(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.
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.
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.
"This is pretty amazing." That is David Evans of the University of Virginia, he is teaching a Computer Science class on the Internet.
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.
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.
"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."
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.
"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."
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.
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.
"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."
Chris Cullen is a college marketing expert, he says competition from online schools, and concerns about costs, will change universities.
"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?"
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.
And that's the Education Report from VOA Learning English, I'm Avi Arditti.
文本为51VOA听写整理
译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.revolutionize vt. 发动革命；彻底改革；宣传革命
The new coal cutter revolutionized the coal industry in the 1980's.
新型割煤机使煤炭工业在20世纪80年代发生了革命性变化。
2.transient adj. 短暂的；路过的
Her feeling of depression was transient.
她的压抑心情一会儿就过去了。
3.post-secondary adj. 中学后；专上程度
Study at the postsecondary level in the United States is demanding for foreign students.
外国留学生在美国的高等院校读书是很费力的。
4.discriminating adj. 识别的；有差别的；有识别力的
More discriminating visitors now tend to shun the area.
更有鉴别力的游客现在往往避开该地区。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。
美国大学面临着所谓的“屋漏偏逢连阴雨”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。而雇主称找不到足够有技术能力的工人。
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。
美国弗吉尼亚大学的戴维·埃文斯说在互联网上教电脑科学课，他说，“这简直太棒了！”
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。
这对那些在Lynda.com上学习技术等技能的数百万学生来说很重要，琳达·韦恩曼参与推出了该网站，她通过skype对美国之音讲道：
“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。”
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。学生博主约翰·哈伯说，在线课程改变了周围的一切。
“他们把在家观看录制的课程当做作业，来到教室时，他们会进行更活跃的讨论，或者与教师互动或做项目。”
约翰·哈伯在skype上说，自己正在上网络课程以赚得四年制的大学学位，还有一年就毕业了。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。
乔治城大学劳动经济学家托尼·内瓦莱说，他很欢迎这些改变，他说必须降低大学教育的成本，并提供雇主需要的技能。
“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。”
克里斯·卡伦是一名大学营销专家，他说来自在线学校和竞争和对成本的担忧会改变大学。
“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？”
克里斯·卡伦说，形象好的顶级大学会在在线世界扩展，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。
