By John E. Reid, Ph.D. profjer@pop.mindspring.com
Dee Baxley and Russell Smith would be the first to tell you that taking a college course over the Internet was one of the best experiences of their academic lives. As students enrolled in ShorterCollege's Professional Program in Marietta, Georgia both agree that havingthe opportunity to learn by navigating the Internet has taught them moreabout their course of study then they could have ever imagined.
Baxley is an adult student on a mission. With just under three years forcompletion of her General Education degree, the administrative assistantfor The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta believes that exposure to an onlineclass has helped significantly with time management. With limited accessto local library resources on weekends, Baxley is happy that world-widechoices at anytime provide her with some very viable options. Smith, atage 26 is also moving ahead with his career as a Financial Sales analystfor Pitney Bowles. Working in the Southeastern Region he devotes much ofhis time to trends analysis, reporting findings to executive officers andsenior management. A General Education major with an eye on somedaypursuing a Business Degree, Smith feels that the melding of Internettechnology with educational studies has arrived on the scene just in timefor him. "For adults returning to pursue their education," Smith suggests"this form of study might be the right approach."
* Computer-mediated distance educationMost of our students haven't heard about computer-mediated distance education yet because the whole idea is relatively new and is now justbeginning to catch on. Traditional resistance in academe seems to belimited to a few as the more technologically adept are embracing the ideaof legitimizing the "virtual classroom." According to Dr. Bob Roper, andeducational researcher, approximately 600 courses are now offered on theInternet by 35 different academic institutions. That number is growing asmore assessment, study and research continues to point the way.
"The Carnegie Unit is no longer an appropriate model for structuring theclassrooms of higher education," according to John Murphy, Senior VicePresident for Institutional Affairs for the Apollo Group. Murphy arguesthat "advancements not only in technology, but in the sciences ofinstruction and curriculum development along with assessment have madeonline instruction a desirable and efficient alternative." He points tothe success of the University of Phoenix and its program that currentlyenrolls 1100 degree seeking students, all via a virtual learningenvironment. With a 65 percent graduation rate, UOP's success lendscredibility to the notion of a learning paradigm shift.
* Virtual online educationBy definition, "virtual education" is the study of credit and non-credit courses from world-wide remote sites that are neither bound bytime or physical location. In essence, a student hooks up with otherstudents and an instructor in both real and virtual time. Whether in aplane comfortably cruising at 33,000 feet, or at home, at any given momenta student can log into a virtual classroom. From desktop or laptop, e-mailassignments can be sent and received. Study, research, discovery and newknowledge are at a student's fingertips. It is here that the student'senthusiasm level is piqued.
Finding the right programThanks to Internet search engines like Lycos, Excite, Yahoo, anyone interested in discovering more about online study can do so by simplytyping in keywords such as "Online Courses," "Virtual Universities,""Continuing Education," and "Online Distance Education". An example ofthis type of search resulted in the discovery of The CASO Guide. Here a number of pages have been created expresslyfor the purpose of compiling a substantial database of information. TheCASO Guide is designed so that users can easily choose courses spanning abroad range of disciplines. In addition CAS0 also indexes documentationregarding the providers of Internet-based courses. This is particularlyuseful for those seeking organizational information along with vitalschool statistics, such as tuition, fees and policies. The CASO InternetUniversity Course Index is most impressive, breaking down course listingsacross twenty-four categories. Included are courses in the Arts,Economics, Business, Health Sciences, Psychology and Sociology. A nicedescriptive feature, each category lists how many courses are offered in aparticular discipline. Under Communications for instance 23 courseofferings are made through several accredited colleges and universities.
Schools offering online programs-- Nationally, schools such as the University of Wisconsin, The University of Massachusetts and Penn state are conferring B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees along with continuing education and elective courses. Among the leaders in computer-mediated distance education are Nova Southeastern University (57courses), The University of Phoenix (60 courses) and the New YorkInstitute of Technology (106 courses). Smaller schools such as RogersState College (33 courses), Antioch University (7 courses) and NorwichUniversity (2 courses) are also offering online study. In Atlanta,Shorter College's Professional Program (2 courses) is actively engaged indeveloping an online curriculum. It's new MBA program is computerized andplans are in the offing for a complete leadership curriculum deliveredsolely over the "net".. The good news is that the cost of attending anyoneof these schools will normally be no different than the advertisedbulletin fees. In most cases out- of-state fees are waived with fullcredit or non-credit hours being earned just as if a student wasattending class on campus.
* Computer-mediated distance education-is it for everyone?Since the main objective is to give everyone an opportunity to enroll inan online class, it is important to advise prospective studentsconsidering credit or non-credit study. This form of learning may not befor everyone however, at least not initially. Listed below are severalkey considerations that faculty and advisors may wish to consider:
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* Something to think about- online tests and navigation- making the student more responsible for self-learning- circumvent scheduling problems- quick enrollment procedures
Dr. Reid is Coordinator of Distance Education Technology for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw Georgia. He is also President of JER Group, Inc.producers of online courses for computer savvy learners and the Internet'sfirst WebPosition Online Workshop and Tutorial < http://www.jergroup.com/web
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