Comparison on Classroom and Technological Education Essay

Perceivably two of the most important issues raised in every college revolve around the dilemmas on finances and instruction. Operating a college is like operating any other business. It takes immense amount of financial aid to make a college work in the most proficient and smooth manner. Given these reasons, community colleges are challenged with the utmost sense of stability and efficiency which rather gives those under the administration a trigger on the vortex of their intellectual capacity and managerial capabilities in that certain extent. For these reasons, online learning has crossed beyond borders slowly converting the conventional trend in education to a rather efficient and advanced scheme while saving much on the society’s pockets. It is true for a fact that funding or running any form of institution requires much rather than that which is aided to be a smooth sailing entity like any other business (Conner). Hence, the challenge does not only withstand within the walls of the school, but rather expanding on several skills needed so as to keep its foot on the charms through the help of financing companies and private organizations given the fact that community colleges cannot stand on its own in the financial basis. Mainly such income surfaces from three sources: local tax, students’ tuition and fees and state revenues (Stuart Lusty). Analysis The percentage of each source of funding varies enormously one state to another. For example, in California students pay about only one tenth of the benchmarked education cost while in other states, students pay as much as one-fourth of the total cost (Conner). Aside from that, there are still other form of fees which are taken gravely in the pockets of those who enroll their children in schools such as miscellaneous fees and materials needed for the completion of their respective courses (Shorrocks-Taylor, W. and Angell). Each has its pros and cons. The most widely used one is funding based on full-time student enrollment. Hence, such is not a practical formula since it does not take other costs such as facilities into consideration. Educational system Further, since the sources of revenue from institutions are limited, as stated above, colleges must find their own way to generate proceeds. Nevertheless, establishing foundations to receive fund from alumni and other donors is one of the cited common practice—selling school related merchandises, leasing extra parcel to developers or ever â€Å"reclamation of lands abandoned by former coal mining companies. † (p. 157)—another way to balance the budget is by saving costs. These sometimes cause schools to change their policy causing them to hire more part-time instructors, rent spaces instead of building new classrooms, reducing student services or limit student enrollment—this seems to go against community colleges’ policy of open enrollment—an irony which denotes compromise. As a matter of fact, some argue that instructors in community colleges are better trained in teaching than those in four-year colleges (Conner). It is basically one of the main reasons why parents critically choose the colleges and universities where to entrust their children’s future. Classroom education Given these various arguments, studies have shown that the delight offered by the â€Å"fresher† form of education is still a mile away from the effectiveness catered with traditional classroom education. It helps students and teachers interact personally while squeezing what is best in each student in the most conventional but â€Å"sure-hit-on-the-brain† perspective. In essence, the percentage of â€Å"learning thoroughly† over â€Å"assisted learning† comes in a pace of large difference (White). The traditional classroom education helps students to meet their respective classmates and interact with them five days a week. More specifically, the presence of â€Å"clubs and organizations† does not only help these students to enhance their skills and apply them for the benefit of the group is a matter of fact a beneficial factor to the kind of profession that they will soon take in the near future (Albalooshi). Distance learning Due to advent of technological advancement, distance learning becomes a trend for community colleges—television and computers become instructional materials, allowing individuals to venture in â€Å"home learning† while mounting the number of enrollees in such form of education and leaving the â€Å"traditional† way of academic acquisition (White). The following however, were noted to be the advantages: writing across the curriculum helps students to improve writing skills; supplement instruction identified high risk courses and help students with those courses; mastery learning makes students competent; competency-based instruction is similar with master degrees and other tutorial services through the internet helps students cope up with various needs in the academic arena (p. 177). Classroom issues The issue of discrimination and other forms of prejudice in the classroom landscape has always been a major factor why some students fail or prefer not to go to school. However, through online learning, these issues are not floating in the scenario. Given the fact that the online enrollees are only interacting virtually with their teachers and their classmates through emails and not through face-to-face meetings, the â€Å"physical† interaction (Januszewski, Molenda and Harris)—which sometimes lead to diverse impressions—are eradicated and this argument makes it more efficient for this â€Å"somehow reprimanded† individuals to pursue education hassle-free at that (Roblyer). It may be a form of â€Å"individual† learning, but through online learning, students are able to do errands after finishing their educational tasks without leaving their homes. Studies in â€Å"online learning† show that individuals who have families and were not able to finish school because of time constraints were able to get the degree they wanted in the most efficient mean possible (Januszewski, Molenda and Harris). Conclusions and further remarks It is true that there exists a humungous demarcation line between the two kinds of learning. Thus, this gap is made not to eradicate the other form from the other, but to improve the society’s way of life. It may have caused several predicaments and may have not completely improved the educational landscape of the society thus for other groups, the innovative form served them good. It may then be taken to assumption that these kinds of learning is basically equipped not to mess the system of acquiring knowledge, rather to give the society sets of choices which have been shaped in accordance to what the proponents of these learning methods have crafted. More specifically, this serves as a proof that education does not stop in extending their capabilities to mold people to become professionals and earn a living, the scope of technology has not congested only on the realm of entertainment and recreation but on the basis of the only treasure that one may cherish in life—and that is education.