A Classroom of One: How Online Learning is Changing our Schools and Colleges [Hardcover]

Gene I. Maeroff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 8, 2003 | ISBN-10: 1403960852 | ISBN-13: 978-1403960856 | Edition: First Edition

This is Gene Maeroff's "report from the front" on the short history and status of online learning in the United States and around the world. Maeroff is a reporter who takes you to the schools from Penn State's World Campus to the Florida Virtual School to the newly emerging online learning initiatives in Afghanistan. His journey ultimately provides a snapshot of the way in which technology is changing the minds of people with regard to the nature of higher education. He looks at the method of electronic delivery, the quality of the information being delivered and quality of interaction it engenders. He looks at the way learners are adapting to this new technology and how much responsibility is put on the student's shoulders. Finally, and maybe tellingly, he looks at the business of online learning.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Most of the recent flood of books about online learning can be divided into pro (Internet-based education will replace overpriced, rigid, traditional institutions and provide a profoundly better product) and con (online learning is a fringe educational activity pushed by untrustworthy for-profit dot-coms). Maeroff, the author of 11 books over the past 27 years commenting on education, has steered a prudent middle course. He sees online education as an important and growing part of traditional instruction, a tool that will help solve many existing problems. His clear account of those problems helps explain the appeal of the Internet. But he also sees a central role for traditional face-to-face instruction in physical classrooms for the foreseeable future. The line between classroom and Internet instruction will blur as traditional courses add online content and online courses take more responsibility, he says. Internet use will be heaviest for students who are not well served by bricks-and-mortar instruction. The author covers Internet use from elementary school through college and post-college education, home schooling, legal issues, accreditation, professional certification and international courses-all the while describing the subject's history, current state and potential future. His broad knowledge and irreverent style make the dense material more than readable, but this is still a weighty professional book with comprehensive coverage backed by hundreds of interviews and citations. Regrettably, the book fails to discuss the technology itself or the economics behind it. Still, it's the best general work on the subject for educators and administrators.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"One of the few even-handed discussions, A Classroom of One brings some much needed clarity."--Scott Eliott, Dayton Daily News

Praise for Maeroff'sAltered Destinies:
"A must-read...Maeroff shows again and again how the altered lives of a few can serve as testament to what is possible for many." --The American School Board Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; First Edition edition (February 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403960852
• ISBN-13: 978-1403960856
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great overview of online learning, June 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Classroom of One: How Online Learning is Changing our Schools and Colleges (Hardcover)

If you're looking for a good overview of the online learning industry, this is it. A thorough explanation of all of the issues and a good look at some of the key players. I particularly like how Maeroff compares online learning to other forms of distance learning -- mail, sattelite and other types of correspondence courses -- that have been around for years. So far, the Net has not overcome all of problems of distance learning -- as some supporters promised it would. But neither have online programs diminished the quality of instruction on a wide scale, as critics were sure it would. This is great background for anyone studing the issues of online learning.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Online Learning, April 10, 2006

By 

K. Cooper "Lifelong Learner" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Classroom of One: How Online Learning is Changing our Schools and Colleges (Hardcover)

As a current online student who has been an Internet user for the past 20 years, I found Gene Maeroff's "A Classroom of One" to be a fairly good overview of the different types of online learning. He discusses the various aspects of cyberlearning and tries to give an unbiased view showing both the pros and cons. The first few chapters gave some insightful information on online education but as the book progressed it seemed to lose its focus. I agree with one reviewer that this book is geared toward the professional educator, but it has good information for the novice as well.

Online learning is not for everyone. There is a certain amount of self-discipline involved. However, the convenience makes it particularly appealing to adult students who work full-time and could not attend regular campus classes. With good instructors and the right balance of technology and online interaction, it can be a rewarding and enlightening experience. "A Classroom of One" examines how different educational entities deal with the challenges and problems involved with cyber learning and how it is indeed changing the way teachers teach and learners learn.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful tool for investigating educational choices, April 16, 2005

By 

Aubree St Thomas - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Classroom of One: How Online Learning Is Changing our Schools and Colleges (Paperback)

I found Gene Maeroff's Classroom of One to be excellent reading. I recommend this book for anyone interested in understanding the many concerns and benefits of online learning as an alternative to educational choices.
What I most appreciated was the care Maeroff took in looking at the details of online learning from a non-biased perspective. Through deliberate focus on the aspects of this new educational choice Maeroff successfully informs the reader what to expect from the providers of online learning, as well as offering an honest look at the responsibility of the student to achieve the most from this type of educational system.
Classroom of One is the kind of book that supports both student's and parent's investigation and decision making regarding ways to get the best education based on individual student schedule and family needs. This is a book that is easy to read and leaves the reader feeling a better awareness of the many educational environments available within today's technological environment.