Software billionaire Michael Saylor, chief executive of northern Virginia-based technology company MicroStrategy, has decided to become an educator. Well, sort of. Saylor’s goal is to create a free, fully accredited on-line university, reportedly offering courses taught by Steven Spielberg and Warren Buffet, who would not be paid (Henning, 2000). Saylor proposes that his $100 million project would complement traditional education by providing free access to education for millions who could not have afforded it.
What would an on-line course consist of? How can one completely experience a course just by sitting in front of a computer? Professors and students communicate through electronic mail. Class discussions and individual student-teacher meetings are held in real-time chat, although dialogue may be difficult due to delayed appearance of text on the screen. Professors use message boards, like those in news groups, to have extended class discussions. Web sites contain syllabi, notes, related links, and assignments, and can be password-protected. An on-line course may be synchronous, meaning that students "attend" lectures or chat rooms at particular times, or asynchronous, meaning that students complete coursework on their own (Applebome, 1999).
Does this approach sound like schooling only a Jetson could endure? Or a venture that only a software guru would undertake? It isn’t. Many institutions of higher education are also plunging into Internet education, giving "distance" education a whole new twist.
Though free education is a novel idea, the use of the Internet for courses is hardly new. Since 1998, Harcourt Inc., a Newton, Massachusetts&emdash;based textbook publisher, has been quietly working on the Harcourt University Project, an institution of higher education that only offers courses on-line (Mendels, 1999). If approved by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, the institution will offer courses and degrees within Schools of Arts and Science, Business, Health Sciences, and Information Technology. Courses are designed for adult professionals.
Concord University School of Law (in partnership with Kaplan Educational Centers, Inc.) is the first major institution to offer a Juris Doctor (JD) degree on-line. Instruction consists of a combination of video lectures from renowned scholars and professor-led on-line discussion groups. Graduates of the JD program are eligible to sit for the California bar exam.
New York University, a nonprofit institution, plans to capitalize on Internet technology and the appeal of on-line courses by using a for-profit subsidiary to develop and sell specialized on-line courses to colleges, training centers, and its own students. Instead of developing a wide range of courses, as universities such as UCLA and Penn State are doing, NYU will offer a narrow range of courses suspected to be in great demand. The National Technological University, a 15-year-old nonprofit university in Fort Collins, Colorado, developed a similar for-profit extension when the university stopped growing (Arenson, 1998). By luring investors and gearing certain courses toward corporations, these two institutions hope to make enough of a profit to develop new courses and to pay faculty and support staff to work with their own continuing-education students (Arenson, 1998).
Many California universities are participating in the California Virtual University project, a Web-based catalogue of distance leaning courses (ranging from Shakespeare to Java programming) offered by accredited public and private colleges and universities such as Stanford and the University of California at Berkeley. Participating institutions will grant credits and degrees (Mendels, 1998). The California project is intended to accommodate the expected boom in the number of undergraduates (an increase of 30 percent over the next 10 years) and to meet a growing demand for training by workers who need to update their skills in a fast-changing economy (Mendels, 1998).
Yet another Internet-education effort is the Western Governors University, a degree-granting institution that will offer classes from colleges and universities in 16 states and Guam, courses from private companies, and grant certificates and degrees based on competency tests (Mendels, 1998). In response to their dwindling budgets and a growing student population, the governors of eighteen western states decided to share distance-education resources, collaborating to form one high-quality distance education program shared by all of them. WGU opened in 1998 and has applied for accreditation. Currently, WGU offers degrees and certifications in five technology-oriented fields.
A student with a personal computer can access these courses anywhere and anytime.
Many on-line programs are developed to help students in underserved geographic areas who have limited access to the traditional college campus setting or to adult students who need more flexible education or training to keep pace with the changes in the job market. "Growing numbers of professionals who cannot take a hiatus or commute to a campus want education, and educators have a responsibility to provide for their needs," said Dr. James H. Ryan, vice president for Outreach and Cooperative Extension at Penn State (Kusch, 1999). This versatility in education could create a new population of college students who can now take advantage of educational programs. During an on-line discussion, student Stacy Moskowitz typed, "Now that I have cleaned up from dinner, cleaned out the potty, put away the laundry and congratulated my friend on giving birth, I will hope to tap into the ‘collegiate’ side of my brain" (Newman, 1996). A student who broke her leg just before the start of the semester at Columbia University, a full-time staff member at the State University Center at Stony Brook, and a counselor in Japan have simultaneously taken the same course in instructional technology (Applebome, 1999).
The absence of geographic boundaries allows students to make connections.
During the spring of 1998, a Penn State professor named Thomas Hale taught an African literature course to a total of eighty-six students from five different Penn State campuses (Fong, 1998). Although the project required much preparation, Hale felt that the interactive experience was definitely worthwhile. "We are seeing students developing bonds with each other and with the instructor that bridge the distance between campuses," said Hale (Fong, 1998, p. 1). Penn State hopes that an interactive introductory exposure to African studies will encourage students to take more in-depth African courses. Several other Big Ten universities have expressed interest in collaborating with Penn State to develop similar courses.
