stupid things, like parking, that interfere with adult learning
We tend to thing about online classes as a response to a need in distance education, that is, we can reach more people who live in rural areas. But, if we look at it from a different perspective, that of UNM administration, for example, online ed also alleviates the need for parking spaces, not only for students but for the instructors as well. This is one practical need to offer more online instruction. I get it.
I have tried buying UNM parking permits for my kids but there were issues with that that made it not worth the expense. Then the kids starting giving each other rides to class so there was no need for parking. However, it meant a lot of extra trips back and forth to campus.
I finally broke down yesterday and gave my daughter one of my credit cards so she can just park in the parking structures on campus and I don't have to give her a ride. She tried that out yesterday and had to fight her way to a parking space. I wondered if, by the time she got to class, she learned anything. I never heard a thing about the class, just the parking hassles.
I've noticed that when my kids miss class on campus, it is usually because it's too much of a hassle to get there that day. Parking -- getting to class -- shouldn't be an obstacle to learning.
My daughter is the one who told me that one UNM parking lot is now reserved for instructors but they have to pay for spaces. Really? They already get paid very little for what they do and on top of that, they have to pay for parking?
I don't think CNM is like that; they give free parking stickers to enrolled students. I imagine their instructors don't have to pay for parking but I don't know for sure.
UNM's insistence on charging for parking is simply another way they make money. It's not about the students or UNM faculty/staff; it's not about learning; it's about money.
How important is it to get to a class on campus anymore? Why do we have to travel to a central location when learning can more easily happen at the community level? Why does going to school have to be so damn expensive when quite honestly, it isn't really necessary with so many other ways to learn these days?
Am I ranting? YES! But I'd like to propose that there are some deeper issues here and that we need to quit hanging onto what worked and what was needed in the past and look forward to participating in this learning revolution that we are lucky to be a part of.
I have tried buying UNM parking permits for my kids but there were issues with that that made it not worth the expense. Then the kids starting giving each other rides to class so there was no need for parking. However, it meant a lot of extra trips back and forth to campus.
I finally broke down yesterday and gave my daughter one of my credit cards so she can just park in the parking structures on campus and I don't have to give her a ride. She tried that out yesterday and had to fight her way to a parking space. I wondered if, by the time she got to class, she learned anything. I never heard a thing about the class, just the parking hassles.
I've noticed that when my kids miss class on campus, it is usually because it's too much of a hassle to get there that day. Parking -- getting to class -- shouldn't be an obstacle to learning.
My daughter is the one who told me that one UNM parking lot is now reserved for instructors but they have to pay for spaces. Really? They already get paid very little for what they do and on top of that, they have to pay for parking?
I don't think CNM is like that; they give free parking stickers to enrolled students. I imagine their instructors don't have to pay for parking but I don't know for sure.
UNM's insistence on charging for parking is simply another way they make money. It's not about the students or UNM faculty/staff; it's not about learning; it's about money.
How important is it to get to a class on campus anymore? Why do we have to travel to a central location when learning can more easily happen at the community level? Why does going to school have to be so damn expensive when quite honestly, it isn't really necessary with so many other ways to learn these days?
Am I ranting? YES! But I'd like to propose that there are some deeper issues here and that we need to quit hanging onto what worked and what was needed in the past and look forward to participating in this learning revolution that we are lucky to be a part of.
As young as the internet and its interfaces are, it may take a long while for effective virtual classes to become mainstream. Granted, a driven student can deep-learn practically anything over the World Wide Web now. But without almost imperceptible Virtual Reality technology to allow students to mingle and interact as if they were actually in the same learning space, nothing can replace "Being There".
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