Bill Gates on in-person vs. online education

[xiansahd]

check out online degrees on degreesfinder



[lvll138inrs]

why dosent bill gates use his money to create an online school that everyone can use? that way a homeless person can use the computer at the public library to learn to become an engineer for free.

[newguy33X]

@lvll138inrs He donated a hell of a lot of computers to libraries, and who knows how far he will go with his charity work while he's alive and what will be done with the huge percentage what will go to charity after he passes away. He also works trying to build seed banks (biodiversity, trying to keep the world fed through blights and plagues on common agricultural plants), curing malaria and other diseases of the poor. He does more than he has to (nothing), by very, very far.

[newguy33X]

@newguy33X *"...that will..." Oops.

[immortality2011]

I am not a uni fan personally and I agree that internet is a good way of learning bt what about the social skills and other stuff your learn by going to uni. Mr Gates u found ur partner by going to Harvard even though you left it, isn't it ? :P

[newguy33X]

@immortality2011 Careers of the (even very near) future will probably require much more interaction with computers/tech, and much less with people.

[Retrojupt57]

Online schooling will turn your kid into an anti-social freak. Nuff said.

[daksh96]

@Retrojupt57 Ummm...where did u get this insight?

[newguy33X]

@Retrojupt57 Careers of the future will require this. This may be the next step in humanities adaptation to our (quickly becoming more and more man-made) surroundings.

[wefunny77]

Bill gates atvwarterpark

[dsFDFAHAHAHH]

Online education still has a ways. To go to be as good as traditional

[newguy33X]

@dsFDFAHAHAHH Yes, for K-12, as he mentions early on (even for some these are violent, intimidating, and like prison). For people done of that, having to actually go to class can be very hampering on their lives (Jobs, families, etc...commuting to a physical school (hard on the environment)). You can use text and videos, chat online via the same, have permanent documentation of your genius and/or foolishness. (Very poorly written comment sentence, by the way).

[nicpetnic]

People will not learn as much from the internet as they will by actually experiencing something for themselves. Online education is cheaper because they are cutting corners. It will be less effective because students will not experience anything and will be just book smart. You cannot teach how to be a doctor, lawyer, or business person by learning online. You have to see it yourself to learn how to do it from others.

[newguy33X]

@nicpetnic You CAN teach via these means as even professional careers become more and more automated (some paralegals were put out of work years ago, in favour of a "system"), as society trusts machine judgement more than human judgement where it actually is better. There are B.S. artists in law, and inept judges/doctors. Machines do some things better now, and will continue to advance. They can/will even have better intuition about guilt, liars, disease prevention/cure, etc.

[Masteroftrancegirl]

Online education is more environmentally friendly.

[newguy33X]

@Masteroftrancegirl Yes. Very good observation. Does an 18-30 year old, who's been around people all their lives, really suffer for the lack of social environment of an online classroom? No, the environment suffers because they have to commute an hour to go to school and back and buy some gross lunch with many throw-away packaging items.

[djAmericantoast176]

I'm a rising high school sophomore and I also take college classes at my county's early college program. I've taken 4 online classes, and can honestly say that they have really let me get ahead, but they are not for everybody. You have to be self motivated and dedicated.

[atheist382]

Online education is definitely better

[straker2]

I'm an online educator myself and I think it's the way of the future, but it requires very well constructed online learning sites with well chosen material and it also requires students to be well oriented. You can't just log in like it's just another web site, the student needs orientation and preparation to use the software involved. It also needs dedicated teachers who can manage their time and their lives well enough to be of real help.

[Nashy119]

The Internet isn't really good for education, but the point is that it should be. I think solving this problem is pretty much inevitable. Afterwards maybe there will be less need for education at universities and more need for research facilities, people will still collect together.

[citisite]

see more about bill gates, education and wrong school systems.

watch?v=piWCnKzHVLg

[bizso09]

what you don't get online is the social environment that supports and motivates you at universities

[Robindahoodz]

@bizso09

I agree, while online education is the probable future, kids still need to have somewhat of a social life outside of education which obviously cant be achieved on a computer

[RalfLippold]

Innovation (and kids are true innovators :-)) comes from the buzzing school places. I remember well Handsworth Secondary Highschool in North Vancouver, Canada, that I attended back in 1982. Besides the "normal" curriculum there were learning classes, weight lifting facilities, track & field facilities next door, all kinds of sports (from American Football to Golf) and computer science centers staffed by Apple II back in these days.

Three minutes to take time for :-) Thx Bill!

[vaper192]

some 1 should of pied him lol

[burkec817]

time are changes..

[eduerthal]

The result is what we see now: the hyperactive generation that is so good on pressing buttons and doing everything simultaneously, and not that good on understanding how things work.

[eduerthal]

Second, the children need to have real classes, with real teachers, read real books and have real classmates.

It's not so important to have fun on every subject and doing 10 times at a time.

[eduerthal]

That's absurd, as well as a big part of the speech from the other "new era" gurus.

