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Overheard in the hallway: "Allen fieldhouse is Disneyland on steriods."
KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, JAN. 28, 2016
Yo... stop wearing button down shirts with jerseys over them to games. You look ridiculous fam
The best thing about Purple inked pen is that they write in purple.
Getting this Keurig for my birthday was the best and the worst thing to happen to me!!!
It's funny to listen to all the seniors who are complaining about how this semester is supposed to be the easiest one of all. There is no such thing as an easy semester.
Shoutout to the person in BIO 100 who answers E for every clicker questions even when it's not an option.
Overheard in the Underground: "Pretty sure this place is a huge fire hazard." Retweet.
Reminder: Don't woo during the rock chalk chant on Saturday. I will hunt you down
Olivia from season 19 way better than any of these people from the bachelor tbh
If Miley and Liam can get back together anything is possible
The Empire Strikes Back is the worst Star Wars sorry not sorry get at me
Why hasn't anyone invented tangle-proof headphones?
"Why wouldn't it be whomever?" "Whomever is a made up word used to trick students."
What is wrong with people who wear shorts when it's 35 degrees outside?
Found a staple in my hair. I think it's from last night. Really not sure how this happened, but maybe it's a sign to brush my hair more often.
Read more at kansan.com
Does #BBN stand for awful at basketball?
That wouldn't make grammatical sense...
but you know what? I say we forgive it
Celebrity Twitter feuds are my sustenance.
@KANSANNEWS
Too poor for cable? Well, Saturday Night Live is now Sunday Night Live thanks to Hulu.
/THEKANSAN
KANSAN.NEWS
@UNIVERSITYDAILYKANSAN
Online classes allow students schedule flexibility
SAM BILLMAN/Kansan
RYAN LISTON
@rliston235
As I planned my course schedule for this semester, I found myself in a predicament. I couldn't make room in my schedule for Geology 101 because another course I was enrolled in was scheduled for the same time and only one section was available. Luckily for me, the University offered a comparable course, Geology 105, online.
For students who have rigid schedules due to selective courses or extracurricular activities, it can be difficult to find courses that fit their schedule. Taking online courses can help alleviate this issue.
Online courses allow students to complete work whenever they have time in their schedules and wherever they may be, giving students more flexibility than the traditional in-class courses.
Additionally, professors are assigned to monitor online courses, so students can utilize office hours and get additional help should they require it. In this regard,
it is similar to a large lecture class because students are not necessarily interacting directly with the professor during the course and must seek any additional help outside of the class period.
Participation in an online course requires greater accountability on the student's end, but this should be considered a benefit rather than a downfall. In college, students are supposed to learn independence and responsibility; online courses integrate learning with these other life skills.
Students should not avoid taking a course if they are only able to take the online version. They should, however understand that taking one of these courses will require organization on their part.
Ryan Liston is a freshman from Lawrence studying journalism.
- Edited by Ryan Wright
Online courses cannot replicate the benefits traditional classrooms provide
▶ MATTHEW CLOUGH
@mcloughsofly
The value and validity of online courses have been greatly disputed since the format was first introduced into educational systems. A Babson research study indicates that although 5.2 million students took at least one online course in 2014, the 3.7 percent enrollment growth rate from 2013 was the smallest increase over the past 13 years. Clearly, there are increasingly mixed responses to the effectiveness of online learning.
Although online courses may be more convenient, especially for nontraditional students, they simply aren't as beneficial as classes completed in typical classroom settings. Not only do physical classroom spaces allow students to engage closely with the material and their peers, they also offer personal connection to faculty and professors for a more personalized learning experience.
While interaction with other classmates is still possible in online classes, discussion typically has to be carried out via discussion board postings. These exchanges are often forced, insincere, and simply viewed as an obligation necessary to earn points or credit. Conversations are
inorganic and not given the chance to grow, which is futile to the process of grasping course material (especially in humanities courses).