E-mail provides fast personal communication that students might not initiate if they were face-to-face with faculty.
Students are already completely immersed in an instant-communication culture, phoning friends on their way to classes and dropping an e-mail before going out to dinner. If contacting a professor is as simple and low-pressure as contacting a friend, many students are likely to do it. Penn State professor Courtney Burroughs said, "I’ve actually spent more time one-on-one with the students through distance education than I do with students in residence" (Kusch, 1999).
Internet courses allow slower students to learn at their own pace.
Northeastern University offers Music 1101 (Music: A Listening Experience), which requires them to listen to Mozart and Beethoven, read text, take tests, and communicate with the instructor&endash;entirely via computer. David Sonnenschein, designer and instructor of the course, said, "I can lecture on musical forms, but to many of them I might as well be speaking Chinese. But when they can learn at their own pace, they can listen over and over again until the ‘aha!’ happens&endash;until they get it on their own" (Applebome, 1999).
Internet courses encourage active learning and participation (versus lectures) and require motivation and enthusiasm.
"The quality of on-line discussion surpassed anything I have been able to simulate in my face-to-face classroom," wrote Sonnenschein recently (Applebome, 1999). Students know that they cannot hide in the back row of a lecture hall; their grades depend on an active "seeking out" of knowledge.
Students have reported satisfaction with technology, communication, and learning outcomes.
Eighty-four percent of World Campus students at Penn State indicated that they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their overall course experience, and 77 percent said that they would not have been able to take the course if it had not been offered on-line. Of 164 students who took courses during spring 1999, 87 percent would "absolutely" or "probably" take another course, 82 percent were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the level of communication they had with faculty and students, and 70 percent were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the use of technology. Even learning outcomes were high: 82 percent, 91 percent, and 100 percent were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with knowledge gained, skills gained, and problem-solving skills gained, respectively (James, 2000)
The first and most obvious disadvantage of Internet learning is that students experience less (or no) face-to-face contact. "There is a qualitative difference between a conversation between a professor and a student in an office hour and an e-mail exchange," said Mark Smith, assistant director of government relations for the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Smith is skeptical of the growth of distance learning as a catch-all and fearful that distance learning could erode the traditional learning experience (Mendels, 1998).
And not all Web courses receive the positive reactions that Penn State’s courses have generated. A study of one particular on-line graduate course offered by a major university in the fall of 1997 uncovered a startlingly negative reaction by both students and faculty. Students were inundated by e-mails&endash;35 messages in a typical week&endash;and the instructor expressed a similar complaint. Electronic communication presented a great potential for misunderstanding, one student commented, especially since the teacher and half the students were not native speakers (Mendels, 1999). These problems may have been caused by an incompetent professor; however, the communication glitches would probably have been easier to resolve in a traditional classroom.
Many opponents of Internet courses fear that administrators see on-line education as a way to cut back on professors and new construction. They say that on-line education is less about teaching than about cost-cutting and transforming teaching via software into a commodity. According to the AAUP, however, courses taught on the Internet require more, not fewer, instructors (Applebome, 1999). Penn State faculty involved with the World Campus reported that time requirements were greater for developing and teaching on-line courses, and that the time commitments should be reduced or rewarded (James, 2000). Many administrators could learn the hard way&endash;student dissatisfaction and attrition&endash;if they skimp funding or faculty compensation for on-line courses.
A Pricewaterhouse Coopers report predicts a huge shift toward electronic courses as a trend toward lifelong learning increases enrollment. The report suggests that software will serve about half of the students in community colleges and one-third of the students in four-year institutions. Many opponents fear that, if this report proves to be true, on-line education may provide a shabbier alternative to those who cannot afford an expensive institution. One student who tried courses offered by the Florida Gulf Coast University could not afford the necessary software and was forced to use a computer on campus (Applebome, 1999).
Many educators feel threatened by profit-making institutions who could use the Internet to siphon off continuing education for adult learners&endash;academia’s most profitable courses&endash;leaving universities in the expensive business of undergraduate education (Arenson, 1998). Thus, universities have scrambled to jump on the bandwagon&endash;joining the Internet venture for the wrong reasons.
Gary Miller, executive director of Penn State’s World Campus, said, "It is critical for us to carefully examine and assess student and faculty feedback as we continue to shape this new educational platform" (James, 2000). Only by carefully monitoring student needs and frustrations will universities be able to offer quality education on-line. In the meantime, many institutions are offering a variety of student support services to proactively create a supportive on-line learning environment.
