Finance 4300 - Jenkins Article

In today’s world the online road to education is a very fast paced one and continuously growing. Is it beneficial to students as a whole In Rob Jenkins article, ‘Why are Students Still Failing Online,” he argues that today’s online learning has become very difficult in comparison to face to face classes?  Mary Flannerys article “Study Shows Students Taking Online Courses More Likely to Fail” stated that researchers from the University of Columbia discovered “students who took online courses were more likely to fail or drop out of the course than students who took the same course in person.” It does obviously recognize the same issue with the hardships of online learning.

Jenkins article says that statistically speaking that online class rate only have a 50 percent success rate while where face to face classes experience a success rate of at least 70 to 75 percent”. Jenkins also brings up the issue as to whether all classes that are offered online should be in the first place. Such as when he asks as if you would want to be “operated on by surgeons who received all of their medical training online.” So in turn Jenkins is not saying that all online classes should be eliminated, but rather should some be allowed to be taken online to begin with.  In contrast in Flannery’s article she does not bring up this issue rather she addresses that the success rate of online learning would increase if there were more advancement put in place to help the students comprehend the materials more thoroughly. In her article she addresses the need for further development in virtual education. This is a point that Jenkins and Flannery’s article conical near a similar solution. On Jenkins side of the fence he believes a need for adequate testing to be put in place to resolve the issue of high rate of failure. Stating that there is already software companies that have already designed products that have shown promise to determine whether students can handle the workload and technical demands of online classes upfront.  On the same side Flannery addresses that that students and faculty both should have more technical support for online training.

The failure rates through the roof in comparison to face to face classes many are asking the question as to why the continuance of online courses with no signs of advancement. Jenkins comes to his own conclusion by stating, “Many leaders of community colleges have embraced online courses with an almost religious fervor.” This is not for belief that online learning is more beneficial opposed to face to face learning rather it is simply that the fact is that “colleges can produce online courses much more cheaply while charging roughly the same tuition.” Also saying that at “many community colleges, online courses constitute the proverbial cash cow.” Similarly Mary Ellen Flannery’s article goes somewhat in the same direction as she addresses a statement that says, “Virtual education is not being expanded because it’s been demonstrated to be good for children. It has been demonstrated to be cheaper.” by that statement it is obvious that the two are gearing in the same direction as it is not a determinant of a student’s absorption of knowledge they are trying to retain rather it’s about a profit for the administration.  Jenkins goes even further into depth in his article which gives a very corrupt image when he says in other words the school administrator is saying, "We don't care what happens to students at the end of the class. We just need them to sign up and stay on the roster long enough to count as enrolled."