The problem with e-Learning is access

In doing research about learning styles, I have rediscovered Curtis Bonk who I saw give a presentation at DePaul University School of Education a couple of years ago. My web search found his book “The World is Open”. I used inter-library loan to get a copy. His premise is that the Internet is going to be the major delivery medium for learning. This also includes the education of high school and college students. I like his thesis and ideas. However, there exists one important issue: access. In his book, he has promised a free copy to those who cannot afford to buy one, but that is not yet complete. Right idea, just missing the implementation. What if you cannot afford Internet access?

In order to use the Internet, you need access. Right now any college student has the opportunity to use computer labs or access wireless points through out their campus. What if students cannot afford computers; colleges provide labs. These labs are only available during certain hours, not always the times that students are studying. Access needs to be 24/7. What happens when the student goes home?

Many students do not have access to computers at home due to economic reasons. The cost of the computer is dropping, but you need to buy access time. This is a similiar analogy to the cheap printers. It is not the cost of the printer, but the supplies to run it that mount up. It is a major investment to provide Internet access in your home. Internet could be provided by cities much as water and sewer services are. There are opportunities for partnerships to build the infrastructure. Internet access needs to be thought of as a “utility” and economies of scale need to be applied.

Many students are computer literate, but only if their high schools or parents have the economic means. Computer labs in high schools need to become a priority of school districts. I know that funding is always an issue, but we need to think about the future of our country. The money spent on libraries could be directed towards computer labs.