Harcourt will offer an orientation, library, student union (with bulletin boards and chat rooms), learning assistance center, academic advisers, career services, bookstore, and technical-support help desk&endash;all on-line. Concord offers law school advisers, orientation, a tech center, a law library, discussion and study groups, and office hours (during which professors can be contacted by e-mail, phone, or fax). WGU provides each student with a qualified mentor, an expert who will help each student create a calendar for his or her degree program. Penn State’s World Campus offers an on-line catalog and registration system, answers to frequently asked questions, and on-line technical support. And for those who are craving the sound of a human voice, Penn State staff members are available by phone (as well as by e-mail) to answer administrative, advising, and technical questions. Future plans include library services, increased advising, and financial aid accessible worldwide (Kusch, 1999).
But support services and well-designed courses are not enough when faculty members are novices at teaching the e-courses. A product of Penn State, Faculty Development 101 is an on-line course accessible to faculty worldwide who are interested in developing or teaching an on-line course. Faculty members who take the course experience firsthand the educational environment of their future students. This insight helps faculty members to avoid the pitfalls of Internet education: poor communication, technology glitches, etc. Faculty members learn how to structure an on-line syllabus and how to work with technical support staff and graphic designers to ensure that the course is well designed (Miller, 2000).
Penn State also offers World Campus 101, a course that might as well be called "How to Take a Course On-Line". Students are taught the basics of the course structure, as well as a set of Internet skills. N.Y.U. requires its on-line students to log on to the school’s Web site and take a week-long on-line orientation before registering for a class. Officials at other universities have opted for traditional, face-to-face orientation courses. Florida State, for example, requires a three-day orientation session for its new master’s students, who are able to meet faculty and staff, as well as their peers (Mendels, 1999).
What about students who dislike these orientations or find the technology too frustrating? Most advocates of on-line learning are willing to admit that distance learning isn’t for everyone. Western Governors University’s Web site reads, "Wondering if distance education is right for you? Take this quiz and find out!" Distance learning requires self-motivation to complete assignments, the ability to evaluate information, and good writing skills. Many courses depend on virtual class participation&endash;i.e., frequent postings to on-line bulletin boards (Mendels, 1999).
Besides evaluating themselves, students who would like to enroll in an on-line course should also evaluate the program. The Ed-X Distance Learning Channel provides this checklist (Applebome, 1999), which should be used to determine whether or not a distance education program is worthwhile:
Paul Sikkenga, a business analyst and degree student, said, "As this type of education matures and bandwidth on the Internet increases, integration of streaming video and other types of multimedia technology may make the distance learning class a lively and participatory experience that may eventually compete successfully with any campus-based class. Until then, I’ll be very selective" (Applebome, 1999).
Distance education has been around since the nineteenth century; all that has changed is the method of delivery. "Before there was the Internet, there was the telegraph," said Jim Ryan, vice president for outreach and cooperative extension at Penn State. "And it’s evolved with the technology. First, there was rural-free-delivery mail, then radio, then television, then a combination of videotapes and audiotapes, then on-line education" (Applebome, 1999). The Internet is simply a new method for communicating, and, although the technology does not yet allow for a fully interactive, participatory experience, e-mail and the Web are better for students who rely on correspondence courses than the phone and "snail" mail are.
Yet this technology promises extensive growth, which could monopolize higher education. Should educators feel threatened? Traditional undergraduate education, where the social experience is as much a part of the allure as the educational one, will probably be the least affected, most experts say, and almost no one expects virtual education to replace the campus experience (Applebome, 1999). Most administrators involved with Internet courses see the new technology as a way to serve a new market, not as a replacement for traditional education. David Noble, professor of history at York College in Toronto, sees the effort as even more temporary: on-line education, he says, will be no more than a very expensive fad, just like the vogue for correspondence courses, which peaked in the 1920s (Applebome, 1999).
Professor and software creator Mark Schroeder says that on-line education never will&endash;and never should&endash;replace the traditional classroom, especially for the traditional college-age market. "Technology is merely an extension of our capabilities," he says, "a way to expand our ability to learn. I’m not going to be an idiot and say personal contact is not important. But this is something in its infancy, and it’s only going to grow" (Applebome, 1999). As it does, educators at institutions and corporations worldwide will be forced to scramble to meet the needs of their students, or they will lose them to the competition. At least that is one guarantee that the quality of these courses will be preserved.
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Arenson, K. W. (1998, October 7). N.Y.U. sees profits in virtual classes. The New York Times.
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Henning, L. (2000, March 17). Entrepreneur developing accredited online college. The Daily Collegian, p. 1.
James, E. P. (2000, Spring/Summer). World Campus students report satisfaction with course experiences. Penn State Outreach: Making Life Better.
Kusch, C., ed. (1999, January 20). Penn State’s on-line campus celebrates its first anniversary this month. Penn State Outreach news release. Retrieved January 24, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.outreach.psu.edu/News/Releases/.
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