TO THE EDITOR:
I take issue with the opinion expressed by the editorial board in the Oct. 7 article “Online hike lacks class.” I was forced to take the five credit hour physiology class PHYI202 online over the summer and was initially skeptical. By the end I was extremely impressed by the educational quality provided by the experience. It was clear that the instructor, Dr. Virginia Shea, had spent a great deal of time and effort designing the course.
The level of interaction between students that resulted was far beyond what I have experienced in any of my other courses at UNC.
It is clear to me that in the right hands an online course can sometimes offer even more than a traditional lecture. PHYI202 was rigorous, well designed, well executed, and overall an excellent example of the quality that I expect from UNC. The DTH’s blanket criticism of distance learning is an insult to the hard work of professors like Dr. Shea.
Steven J. Seta
Chapel Hill
