The Socratic Inquiry Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 7 (2021)

V O L . 3 I S S U E 7 2 0 2 1 ( J U N 7 - J U L 4 )
student population continues to benefit from the educational process. While primary, secondary,
undergraduate and graduate students have all been impacted, this brief article is being written
from the perspective of a college professor.
Prior to the pandemic, alternative means of teaching were often viewed by traditionalists as
imperfect, ineffective and of low-quality. Schools that specialized in distance-learning were often
viewed as an acceptable option only for non-traditional working students or those that could not
otherwise attend a traditional school. Oftentimes, these schools marketed themselves to
members of the military who could not otherwise attend school due to their schedules or
deployments.
Considering the present situation, even the most ardent traditionalist has begun to concede that
internet-based approaches may be beneficial. Among these approaches are delivery platforms
that include synchronous courses (which require students to meet via a virtual classroom),
asynchronous courses (that do not require virtual class meetings but do require student
participation by way of watching recorded lectures, and completing readings, assignments and
tests), and hybrid courses that are based on a mixture of these two approaches.
Overall, these approaches have now become mainstream. No longer is distance-leaning viewed
as a secondary choice. Instead, synchronous, asynchronous and hybrid courses, all of which are
based upon internet delivery methods, have permitted, for the most part, colleges and
universities worldwide to continue to deliver instructional materials. This has not only legitimized
distance learning, but it has allowed educational processes to continue largely uninhibited. It
appears that those few schools that have historically specialized in on-line distance-learning
have found a resurgence of interests among today’s student populations. Similarly, traditional
schools of higher learning have adapted to the changing expectations and challenges that they
are facing. As such, from the perspective of the contemporary professor, the evolutionary
process affecting the classroom has permitted students to learn from nearly every corner of the
globe regardless of their location, employment status, or ability to locate adequate
transportation/lodging. At no time in history has higher education been more accessible.
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