First of all, mr. Gates there is not interested on educating the population or growing the cultural knowledge of the world. He's interested on selling software, computers, and the "online" propaganda that bombs us on the last years.

[madjunir]

@eduerthal

hes not in charge of microsoft anymore and he is in fact dedicating his time now to help out the world. He got the riches people of the world to donate about half their fortunes. That is remarkable by itself.

He also is into many other projects.

I've always been an anti-microsoft person because of how it monopolized, but now that Gates is focusing on other things and giving back, am liking him more each day.

[wenping]

@jameszhang, well its still the parents decision where they will enroll there child, online or in school,the parents knows whats the best for there child.

[DutchDude1984]

Within 2 weeks i wil launch such a solution

[yesimhappyme]

Umm, Bill Gates, "Global Warming" is dead. ClimateGate ended any lasting evidence that it's true. I know you want to lower the population through vaccines and Health Care, But it's not going to work, even though you think money controls everything, it doesn't...

[mufflejoy]

We still have to learn to interact with humans in society - factual topics are fine online, "soft-skills" less so even if they can be complemented very well with good e-learning apps (which there is not a lot of around).

[nusgo]

Internet is bigger & bigger everyday and will rule the way our lives spin in the future.

Everything related with internet is growing (I refer to technology not trademarks)

[hassanson01]

quoi que ce soit le degré de développement de l'Internet il ne remplacera pas l'atmosphère de l'université

[jb26508]

I rather sit in front of a teacher than look at a computer screen. Online education seems to be lazy for someone fresh out of high school who can at least attempt community college.

[ciberwap]

Internet is much better than going to study at university

[Watrous3]

Aj ne seri

[mrTwoMeSo]

Online education sucks

[wenping]

i agree with bill gates, school will be obsolete, online education is safer,cheaper,fast,and more effective.

[Grognax]

@wenping and with nice videos and interactive content, it will be way more fun too.

[Jameszhangdude]

@wenping I think online education is for different people. I come from an upper-middle class suburban community. Most students I know from high school are some of the most immature kids who have done really nothing for their lives (of course they're mostly non-AP students). Most kids aren't self-disciplined or self-motivated and simply don't realize the value of education, having everything spoon-fed for them. I think internet courses are fantastic only if the kids are self-motivated.

[madjunir]

@Jameszhangdude

actually internet courses helps create independence from tutors and self-motivation and that same motivation helps them learn what they like early and by knowing what they like they can get good at it faster.

it's a good cycle.

But with everything in life is good to have a balance between offline and online education/work.

[Jameszhangdude]

@madjunir

hmm I never thought of it like that.

But do most kids really know what they want that early? I know I didn't know what I wanted to do when I was a kid, but that's also why I wanted to expand and broaden my interests to see what I like and don't like until I find something I know I'll stick to for life.

[madjunir]

@Jameszhangdude

thats why the internet is so important, is like a big simulator.

tons of info and many videos about every subject.

You get a broader vision of things you may want to become good at.

When you learn something at your own pace you enjoy it, and if you enjoy it you can really get good at it (be it at 15 or 55).

Best of all you save so much time, money (cut down pollution too!) by taking half or even a full course online on good amount of careers.

i know it has helped me so much

[Jameszhangdude]

@madjunir

Yeah, I agree with you 100%. The internet right now is the ultimate form of collective intelligence and access to nearly unlimited information at the tips of your fingers.

However, it is still the drive and motivation that dictates whether one accesses that information or not, and I am skeptical that most kids at an early age would have that kind of motivation or the mindset of expanding such interests and independence. But like you said, internet courses and such may provide...

[Jameszhangdude]

@Jameszhangdude

...such incentives for self-motivation and independence.

[madjunir]

@Jameszhangdude

yea it all depends on the environment and the education we've received

Parents need to engage with the kids in their education.

For example once my kid is 10 or 11, I will begin teaching him how to program a small site, game and/or start using photoshop/gimp to modify images.

Since my kid is just 6 years old now, am just starting to get him interested in cognitive/skill-developing games/activities.

first steps are always the hardest, but then they learn to take the initiative.

[Jameszhangdude]

@madjunir

Yeah, I think it depends moreso on the environment than the actual education itself. I know my dad showed me how to do a lot of things, and while some were cool, most of those things didn't interest me at all. Now that I look back, I really do feel lucky to have two parents who support what I want to do and encourage me. I only wish that I was more engaged sooner and not during my senior year at high school or first year at college.

Anyways, best of luck to you and your kid :)

[madjunir]

@Jameszhangdude

wow you're lucky to have such wonderful family

My dad never did interact or showed me much, he cared little or at least acted like it.

This is why i know is so important to be part of your kids lives more.

i did learn a lot of stuff by myself, but i missed he not being being supportive..., so i dev lots of issues inside for years

I later got the chance to study (like 50% online) to become a therapist and finally healed.

Thanks a lot for your words, i hope you the best! ^^

[Jameszhangdude]

@madjunir

Hey no problem, it was a nice conversation!