourself,” but learning from others) will no longer be confined to learning in groups, classrooms, or institutions, from which many are excluded. Anyone can find a source to learn anything they want or need at any time that is desirable, at any age or stage in their lives, wherever they are, and where cost may no longer be an issue.

This idea is based on two premises. First, that at any given time in a person’s life, there is a skill that he or she would like to develop or improve upon, as well as knowledge that he or she has that can be taught. Second, as individuals increasingly see opportunities through new business models, individuals in both learning and teaching roles (teachers and students) will start thinking about learning in terms of transactions and realize that knowledge is a commodity, and “everything is negotiable.”

The move to social learning space can be expedited in part by a geographically searchable “mega-directory” website of all individuals who wish to be included, showing their skills and all level and knowledge of subjects that is completely open to the public, but is NOT limited to online learning. The learning space will be a “marketplace” that is divided into 3 basic tiers, and each of the 3 tiers can be seen as a time/cost trade-off.

At the top tier, there would be an optional service for those who don’t have time to find someone to teach what they need, but prefer to spend money to hire someone or a trusted brand/entity to facilitate the entire process for them to take care of any learning needs they may have. They can pay a concierge service or person to help make the right match with the right teacher at the right time and place of their choosing, and schedule any education or instruction program around their own valuable time. (Of course, there are many services already doing this, and it’s not irrelevant that the global private tutoring market is projected by GIA to exceed $100 billion in the next five years.)

The middle tier is a listing of everyone in the world who wants to teach what they know. Everyone is free to publicly browse and search this directory, and users will be quickly and conveniently searchable both by subject and location. Users will create a public profile listing with as much or as little information as they are comfortable with showing, and will be able to be contacted directly through or outside of the website (they can choose whether anonymously or not).

Finally, where money is less of an option, there is a barter or trade system. For those who don’t want to spend or don’t have money (such as college students), the idea is to “trade” an expertise of theirs in exchange for help or instruction in another subject. This can be thought of loosely as a time bank barter system.

Revenue can be generated through…ah what the heck–let’s make it free. 🙂

In the next two years, the social learning market will be at the forefront of a new systemic movement toward open education. Stick around. This caterpillar website is about to turn into a butterfly.

(Supporting documents: “Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age” by George Siemens, Hacking Education Conference Transcript 3/6/2009, “Google U” by Jeff Jarvis, “DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education” by Anya Kamenetz)