Letter to the editor: Faculty must raise the bar

If you are a university student, you may take part in a lecture or online class. Regardless, you may have additional collaboration assignments to post online and respond to your usually two or more classmates.Such methods used by professors, in my opinion, is a lazy approach to effective pedagogy leadership and fails to facilitate knowledge.I would argue that online discussion boards have a greater potential of leading to Internet addictions and provide a disservice to textbooks and practical learning.

Perhaps this is why fewer USD law students are passing the bar exam? It could also call into question the qualities of properly researched essay styles because most students are waiting for the procrastinators to post online.

The University of South Dakota and its tenured faculty should be providing a sound education of best practices. Instead, most undergrad and graduate students are witnessing a costly outsourcing of online Pearson or McGraw-Hill Education materials impractical for most smart devices or tablets.

Students spend more time in front of a computer screen than actually reading and absorbing materials.The university has become a quantity classroom rather than a quality facilitator. It is time for the university to step up its game and require professors to become a bit more engaged in discussions to pass on their knowledge accurately and to create effective future leaders.

Otherwise, why not obtain an online diploma from Pearson or McGraw-Hill and post your assignment to Facebook. At least that is how the university is viewed by many students based on the direction it uses today.

Sam Daughtry,
graduate student