A significant prejudice against online degrees still exists, as well as a prejudice against vocational and trade schools whether the instruction happens online or in classrooms. But the logic of that prejudice is questionable at best. It's difficult to justify, for example, why a travel and tourism degree is inherently inferior to a degree in Brazilian studies.
Traditional universities - and the style of education they provide - are justified by an idea that a school is supposed to prepare a student for life by ensuring that her education is well rounded and diverse. That idea has merit and should not be ignored. In fact, the broader our education is, the more we will understand the world we live in and better prepared we will be to deal with that world successfully.
The problem is that in recent years the momentum of thinking in higher education has pulled away from pragmatic training and toward intellectual curiosity. There's nothing wrong with stretching the mind, of course. That is part of a well-rounded education, and colleges should expose their students to a variety of viewpoints and ideas. But the pragmatic side is part of a good education as well, and that seems to be getting left out.
For a curious student, the world of information is always wide open. We live in a world full of books, and anyone with an active mind who keeps reading books and filling their minds with information will broaden and deepen their level of education throughout their lives. There is no end to our access to intellectually interesting material; it is as close as the bookstore, the local library, or the Internet.
The same can't be said for the kind of practical knowledge that we need to do many jobs in today's formulaic workplace. While it's true that bookstores hold whole sections of books for dummies and idiots, those books don't begin to offer the depth of a good course of study. They're for do-it-yourselfers, not for those who plan to start a career in the subject.
By the time the student who majored in Brazilian studies finishes her education, she will have gained an in-depth understanding of the politics, history, and culture of Brazil. With that foundation she will enter the job market and discover quickly that unless she's willing to work in marketing, the only career path that is really open to her is teaching Brazilian studies to a new crop of students who will discover limited job opportunities.
The student who studied travel and tourism will graduate from her program fully prepared to start a career. She might not start out at a high-level position, but she'll have the practical knowledge to build on, and she will be working in an industry that has grown continually for hundreds of years as travel has become easier and less expensive.
So why does the stigma against vocational, trade, and online schools still persist? Primarily, it is the function of intellectual snobbery. But in practical terms the student who gets a travel and tourism degree and then feeds her mind with great books will probably end up far ahead of the student who majors in Brazilian studies and then has to go out into the world and find a job.
Traditional universities - and the style of education they provide - are justified by an idea that a school is supposed to prepare a student for life by ensuring that her education is well rounded and diverse. That idea has merit and should not be ignored. In fact, the broader our education is, the more we will understand the world we live in and better prepared we will be to deal with that world successfully.
The problem is that in recent years the momentum of thinking in higher education has pulled away from pragmatic training and toward intellectual curiosity. There's nothing wrong with stretching the mind, of course. That is part of a well-rounded education, and colleges should expose their students to a variety of viewpoints and ideas. But the pragmatic side is part of a good education as well, and that seems to be getting left out.
For a curious student, the world of information is always wide open. We live in a world full of books, and anyone with an active mind who keeps reading books and filling their minds with information will broaden and deepen their level of education throughout their lives. There is no end to our access to intellectually interesting material; it is as close as the bookstore, the local library, or the Internet.
The same can't be said for the kind of practical knowledge that we need to do many jobs in today's formulaic workplace. While it's true that bookstores hold whole sections of books for dummies and idiots, those books don't begin to offer the depth of a good course of study. They're for do-it-yourselfers, not for those who plan to start a career in the subject.
By the time the student who majored in Brazilian studies finishes her education, she will have gained an in-depth understanding of the politics, history, and culture of Brazil. With that foundation she will enter the job market and discover quickly that unless she's willing to work in marketing, the only career path that is really open to her is teaching Brazilian studies to a new crop of students who will discover limited job opportunities.
The student who studied travel and tourism will graduate from her program fully prepared to start a career. She might not start out at a high-level position, but she'll have the practical knowledge to build on, and she will be working in an industry that has grown continually for hundreds of years as travel has become easier and less expensive.
So why does the stigma against vocational, trade, and online schools still persist? Primarily, it is the function of intellectual snobbery. But in practical terms the student who gets a travel and tourism degree and then feeds her mind with great books will probably end up far ahead of the student who majors in Brazilian studies and then has to go out into the world and find a job.
About the Author:
I specialize in online schools. For more resources and information, check out http://www.petap.org.
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