Online grads sue USC

[michaeladsmith2]

This is a nice follow-up article on the USC 2U lawsuit.  The article covers similar issues we've been discussing in this thread.  

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton...474a2755e9

Quote from the article "But the real news from this legal challenge is the inherent implication that USC’s online program is not as good as its in-person one. If it was the same or better, where’s the basis for the legal complaint? But the suit makes it clear that what USC and 2U were selling and delivering were not – are not – the same. "

The article quote perfectly sums up what I have been saying the entire time in this thread.

But, here is a concern I have about this statement. Don't we understand that "online education" IS INDEED "not the same" as in-person delivery? I mean, outside USC's deception and fraudulent activities [hence this lawsuit], isn't the purpose of online education to provide the following:

1. An asynchronous education to students NOT in the physical classroom (online education especially created due to the rise in working adults since the 1990s)
2. A self-paced, flexibly scheduled curriculum
3. A professor monitored curriculum [for competency in the subject/field]
4. a connection to a cohort and fellow learners through the discussion boards environment
5. fair grading system [equal to in-person students] that correctly challenges the assignments turned in as if one WAS in the physical classroom. (I only add this because of the inferred argument of difference between the two, though I don't see a difference in the work submitted online vs. in-person)

The issue for me is this. I've been taking online courses for quite some time. While yes, I miss the in-person debates, personal connection, study groups, and ability to share ideas and work together as a team, there are very few times that I have found the quality of the online environment less rigorous and challenging than in-person. I would go so far as to submit it is even more stringent and demanding. An entire series can be written on this subject. Still, anyone with a job, family, obligations, and other full-time tasks who can balance their demanding daily schedule with online schooling is far more skilled than in-person students. 

I'm not sure I 100% agree with the idea that the USC "online offerings" are "less than" or "not as good as" in-person. Try taking the Harvard Extension School for a semester, and you'll learn very quickly that Harvard "online" is just as rigorous, and MANY Extension School students drop out or never finish due to this fact. And I tell you, Georgetown, Penn World Campus, many CA online Law Schools, and some of the top state schools that offer online degrees are just as tough. Self-motivation, self-discipline, and Independent learning are very challenging by themselves.

I probably wouldn't question USC's quality of its Graduate programs. However, I would question their tactics in promoting a ranking and standing they advertised under false pretenses and fraudulent practices. 

Let me add one last caveat to my current experience online in a doctoral program. This DHA Program at VUL is no joke. It's not likely Ivy League, but they use the Harvard Business School model. It is a very demanding, fast-paced (intensive 1-year program), and the professors are no joke when measuring your competency in the subject, assignments, and field.