8. 理科段子:远程教育
0 ~# o9 r' N4 L, E% j! [9 B Hi, Lynn. I saw you at registration yesterday. I sailed right through, but you were standing in a long line. - O/ [5 L- O" u! H& q
Yeah. I waited an hour to sign up for a distance-learning course. ) D1 l6 R6 k& g$ W" M0 J, Y
Distance learning? Never heard of it. ( R" ^2 ?) d9 H) @1 Q; A$ Z
Well, it‘s new this semester. It‘s only open to psychology majors. But I bet it‘ll catch on else where. Yesterday, over a hundred students signed up.
# ~9 g( N+ [+ o, C, X" ?' F Well, what is it? . c9 e* X$ \/ {
It is an experimental course. I registered for child psychology. All I have got to do is watch a twelve-week series of televised lessons. The department shows them seven different times a day and in seven different locations. : \* v0 O6 x1 f k9 R6 A+ {
Don‘t you ever have to meet with professor?
x. O: ^2 j9 _& `, S( c7 N# [1 C Yeah. After each part of the series I have to talk to her and the other students on the phone, you know, about our ideas. Then we‘ll meet on campus three times for reviews and exams. ( t" ~6 r. d, f
It sounds pretty non-traditional to me. But I guess it makes sense, considering how many students have jobs. It must really help with their schedules, not to mention how it will cut down on traffic. ( i. E3 M J3 u
You know, last year my department did a survey and they found out that 80 percent of all psychology majors were employed. That‘s why they came up with the program.
7 J7 E1 y1 g1 L& N Look, I‘ll be working three days a week next semester and it was either cut back on my classes or try this out. # M) [% \: r* n" m8 t5 R9 v, F
The only thing is: doesn‘t it seem impersonal though? I mean, I miss having class discussions and hearing what other people think. * a% ?( C2 y+ O" A; t( O- r
Well, I guess that‘s why phone contact‘s important. Any way, it‘s an experiment. 3 Y, c# R6 A1 F0 g( a
Maybe I‘ll end up hating it. Maybe. But I‘ll be curious to see how it works up. |