Canned degrees and Vending Machine diplomas.
Its effects on education of course is what we may see as "Diluted Education"

Technologies in the past three decades has made differences to our life. Today, almost everyone uses computers. Our lives depends on hi-tech equipments in every discipline. We all enjoy it of course. No one refuse that technology is not good but we tend to depend too much until we forget that our parents gave us a brain. When a calculator started many years ago, we all excited because we think that math class will be easier. Engineering students carried slide rules whereas other students had to use their hand, pencil, and paper to do math.

In the old days, old fashion computers' screen was with green print. We really excited that the machine had changed the world. Word Processing was widely introduced in colleges and universities whereas electric type writers were still available at the same time the manual type writers are still used in many offices. We were required to take computer classes in getting to know and understand how to use it. We were in computer lab all day long try to learn how to use the machine.

In the past, computer science major and minor was part of Engineering Department. The students and the instructors learn from each other of course. We did not have fun because there were a lot to learn DOS. Not only regular classes but we had to spend time to understand elementary level of programming. Pascal, C + + and Data Structures were on my list. SAS was demanded in statistic classes but SPSS was not our professors' requirement. Hate them all because there was too much to do. Hand calculation on paper and pencils was necessary. Programming was on word processing before going to computer lab.

A completed online system was not like today's Internet technology but we did have telephone line if we wanted web service. Our homework were allowed to send online especially computer sciences classes. That was the beginning of the stories. Technologies go so fast. ZEOS was my first PC which cost over 2000 dollars. That was about 20 years ago. ZEOS was my brand just to get homework done and be able to learn hi-tech equipments because computer lab was so crowded and opened until midnight. Later, there are computer labs in many departments that opened until 9 pm and 24 hours services were in the library only. They have the standard IBM PCs, a few Macs and the old Apples..

Everything in colleges and universities in the

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about What you need to know when considering an online education?
We want to hear your view. Write now!