2. 外语
  3. Read the following article from a newspaper and answer questions 19-25. For questions 19-25, choose the correct answer A, B,

Read the following article from a newspaper and answer questions 19-25. For questions 19-25, choose the correct answer A, B,

admin2017-09-22  31
问题     Read the following article from a newspaper and answer questions 19-25.
    For questions 19-25, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D.
                       Are You Afraid of MOOCs?
    Are MOOCs and other online materials a threat to quality public higher education, and to our role as professors? The members of the philosophy department at San Jose State University think so. They recently issued an open letter to Michael Sandel, a professor of Harvard University, objecting to his role in encouraging the use of MOOCs at public universities. The controversy stems from San Jose State’s contract with edX, a company that provides MOOCs, including one based on Sandel’s course on justice at Harvard. San Jose State has agreed to use materials provided by edX, but the philosophy department has refused to use Sandel’s online lectures in its courses. Though MOOCs are still new, many of the arguments presented by the San Jose State philosophy professors do not ring true in light of my experience.
    We should begin by distinguishing two issues. The philosophy professors state that they have felt pressured by their administration to use the materials from Sandel’s course. The administration denies exerting any such pressure. Whatever the truth of the matter, that is an issue of academic freedom, and not about the pedagogical merits of using MOOCs and other online materials. I certainly agree that professors should be, responsible for the content and pedagogy in their own courses.
    The real issue, then, is whether the availability and use of online materials, whether through MOOCs or through other channels, is a threat to quality education, especially at public universities. Many of the arguments presented in the letter presuppose an either/or, all-or-nothing approach when it comes to face-to-face versus online teaching. But the whole point of a hybrid, or blended, course is that it combines both. And it is difficult to see why it makes a great deal of difference whether the online content is delivered via a MOOC or not.
    Nothing will ever replace the face-to-face discussions that occur in the classroom. But in many traditional, on-campus courses, little discussion occurs. In a lecture course with hundreds, or even just scores, of students, much of the time in the classroom is inevitably spent with the professor lecturing and the students(hopefully)taking notes-or at least listening attentively. In courses with a significant lecture component, the advantages of using online lectures are undeniable. I know from my own experience that, if my attention wanes for a few moments, it is very convenient to simply go back and play a portion again. One can do the same if one doesn’t quite understand something the first time. And one need not miss material to take a bathroom break.
    The availability of high-quality online lectures is an opportunity to rethink how we spend our time in the classroom. If an online lecture presents the material, or walks students through an argument, we are freed to spend more time discussing the aspects of the material that are most difficult-or most interesting. We can do other kinds of activities that we might not have time for if we felt obliged to present the material in the traditional way. Yes, hybrid courses usually involve less face-to-face time, but that time can be better and more effectively spent.
    The crucial thing is that the instructor remains in the driver’s seat-and that takes us back to academic freedom. As long as individual professors are choosing what material to assign or recommend, running their in-class discussions and adding material that they think is not adequately covered in the online lectures, choosing the assignments and tests, and grading those tests, there is no threat to the professoriate, or to the quality of education at universities, public or otherwise.
According to the author, the two issues that should be first distinguished are______.
选项 A、academic freedom and content diversification
B、academic freedom and educational merits
C、administrative pressure and faculty responsibility
D、administrative pressure and teaching methodology
答案B
解析 见第2段第4句“Whatever the truth…other online materials”，因此选B。
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