Research is an important component of both online and ground based professorship. As matter
of concern, trying to differentiate the two is dangerous as more universities
move online and adjust the expectations of professors to fit online modalities.
The institutions of higher learning have an important contribution to
furthering knowledge through discovery and it makes no difference what modality
they use. Removing this function can slow the pace of development for the
nation by slowing new discoveries and innovation.
The nature of that
scholarship may be a little different than that which we find in the laboratories
of hard sciences. The far majority of new ideas and scholarship activities don’t
require a formal laboratory setting and often can be conducted in virtual
format. Modern technology allows for data collection, research, and scholarly
writing on a new level.
It could be argued that
online tools could allow scholarship to flourish by connecting people,
institutions and ideas to expand the body of knowledge. As more research moves
online, and virtual libraries expand, information will move from theoretical conception
to the practical output as decision-makers become more aware of existing
discoveries. Awareness and
implementation in the private sector helps grow the nation.
It wasn’t that long ago
that only printed forms of research were available and unless a person paid
for, was a student, or otherwise provided with a library card to some a large
university they would not be able to engage fully in scholarship. Small schools
and adjunct faculty simply were not much part of the process. This appears to
be changing as information becomes more available and consolidated in online
libraries.
Online scholarship can
be theoretical or applied; perhaps a bit of both. On the theoretical side a mix
of practical experience and scholarly writing can lead to new and profound
discoveries. On the applied side those theoretical discoveries are implemented
to create practical examples of the theory at work. Practical academics, or
pracedemics, can do both research and practical implementation.
Online education doesn’t
need to damage, destroy, or negate the function of research in a professor’s
life. As a practical matter online education can encourage higher forms of
scholarship and at a faster pace than what was seen in the dusty halls of
manual libraries by exchanging ideas and information for greater public
consumption. The very function of research in today’s society can be enhanced
by online education.
