The End of the Classroom?

Although it has little to do with the actual course, one of my
greatest joys of Chemistry 1810 is seeing Professor Harman on the
Internet right after seeing him in person. After each lecture, I have
the opportunity to view him anytime from any location to review the
material that I have just learned. My situation is not that uncommon,
as professors begin to fully utilize the technology available to them
by allowing recorded or even streaming lectures for the class. With a
computer on the to-buy list for every college freshman, these online
lectures are easily accessible by any student and they may in fact
become the norm for the learning environment. No student would
complain about being able to sleep 30 minutes longer and attending a
class from the warmth of their bed. However, it does limit the
teacher-student relationship, impeding on useful classroom discussion
that may be instrumental to successful learning. Students are also
much more distracted, with active chat windows or videos only a click
away. However, Assistant Dean James Groves actually cited an increase
in attendance through online participation when he started holding
online lectures. This new learning environment would also aid students
studying abroad, who could still attend UVA classes even when hundreds
of miles away. Regardless of whether it proves beneficial or
detrimental, there is no denying that the online classroom is becoming
more and more ubiquitous with each semester.

http://www.cavalierdaily.com/2010/09/06/streaming-video-impacts-classes/