The Canadian province of Ontario has a new plan to combat the cost of college: students should spend less time in studying, going to class, and having real interactions with fellow students and professors.
According to an article in The Canadian Press:
A report before the Ontario government is calling for universities and colleges to move a third of their courses online — a proposal that’s received a failing grade from a prominent students’ organization.
The draft report obtained by The Canadian Press calls for a shift toward web-based learning that would have students take up to three courses out of five online each semester.
The report also recommends forcing students to attend class all year around in order to facilitate a three-year undergraduate degree.
The Canadian Federation of Students objects to the proposal, which the organization says will harm education. As Sandy Hudson, the president of the federation, explained in the article:
If this is a measure to save money … how far behind are Ontario students going to be with the rest of the country, with the rest of the world, if most of the learning that we’re doing isn’t even in front of a lecturer that we can then approach for assistance?
It’s unclear how much money this online college plan is projected to save the province.
