Editorial: Let’s improve online classes

Online classes: Who doesn’t love them? You get to work from the comfort of your home and schedule everything on your own terms. However, the price to actually enroll in these classes has been wreaking havoc on our wallets. And we aren’t too fond of Blackboard, either.

There is a $55 technology fee for every online class at MHCC, on top of the regular tuition. This may not seem like a big deal, at first, but once you start piling on the classes, it adds up.

It can be quite befuddling as to how these classes are actually more expensive than a physical class. Online classes aren’t using up Mt. Hood space or materials; teachers don’t have to be in one place for over an hour, constantly interacting with students; and the classes don’t use Mt. Hood equipment like projectors or computers. They also don’t require printing materials, such as handouts or tests.

We understand there is some justification as to why online classes have such large tech fees. There are licensing fees for the Blackb0ard interface, teachers need to be taught on how to set up and maintain their classes (online), and Internet servers need to be maintained, among other things.

Regardless of whatever reasons warrant the wallet-gouging tech fee, we still think avenues should be sought in order to make the online classes less costly. There are schools, like the University of Oregon, that also use Blackboard, but have lower tech fees.

In checking with the distance learning office, we were told that other software options for hosting online classes are always being researched. Ultimately, we learned, software contracts are an MHCC District board decision and it’s not an easy thing to switch from one service to the other, given the many nuances. Still, it’s not impossible to change direction.

We should take a serious look at some other options. Blackboard is serviceable, but we’ve had our fair share of issues with the program. Bugs, like missing links in lessons, have resulted in some of us having to skip entire sections of the class. Discussions can be a pain depending on the teacher’s settings. Some don’t allow you to edit your submission, so if you made a pretty blatant error, you’re stuck with it. Also, the messaging system and the way in which classes are laid out can be unintuitive.

It may be a smidge petty to complain about having these opportunities funneled through a program with some minor irritations. We are extremely grateful that we have the option of taking classes online, but, if there were a superior program that could also be more cost-effective, it would be a “win-win,” right? Blackboard has also been with the school for good chunk of time, so it might be time to make the change.

We spend enough money on classes, books and all the other academic expenses that come with college. It would be a welcome financial aid if the online classes went down in price, and if we had a more attractive portal to those classes.

Advocate Staff