There's just no way to teach Composition without interaction. Oh, and another thing-- it's not really possible to teach introductory chemistry or linear algebra without it, either, in spite of what some reports have said in recent days.
Whether someone has learned X should be measured by what they know and what they can do (outputs), not how they learned (inputs). I agree that a composition course should have some human interaction, but it need not be face-to-face. CTY offers online composition courses in which instructors make written comments on students' essays.
Some smart and motivated people have taught themselves introductory chemistry and linear algebra by reading on their own. Gifted homeschoolers often prepare for AP exams in this way. These exams have long-answer questions, not just multiple choice questions. The College Board has done studies showing that students who get high scores on AP exams do as well in the following college courses as students who earn high grades in introductory college courses.
We likely will pay our kids' way through a residential college, because we are well off. I do see value in having professors and classmates. But the cost of college has risen so much that many families are looking for cheaper alternatives.
I'm more than a little alarmed by the notion that "video" is intended to replace...
expert-written textbooks?? (Seriously-- this is a quote by someone in this MOOC-consortium push.) The rationale behind this statement? This person
believes that people learn more from video than from "dry textbooks." Oh, well then. If you think it hard enough, I suppose that makes it true??
I agree with you that textbooks written by knowledgeable authors are valuable, and I can learn faster from a book than a video. People who don't like to read should not be going to college.
