What I learned online is that this place I am in, the people who are around me breathing and typing do not really matter. For to learn online seems to be the next great thing, a way to learn without going anywhere or seeing anyone. This disgusts me. The establishment of Phoenix University or Walden is a disgrace, a violation of what eductation should be.

This is not to say that learning should not happen online. I am arguing that to eliminate this physical structure is to eliminate a special form on interaction and engagement that, while it may not appear everyday in a real classroom, has difficulty entering into online forums. The Internet allows a degree of separation from the everyday and, as a result, education becomes something separate. It becomes detached from its connection to life and to the people in it.

Instead of looking at the Internet as an alternative to brick and mortar institutions, it should be a complement. Our education does need reform, but the Internet is no savior. I question any suggestion that things would be a lot cheaper. Nor do I think that most people want to get degrees online. Learning about technology and its implications is an entirely different game than learning on technology, and while the former should be more emphasized, we should proceed toward the latter with a lot of trepidation.