Perhaps this is part of the reason only 28 percent of universities in the Babson study reported that their faculty accept the "value and legitimacy of online education." It can be difficult to assess a student's growth when the only sources of judgment available are written work and test results.
Many online courses are self-paced, meaning that students get to choose when to complete their work so long as it's finished by a certain date. In theory, this seems beneficial for the busy college student, but it can actually create a lot of problems.
In 2013, San Jose State University monitored student success in its massive open online courses, and found that completion rates and grades were lower than those of students enrolled in traditional classes. These sorts of classes require a great deal of self-motivation to ensure everything is completed on time.
Even if a self-paced online class isn't huge, saving assignments until the last moment can still become an issue for students. The question also
emerges of how valid education becomes at this point if students are just "cramming" to finish everything, retention of information won't be very high.
The issues of technology and reliability are always important when analyzing the effectiveness of online learning. Students may be subject to Internet connectivity problems, or sometimes entire lessons or course modules may go down for extended periods of time. Until technology platforms and online course structures become extremely organized and reliable, online learning just can't measure up to in-person education.
Despite the convenience and flexibility of online courses, traditional classroom environments are still the most beneficial means of obtaining an education. The flexibility of online courses can even become a hindrance if students procrastinate, and nothing can beat personal, in-person interactions with peers and professors.
Matthew Clough is a junior from Wichita, studying English and journalism.
- Edited by Mackenzie Walker
Gonzales: Minority groups should become more active in the voting process
▶ RACHEL GONZALES
@rachellnoel
Voting is a fundamental building block of democracy.. Civic engagement is best exemplified by voting and relies on an informed and engaged citizenry. Although democracy depends on it, minorities and poor Americans often don't vote. Involvement by these groups in the voting process is crucial though for the country to operate as a fair and equal society.
Of citizens that are most likely to not vote, 43 percent were Hispanic, African-American or other minorities, according to a study done by the Pew Research Center.
The best example of the impact a high minority turnout can have was in the 2012 presidential election.
While there are different theories about why certain groups of people are less likely to vote than others, studies conclude that minorities and the working poor do not think that their vote matters. Politicians seldom discuss issues that minorities care about and
That year was the first time since 1968 in which black voter turnout was higher than that of non-Hispanic Whites, according to a survey of population characteristics done by the U.S. Census Bureau. William H. Frey, senior fellow of the Metropolitan Policy Program, concluded the high turnout of minorities had drastic effects on the outcome of the election. It's likely that Obama would not have been elected had it not been for the high minority voter turnout.
fail to capture their attention. Sam Fulwood III, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and Director of the CAP Leadership Institute, said capturing the attention of and giving hope to minority voters made all the difference for Obama. Obama's campaign literally centered around the word "hope" and capitalized on the hope he created for minorities. When there is hope that change is possible, people are more likely to think their vote matters.
Additionally, voting is a learned process, with education about politics playing a major role in the decision to vote or not. Minorities and the poor are typically under-educated about voting, pushing them toward not voting. Obstacles to vote also affect this decision. Things such as long waits, strict ID laws and increased use of provisional ballots tend to discourage people from voting.
Minorities must vote to push issues that important to them, but lack of politicians' attention only further stratifies minorities. As Danielle C. Belton puts it in her article for the Roost, "The reason politicians ignore so many of the working poor is because they don't vote. And the reason so many of the working poor don't vote is because certain politicians have made sure it's as inconvenient as possible for them." However difficult it is for these people to vote, if enough of them actually do, change is always possible.
For these groups to go
out of their way to vote is worthwhile. This right to vote is a privilege that Americans sometimes take for granted. We have fought wars for the right to have a say in how the government operates. It is up to individual citizens to recognize and take advantage of this opportunity. Reaching out to minority, poor and young peoples and encouraging them to vote will strengthen the country's democracy, ensuring a more fair and inclusive citizenry.
Rachel Gonzales is a junior from Fort Collins, Colo., studying journalism and sociology.
- Edited by Samantha Harms
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