Professor Sells Lectures Online

KnightMB writes "Students at NCSU have the option of purchasing the lectures of a professor online. The Professor did this as a way to help those that missed class, didn't take good notes, or from another country and have trouble understanding an English speaking Professor. The reactions on campus were mixed among the students as some saw it as a great way to keep up with things should real life interfere and others see it as something to pay for on top of the tuition cost at the university. Each one cost $2.50 for the entire lecture. Some students feel it should be free or cost less. The professor brings up a point that doing this takes extra effort and it's only fair that they should have to pay for that extra time and effort needed to put the lectures online for sale such as editing, recording equipment, etc. No one is forced to purchase the lectures, they are only an additional option that students will have. Quote Dr. Schrag "Your tuition buys you access to the lectures in the classroom. If you want to hear one again, you can buy it. I guess you could see the service as a safety net designed to help the students get the content when life gets in the way of their getting to class."

Comments

Re:The Old Tape Recorder

[MasterC]

If you are capable of learning on your own, then why attend college in the first place?

I cannot possibly believe that you are a professor at a university after having said that.

Make a list of professors whom have a doctorate. Then make a list of professors whom do not have a doctorate. Which list is longer?

Make a list of physicians (I'm not talking nurses here) whom have a doctorate (MD, DO). Then make a list of those that do not. Which list is longer?

Degrees are like keys to door locks. You definitely don't need the key to get through the door but it's much easier, less messy, and the owner doesn't get as pissed off when you smash the door down or climb through the window.

And if you are attending a university where classes can be passed without attending lectures, then you are wasting your money, your parent's money, or some sort of scholarship money.

Any class can be passed without attending lectures. The *real* trick to college is in learning that you only need to satisify what the professor wants; learning the material is ancillary to this point. The professor wants to give tests: what happens when you don't take them? The professor wants you to do group work: what happens when you don't work within the group? The professor wants 12 point Times font: what happens when you do comic sans? The professor wants homework done for every lecture: what happens if you miss those? The professor has a scoring rubrick for something: what happens when you do any equally well project but fail the rubrick?

The underlying assumption is in doing homework, correctly answering test questions, making up an essay on the spot, etc. that you learn the material but no where is it a direct requirement. If I had a perfect memory that lasted me a semester from when I learn it then I could ace each and every class without a problem and obtain 40 doctorates but end up learned jack squat.

Nevermind that listening to someone speak is by far from the only means of learning. I have never once heard and/or attended a lecture over, say, PHP or SQL but I have mastered both by using it. I have never once heard and/or attended a lecture over, say, photolithography but I have successfully developed a process to etch circuit boards (by way of taking a black/white picture -- to scale -- of a schematic and then using photolithography with that negative). I have never once heard and/or attended a lecture over, say, wiring a house but can easily install new outlets, switches, circuit breaker panels, etc. I have never once heard and/or attended a lecture over, say, driving a semi but I have a class A license and have driven Chicago to LA twice and managed rush hour traffic on both ends without a problem. I have never once heard and/or attended a lecture over, say, photography but I can take some amazing photographs.

No, you are definitely not a professor...or, perhaps more pendantically, not a professor I would want to have since you clearly do not understand what learning really is. I don't have to sit in a class room to learn but it's pretty much the easiest route to get those slips of paper that now sit in my fire-proof safe.

However, as a point that does support your position I put this forth. Currently, I am attempting to learn all the subjects necessary to get into medical school (biology, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, organic chemistry, pharmacology, etc.). Coming from an engineering background I have a ways to go in terms of raw knowledge but am there as a scientist. But! I face a future challenge of getting in without having that lab experience or tangible proof (i.e., grades) that I do indeed "know" the subject matter. With thousands? of applicants, I'm open to suggestions on how to not be discarded for not having these tangible items. I don't need to sit in a class room to learn it and I don't much desire to pay to take some classes unnecessarily. Do you have some good suggestions or have I successfully answered my first quote of you?

Mod parent, cousins, and the whole family down

[el americano]

Learn to read, he's not selling lecture notes, he's selling video copies of his lectures that he has to edit himself.

First off, he's selling mp3s...

Second, people should mod down everyone who tries to direct the modding of others...no, wait...