VOA慢速英语:Online Classes might Revolutionize Colleges

American colleges face what some people are calling a "perfect storm" of problems, college costs are rising, there are not enough jobs for all those completing study programs. Yet employers say they can not find enough workers with technical skills.
美国大学面临着所谓的“屋漏偏逢连夜雨”这样的问题，大学学费还在上涨，却没有足够的工作岗位来提供给所有完成学业的学生。然而雇主却说他们找不到具备相关技能的员工。

One solution may be found in the growing number and quality of online classes, such classes might revolutionize colleges the way the Internet has already changed music, publishing, sales, and other businesses.
一个解决办法就是数量和质量不断提高的网络课堂，有的课堂或会彻底改变大学，就像互联网改变音乐、出版、销售等商业那样。

"This is pretty amazing." That is David Evans of the University of Virginia, he is teaching a Computer Science class on the Internet.
“这很了不起。”这是弗吉尼亚大学的David Evans的评价，他在互联网上教计算机科学课程。

Many top universities now offer online classes, they teach everything from computer programing to the science of cooking. Many classes are at little or no cost, they are restructured more often than traditional college programs.
许多顶级大学如今都提供网络课程，科目涵盖一切，从电脑课程到烹调科学，许多课程收费很低甚至免费，比传统的大学项目调整得更频繁。

That's important to the millions of students who learn technical and other skills from Lynda.com. Lynda Weinman helped to launch the website, she spoke to VOA on skype.
这对数百万通过Lynda.com网站学习科技和其它技能的学生来说很重要。Lynda Weinman帮助推出了这一网站，她通过skype对美国之音说到。

"We can come to market very quickly and we can teach transient skills, so a lot of software is changing constantly and new software is being invented, and those sorts of things cannot easily make their way into college curriculum."
“我们可以很快进入市场，可以教短期技能，因此很多软件也在不断改变，新软件也创造出来了，而这些东西不会很容易进入大学课程。”

At most colleges, a professor or teaching assistant gives a lecture to students, who then do research, study, and homework alone. Student and bloggers John Haber says online classes change everything around.
在很多高校，教授或助教给学生讲课，然后学生独立研究、学习和做家庭作业。作为学生和博主的John Haber表示，网上课程改变了周围的一切。

"They are watching the lectures at home as homework, recorded lectures, and when they get to class, they are having more active discussions, or interactions with the teachers or working on projects."
“他们把在家观看录制的课程当做作业，当他们上课时，他们就能更积极地讨论、与教师互动或做项目。”

John Harber said on skype that he is taking enough online classes to earn a four-year college degree in just one year. Experts say the new technology will have a major effect on colleges. Some predict future classes may be a mix of online lectures and professors helping students work through difficult problems in person.
John Harber通过skype说，他正在上网上课程，在短短一年时间就能获得4年制大学学位。专家称这种新技术将对大学产生重大影响，有人预测未来的课堂就是在线课程和教授帮助学生解决问题的结合。

Georgetown University labor economist Tony Carnevale says he would welcome these changes, he says a college education has to be less costly, and then to skills needed by employers.
乔治敦大学的劳动经济学家Tony Carnevale说，他对这些改变表示欢迎。他说，大学教育费用应该更低，同时转向雇主需要的技能。

"It's really quite clear that more and more people need post-secondary education and training and a lot of them are not getting it. And in cases where they do get it, it doesn't lead to gainful employment.  Or it leads to jobs where they don't fully use their talents, and we don't have enough money to buy our way out of this."
“显然越来越多的人需要高等教育和培训，而很多人却无法得到。有的人得到教育却无法找到很好的工作，或者找到的工作无法充分发挥其才能，我们没有足够的资金来改变这一点。”

Chris Cullen is a college marketing expert, he says competition from online schools, and concerns about costs, will change universities.
Chris Cullen是一位高校营销专家，他表示，来自网络学校的挑战，以及对费用的关注将会改变大学。
"The consumer demands that you tell me why, give me a reason, to believe that my money, my tuition money is best spent at your institution. What is the return on my investment?  What is your value proposition?"
“消费者要你说清楚，我怎么才能相信支付的学费在你这个机构最值得，我投资的回报在哪里？你的价值主张是什么？”

Chris Cullen says top universities with strong public images may expand in an online world, but he says less discriminating, less famous schools may struggle to get the interest of students.
Chris Cullen说，公众形象很好的世界顶尖大学可能会在网络上得到扩张，但他说那些知名度不高的大学可能会难以吸引学生的兴趣。