8. 理科段子:远程教育
( I4 m- x( X+ Q- X( G; ~3 p" \5 \ Hi, Lynn. I saw you at registration yesterday. I sailed right through, but you were standing in a long line. ( [. U& x, }( @6 K
Yeah. I waited an hour to sign up for a distance-learning course.
1 x! _2 e$ J7 B6 `6 p8 e3 F Distance learning? Never heard of it. 2 G* R" r/ [- P
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.
8 m' O) J T! b! _* A0 o8 l! T Well, what is it? 9 f0 `5 n0 L- u# {3 x3 k/ f
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. 5 C, f, E# |0 N# }: S
Don‘t you ever have to meet with professor?
% W. \3 l [. ]2 }( l( S 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. ) Q2 F' h$ e( w3 J: c5 d
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.
( b1 K% [+ 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. / P8 ]$ F7 Q, V
Look, I‘ll be working three days a week next semester and it was either cut back on my classes or try this out.
5 S+ h+ W4 j! s$ s. w2 k3 N The only thing is: doesn‘t it seem impersonal though? I mean, I miss having class discussions and hearing what other people think.
0 K3 g- U) l! h3 P r6 K Well, I guess that‘s why phone contact‘s important. Any way, it‘s an experiment.
( I# N) x% C4 t& @0 S! ], m% m- A Maybe I‘ll end up hating it. Maybe. But I‘ll be curious to see how it works up. |