理科段子:远程教育 + }7 D7 w f2 {* ~9 F! x
Hi, Lynn. I saw you at registration yesterday. I sailed right through, but you were standing in a long line. 4 S! |" Z8 \, d8 i: L9 J1 n
Yeah. I waited an hour to sign up for a distance-learning course.
0 X/ H9 R; ?+ p Distance learning? Never heard of it.
% o3 @5 e% y' c 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.
# ]$ [6 ^) g( F2 O+ B Well, what is it?
) @: R; o8 u4 T$ ^9 R It’s 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.
* U$ ~* B! k O Don’t you ever have to meet with professor?
6 b: n* M; q# b7 w2 a7 I' u 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. " R) L9 K( E2 Z# e8 G, [6 | w7 z
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.
2 h4 }* V7 T! D. j. J E% S 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.
6 R( @1 P. p9 ^ Look, I’ll be working three days a week next semester and it was either cut back on my classes or try this out. , f" A9 d! {3 q" u# B H/ A- P
The only thing is: doesn’t it seem impersonal though? I mean, I miss having class discussions and hearing what other people think. 0 o. {: {% _2 {' w7 Y. d; o' D( |
Well, I guess that’s why phone contact’s important. Any way, it’s an experiment. 4 A5 i# e/ a& e) S/ Z% {
Maybe I’ll end up hating it. ) c( {+ F+ u5 v) l6 |/ Y
Maybe. But I’ll be curious to see how it works up. |