Preparing Today's Teachers Through Online Education
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During a research project I compared a regular face to face Campus Reading
Methods class with a Online Reading Methods Class.
The results were very interesting, by the end of the semester I knew the
online students better than the regular face to face students. Why would
that be?
Well it turns out that in the classroom some students hesitate to contribute
because they don’t want to be ridiculed or are bashful and so just reluctant
to say much in class.
However, in the online class the students feel much freer to express their
real opinions to the instructor as well as to the other students.
Years ago when a new computer called Eliza was created for psychotherapy use
it was discovered that people with problems were often reluctant to disclose
their feelings to the therapist or Doctor for fear of being misjudged or
seeing a disapproving face on the person interviewing them. However when
these same people were put at the computer with the Eliza program they were
much freer to tell their true feelings.
Online Education Results in Success for Today's Students
There is no doubt that online education and blended learning programs are a
rapidly evolving area for professional and career colleges. In fact, online
enrollment at higher education institutions is growing at 17 percent a year,
compared to 1.2 percent growth for on-campus course enrollment. More than
one in four college and university students now takes at least one course
online, according to the online education survey conducted by Babson Survey
Research Group and the College Board.
Students are driving this online surge. They are demanding the flexibility
of online education, which allows them to adapt coursework to their
work/life schedules. They also need online environments that provide a
rich and supportive learning experience to help them reach their goals.
Recently Westwood College rolled out Blackboard Learn in training and test
groups and the initial feedback has been excellent. According to David
Harpool, President, Westwood College Online, Redstone College, Alta Colleges
Online, Inc, “Our goal is provide students a better classroom experience and
Blackboard Learn is effectively engaging distant learners. The robust and
positive learning environment will definitely help retention rates, as well
as attract new students, not to mention increase student and faculty overall
satisfaction.”
A 2009 study by the U.S. Department of Education found that students who
took all or part of their classes online performed better than those taking
the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.
Sheri Rawls, Director of the Learning Enhancement Center, University of
Southern Mississippi said, “Students also appreciate the flexibility that
online courses and programs give them. With the support of Blackboard, we
are opening doors that otherwise would not open. We are admitting more
students into our online programs, graduating more students from them, and
bringing more revenue into the university at a time of real financial need.”
The opportunities for meeting learner needs, attracting new students and
outpacing the competition are great. In fact, Central Penn College currently
offers twelve fully-online degree programs and has seen a substantial
increase in enrollment. Comparing 2009 to 2010, the college has experienced
an average increase of 97% in new student enrollments per term, ranging from
74% to 124% respectively.
Erika Wilkinson, Online Education Coordinator, at Central Penn College said,
“The online classes have helped students remove boundaries and complete
degrees in a time that fits their schedule. By using Blackboard, we can
track attendance, grades, and provide students a very supportive online
community.” The combination of these offerings has resulted in online
students at Central Penn College graduating and finding jobs.
Similar success stories can be heard at Columbia Southern University.
Blackboard is helping deliver 400 online courses to over 24,000 students,
many of which are pursuing certificates, associates, bachelors as well as
doctoral degrees in business administration, hospitality, as well as IT. By
being able to provide a premier student experience, Columbia Southern
University has grown substantially since 2000 when only 1,000 students were
enrolled. Ken Styron, Chief Information Officer, said “We are definitely
experiencing an increase in student enrollment. For the adult learner, our
university offers them an opportunity to start as well as finish their
education helping them find new jobs or advance in their current jobs.”
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