Debating the ‘Flipped Classroom’ at Stanford

A blog from a Stanford student who took the online CS classes is raising some attention.  Who loses in online, “flipped” classrooms?  Maybe it’s the students who are there face-to-face.  Wouldn’t it be ironic if the efforts to expand the audience for the university, by putting classes on-line, ends up driving away the students who come to the brick-and-mortar university?

“Online lectures suck. Sure, they’re great for rainy days or people learning at a distance or people that don’t go to Stanford. However, these new classes are getting rid of in-person lectures completely. I met barely anyone in my CS229a class. Everything was done alone in my room, which is kind of crappy especially when there is such a nice campus right outside.”

“The initiative that Stanford has taken to open up education is great. However, God help me if all my classes become 2 hour weekly online lectures with review questions and auto-graded programming exercises. Stanford can expect a letter from me asking to get a cut in my tuition if the classes begin to go the way of CS229a.”

via Debating the ‘Flipped Classroom’ at Stanford – Wired Campus – The Chronicle of Higher Education.