Fully online degree programs are literally a joke to me. I can not get my mind to register how a person can sit behind a computer for four years and obtain a degree that is equal to a traditional on-campus student's degree. Online degree programs are becoming more popular as the years pass for a number of reasons. For one, it is convenient and easily manageable. Secondly, it gives professionals the opportunity to go to school and work at the same time. And lastly, deadlines are more spread out (Example: An assignment being due at midnight.), therefore, giving students the ability to balance out their time more conveniently. In creating this editorial, I had one organization in mind, and that was the "University of Phoenix." They are a well known online school and has been a controversial subject for some time now. I encountered U of Phoenix officials a few years ago when I was deciding on whether I wanted to go to USM or do an online school. Because the responses and reviews about online degree schools were so horrible, I decided that I would just stick to tradition and go to USM. In that research, I also found out that a lot of employers do not even bother to consider graduates from fully online schools such as the U of Phoenix. A link to this site follows: www.phoenix.edu. Following you will find arguments that I have created that I believe outweigh the benefits of online degree programs.
Most teachers, especially those of online classes, use test that originate from a test database or tests that were used elsewhere; and they are more than likely available online as well. Students have the ability to Google test questions and find the answers that they need. Although they are actually cheating themselves of their own knowledge, they will still, more than likely, enter into our workforce as nurses, accountants, lawyers, etc. I do not think that all online degree programs should be omitted. Degrees in the medical field are the only ones that I believe should be omitted. We, as people, want the best and only the best to care for us and our loved ones. I'm not saying that people who obtain online degrees has it easier than traditional students. I argue that the online degree programs are only crippling society. Technology is already taking over and education is the one thing that should stay traditional.
THINK about it...
The only clear solution to this problem, in my opinion, is to keep tradition alive. Make traditional on-campus learning the top 95% education source; and to omit medical degrees from online degree programs. The greatest and most successful people before us, who had an advanced education, obtained it through traditional learning, NOT e-learning. To get myself heard, I would publish this in college newspapers and magazines all over the United States, as well as high school editorials. My target audience would be any and all current and prospective college students. I could imagine this editorial being published on CNN. It is not quite a specific source but it has the ability to obtain a huge audience all over the world.
Evolution is a great thing (most of the time). But, education should just stay traditional. So, please act on this and keep yourself away from online degree programs. After all, you want the best (traditional, on-campus learning) for your money!
"Rhetorical Analysis"
In creating this editorial, I wanted to convince my audience that I know what I'm talking about. I wanted them to get comfortable with me and to also be open minded to this subject. I used an aggressive approach in an effort to make my audience identify this as a debatable topic. Because of my character (an individual who is highly open to hearing another person's opinion), I am pleasantly able to understand a person's reaction to this topic. I expect for different people to give different reactions (Example: Working professional; senior in high school; single mother). Another way I attempted to persuade my reader is by comparing today's education source to past education source. Most people aspire to be like some person in the past. If they obtained an advanced education, then it is clear that they received it through the traditional source. Imagine the influence high status people have on society. So, I attempted to attack the reader's emotions. Lastly, I attempted to persuade my audience by use of logic. I gave them many reasons why I believe that online degree programs should not exist (at least the ones in the medical field). Overall, I used ethos, pathos, and logos in an effort to get my audience comfortable with me, then I attacked a subject that means something to them, and lastly I gave them meaningful reasoning behind it all. So, at this point, my reader is giving great thought about the entire argument. Either they have decided to agree or disagree with me.
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