Poet Ponders the Digital

One of the questions facing colleges and universities is "Can Anything Be Taught Online?" The simple answer is, no. But some of almost every topic can be taught online. I ask the question, "How Much of Topic X Can Be Online?" When an institution wants to take a topic online, it should ask the following: How much of the course content will work online, in the time allotted?  How will that content be delivered?  How will knowledge and skills be evaluated? What technologies will be required? Do potential students have access to the needed technology? While a school cannot have a veterinary surgery practicum online, they can provide simulations and much of the background material leading up to the physical practicum. Someday in my lifetime I imagine "robot-assisted" surgeries will be common. (They exist now, but are limited to a few procedures and there are physicians present.) Still, I'd want a surgeon to have performed "real" surger...

This story explains some of my doubts about online education. It is not online education that concerns me, but the poor oversight and administration that threatens to further erode confidence employers have in online degree programs. GAO report finds cheating, plagiarism and other violations in for-profit colleges’ online classes - Politics - The Boston Globe First, the obvious question: if the GAO is examining for-profit institutions now, how long before they investigate “non-profit” colleges and universities? I have plenty of questions about education in general, including higher education quality, regardless of the charter of the institutions or their settings. State, non-profit, or for-profit, any institution is only as good as its administration and faculty. Online, oversight is even more challenging than on-campus. It requires more time and energy because it is easy for students (and some faculty) to cut corners online. The GAO examined enrollment, cost, financial aid, cou...

Special Wedding Column November 13, 2011 Deadline Special Issue There’s More than One App for Weddings, Too Brides and grooms, as you plan your special day you might find it reassuring that for everything from the guest list to the reception music the slogan is true: “There’s an app for that!” App developers know you need some assistance. More than three dozen iPhone and iPad apps match the keyword “wedding” when searching the Apple iTunes App Store . There are a dozen or so wedding applications in the Android Marketplace, as well. With so many wedding apps in the App Store and Android Marketplace, you should read the reviews carefully. Only a handful of apps receive four or five stars in the user reviews. Thankfully, apps are affordable so you can try several different wedding themed apps and still spend less than $25. An iTunes gift card would allow a bride-to-be to purchase complete set of wedding apps, including a game or two. Wedding Planners The most popular wed...

Wedding Style Special Edition November 4, 2011 Deadline Special Issue The Ultimate Online Shopper (and Bride-to-Be) “I bought my wedding dress online.” When a young coworker told me she shopped for almost everything online, I naturally doubted her. Why would you buy a wedding dress online? “I wanted a classic dress,” she explained, “something vintage. So, I went online.” It all started with a simple wedding dress in a classic movie. Off my colleague went to The Knot (theknot.com), one of the leading online resources for brides-to-be. Several of the dresses featured were “almost” what she wanted, but none of them were perfect. She then visited local shops, but still failed to find what she wanted. After explaining what she wanted, a local seamstress mentioned to the frustrated young woman that an existing dress could be altered. This was a moment of inspiration. The bride-to-be was transformed into the ultimate online shopper. Somehow, she found her dream dress for $120...