Can Technology Reduce the Cost of a College education?

Can Technology Reduce the Cost of a College education?

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Colleges can significantly reduce the cost of a college education by implementing technology-related modifications while improving instructional efficiency:

(1) Enlist professors to prepare an online equivalent for each of their courses. These courses can be improved and updated over time. Ideally, these lessons would incorporate a personalized approach where the individual needs of each student are recognized. The need for expensive textbooks would be eliminated.

(2) All students would need a laptop computer and at home internet access. 

(3) A blended learning approach can be implemented where students complete lessons online in their homes prior to attending class. This has the potential to reduce student in-school presence; the number of school buildings and professors would be reduced over time. For example, a 3 credit, on-campus class could be reduced to one session per week for review, discussion, assessment, and other activities.

(4) Students would complete all written assignments on their laptop, and submit each to their professor via the internet.

(5) The need for libraries would be reduced as all resources would be available from the internet. Library space can be utilized for student projects where research and creativity are emphasized.

(6) Eliminate the need for costly on-site servers to store school records and other computer functions by utilizing cloud-based resources such as Amazon Web Service (AWS).

(7) Provide virtual/augmented reality (VR, AR), an immersive, online experience accessible to students during non-school time. These resources could reduce the need for in-class lab activities.

These recommendations would entail a high initial cost, including expenditures for staff development and redeployment, but would save money over time. Currently, there are a number of online universities in operation; some well-known universities provide a few online courses. The reduced cost of operating a college should result in lower college tuition. while increasing instructional efficiency.