TED and the replacement of the classroom
There are three primary functions that a classroom education provides, especially at the college level.
- Encyclopedic reference material and a guide who is very familiar with its contents who can help navigate the material. This has traditionally been the role of the textbook and the professor directing the use of the texbook.
- Invigorating and insightful presentations of the content. This is the role of the lecturer.
- One-on-one interaction to pinpoint, diagnose, and correct misconceptions and rusty skills. This is the role of the tutor, which may be a mix of classroom and office hour visits.
For this combination, a great deal of money is paid. However, more and more, these functions are becoming available in online vehicles that are just as usable and at least as productive.
The first element is rapidly being replaced by Wikipedia for reference and online news for currency. Students are voting with their wallets on the relative worth of books versus Wikipedia, much to the chagrin of higher education publishers.
www.ted.com
The second element may soon also be on its way out, as online video becomes the default delivery. As an example of how good this can be, take a look at TED, short for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It is a growing collection of lectures by experts and inspirations of the highest class. Subjects span an already wide range, though not quite yet up to the range of departments at a typical university. Give it time.
The third element is still a way off, but when a solution is found, there will be real competition for classroom-style teaching.
Tags: education, LinkedIn, streaming, tech, TED, trends
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
