On-line Education Not Mature YetWith the Internet economy prospering, people have fancied that in the future everything in life, including education, can be done on the web.This belief has shored up the idea that education can be conducted through cyberspace. That may be true in the future. But for now, on-line education has not been well received, although Internet fervour is at its peak. The Qinghua On-line Education Programme, launched by the Continuous Education School under the renowned Qinghua University, has a recruitment goal of 1,600. So far, only 500 people have registered for the programme. The poor response shows that long-distance education has not yet caught on with the people. The Internet has only been available for the past four or five years in China. And cyber education has been available for even less time. The software used in on-line education is generally text only, which is not interesting enough to keep the attention of learners on the web. Compared with traditional education, on-line learning requires more self-discipline from learners. It lacks a group atmosphere, which may still be important for those who have grown up in the traditional educational environment. Extra tutoring for those who need help with their lessons is not yet available through on-line education. It will take time for people to come to know and accept something as new as on-line education. |
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