The Merits of SKYPE in the Classroom

Our class yesterday showed us that Skype is less than ideal when considering modes of education--the sound quality was iffy and the video feed had a tendency to skip and lag. But in a larger context, Skype can aid in the education of so many people around the world, especially those from disadvantaged areas of the globe. Skype opens up doors to many people that may not have the opportunity to commute to school, and provides a relatively cheap alternative for disadvantaged students. Yes, a student in a poorer country would need a computer, high speed internet access, and the like to sit in on an online class--but if classes were conducted via the internet, wouldn't foreign governments be more likely to spend on such necessary infrastructure as establishing said internet access? If classes were conducted online via Skype, a student from a third world country could potentially tune in at a very cost-effective rate.

As for those of us attending elite US universities like Michigan, Skype really doesn't hold much value. The ability to communicate with teachers is poor due to a lack of sound quality, and the lack of personal proximity and eye contact makes for a very detached lecture; one that won't resonate well with students who expect much more. Additionally, the cost of a University education is so high right now that I don't think students would accept being taught by Skype. It is way too impersonal and, at least to me, signals a lack of effort on the part of the teacher to make him or herself present to the class. Skype essentially takes away all accountability away from teachers and places the onus entirely on students to learn the material themselves, which I think is unfair, especially at such a high cost.