Video Classes: A Student’s Perspective
As a senior at UM-Flint, I have had my share of different courses and various professors. However, no matter what, I always am happy to hear those magic words from my professor; “We’ll be watching a video for today’s lecture”. In the middle of a week that has been spent juggling numerous courses and work, nothing sounds better than kicking back in class and taking a few notes on a video with the lights dimmed. Yet, I don’t know how excited I would be if everyday was a video day.
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, New York University is planning to publish free, online material for a variety of courses. These materials would be set-up much like a social network for NYU students only. It includes interactive material as well, such as quizzes and definitions.
Call me old-fashioned (at age 21), but I don’t think I would like this type of course. In fact, I think it is a wasted effort. Now, I have never taken an online class for the same reason I will give for not liking this new video class idea. I do not believe college classes are best learned in front of a computer. Don’t get me wrong, I love using computers and find them great companions for lessons. When I think of my best courses that I have learned the most from, I think of classes spent hands-on. If the goal of the university is to prepare us for our futures, I think we should spend our time being put in real-life situations. These courses would be time consuming and would allow professors to spend more one-on-one time with their students, but only for those that put in the extra effort for that help.
On the other hand, I love that NYU is being innovative. I think that this is an effort in the right direction. For it to be beneficial for students, I believe it must revolve around real-world situations and force students to get involved and be hands-on.
This type of course is just not for me. Luckily for those with different views, the best thing about college is being able to chose your own courses.
Paige Plant
