Online Classes might Revolutionize Colleges

网上课程可能会彻底改变大学

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。

American colleges face what some people are calling a "perfect storm" of problems, college costs are rising, there are not enough jobs for all those completing study programs. Yet employers say they can not find enough workers with technical skills.

美国大学面临着一些人所谓的“屋漏偏遇连阴雨”的问题，大学学费在涨，毕业生没有足够的就业机会。然而雇主却说他们找不到具备相关技能的员工。

One solution may be found in the growing number and quality of online classes, such classes might revolutionize colleges the way the Internet has already changed music, publishing, sales, and other businesses.

数量和质量不断提高的网上课程可能是解决办法之一。这类课程可能会彻底改变高校，就像互联网已经改变了音乐、出版、销售和其它业务一样。

"This is pretty amazing." That is David Evans of the University of Virginia, he is teaching a Computer Science class on the Internet.

“这很了不起。”这是弗吉尼亚大学的大卫·埃文斯（David Evans）的评价，他在互联网上教计算机科学课程。

Many top universities now offer online classes, they teach everything from computer programing to the science of cooking. Many classes are at little or no cost, they are restructured more often than traditional college programs.

现在许多顶尖大学都提供网上课程，教授从电脑编程到烹调的各种课程。许多课程费用很低或免费，这些课程比传统大学课程调整得更频繁。

That's important to the millions of students who learn technical and other skills from Lynda.com. Lynda Weinman helped to launch the website, she spoke to VOA on skype.

这对数百万通过Lynda.com网站学习科技和其它技能的学生来说很重要。琳达·温曼（Lynda Weinman）帮助推出了这一网站，她通过skype对美国之音表示。

"We can come to market very quickly and we can teach transient skills, so a lot of software is changing constantly and new software is being invented, and those sorts of things cannot easily make their way into college curriculum."

“我们可以非常快速地进入市场，我们也可以教授短期技能。很多软件不断更新，新软件不断问世，而这些东西没法轻易地就进入大学课程。”

At most colleges, a professor or teaching assistant gives a lecture to students, who then do research, study, and homework alone. Student and bloggers John Haber says online classes change everything around.

在大多数高校中，教授或助教给学生们讲课，然后学生们独自研究、学习和做作业。作为学生和博主的约翰·哈伯（John Haber）表示，网上课程改变了周围的一切。

"They are watching the lectures at home as homework, recorded lectures, and when they get to class, they are having more active discussions, or interactions with the teachers or working on projects."

他说，“学生们可以把在家观看录制的讲座当作家庭作业，当他们上课时，他们就能更积极地讨论、与教师互动或做项目。”

John Harber said on skype that he is taking enough online classes to earn a four-year college degree in just one year. Experts say the new technology will have a major effect on colleges. Some predict future classes may be a mix of online lectures and professors helping students work through difficult problems in person.

哈伯通过skype表示，他正在上网上课程，在短短一年时间就能获得4年制大学学位。专家表示，这项新技术将对高校产生重大影响。有人预测，未来的课程可能会是在线讲座和教授面对面帮助学生解决难题相结合。

Georgetown University labor economist Tony Carnevale says he would welcome these changes, he says a college education has to be less costly, and then to skills needed by employers.

乔治敦大学的劳动经济学家托尼·内瓦莱（Tony Carnevale）表示，他对这些改变表示欢迎。他说，大学教育费用应该更低，同时转向雇主需要的技能。

"It's really quite clear that more and more people need post-secondary education and training and a lot of them are not getting it. And in cases where they do get it, it doesn't lead to gainful employment. Or it leads to jobs where they don't fully use their talents, and we don't have enough money to buy our way out of this."

他说，“很显然，越来越多的人需要中学后(post-secondary)教育和培训却未能获得。有时得到了教育却还是找不到收入丰厚的工作，或者找到的工作无法充分施展自己的才能。同时我们没有足够的资金可以投入来改变这一些。”

Chris Cullen is a college marketing expert, he says competition from online schools, and concerns about costs, will change universities.

克里斯·卡伦（Chris Cullen）是一位高校营销专家，他表示，来自网络学校的挑战，以及对费用的关注将会改变大学。

"The consumer demands that you tell me why, give me a reason, to believe that my money, my tuition money is best spent at your institution. What is the return on my investment? What is your value proposition?"

“消费者要求你说清楚，为什么我的学费花在你这个机构最值？我投入后会得到什么回报？你的价值主张是什么？”

Chris Cullen says top universities with strong public images may expand in an online world, but he says less discriminating, less famous schools may struggle to get the interest of students.

卡伦表示，公众形象很好的世界顶尖大学可能会在网络上得到扩张，但他表示，知名度不太高的学校可能难以吸引学生的兴趣。

And that's the Education Report from VOA Learning English, I'm Avi Arditti.