Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Want an online degree? Net ruling threatens that - Vincent del Casino, AZ Central

Success of online education, including student retention and graduate rates, can't happen without a wide range of services, from online-faculty office hours to tutoring to disability services and beyond. Online-library access and journal accessibility are also central to success; it is hard to imagine any student today who does not rely on the Internet for much of his or her basic research. An open and accessible Internet is, after all, a space where students — not just as consumers of knowledge, but also as producers — will exchange content across an ever-growing set of information databases. However, just as those in higher education accelerate action to expand online education, the debate about net neutrality — the idea that broadband and Internet service providers should provide open access to all legal online content equally and without interference — has intensified. http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2014/10/16/net-neutrality-online-degrees/17384523/