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YOU ARE thinking about going back to school, but you have no desire to log on to the campus hustle and coming home late at nights. Today, for those who cannot bear the thought of late nights on campus followed by long distance commutes home, the alternative of studying before their computer, in the comfort of their bedroom, is an increasingly attractive option. For those who would rather not leave their jobs for school, online studying is also an option offering greater flexibility. The 'net represents, as one expert describes it, "an exciting potential for education, including new approaches to knowledge creation and new ways of learning". Universities teach a far-flung, indeed global, student body through simulated environments online, electronic books, and digital libraries.
No longer is required the mouth-to-ear, hand-to-hand giving of course material between instructor and student. Students may even interact to a higher degree with lecturers and peers as the instantaneous and interactive nature of the degree programmes speed up communication which is now taking place in unlimited time, instead of in periods set aside for lectures and tutorials. Student-to-student communication through online discussion groups may be collaborative learning at its best. In many instances, these discussions are archived and can be brought up again as a reference tool.
Online degree programmes are now being offered by dozens of "name brand" universities across the globe. Some courses are 100 per cent online, while others require a short residency. Jamaicans are increasingly attracted to this learning option. Dr. Ethlyn London, executive director of the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) told Outlook, "There have been overwhelming requests for investigations of these online programmes, as many people are interested in doing them." Locally, new Online programmes being promoted include the Master's in Education with the University of the West Indies and the new Accelerated Master of Tourism Administration (ATMA) from George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Those who choose the "bedroom classroom" as an option for education must be wary, however, of scams which prevail on the Internet. You may find that you have paid for a course which does not exist, or that you have collected a diploma from an institution which is not accredited.
At the same time, those who set out to do these degrees with the expectation that they will be easier or require less strenuous entry requirements may be in for a rude awakening. Note also that the investment in online education involves not just payment for the programme, but students will also need a computer with a minimum of 32 megabytes of RAM with Internet connection. They will also need up-to-date word processing and presentation software. Some may also need to learn the basics of computer and Internet use.
This week, we explore education in cyberspace. We have asked Dr. London of the University Council to outline the risks and to state what can be the reasonable expectations of students pursuing degree programmes online.
Articles by Avia Ustanny
Freelance Writer
More on pages 12, 13 and 14
Keeping abreast of change
PROFESSIONALS, AS a condition of keeping their licences, find that programmes online are a time-saving option which allows them to work continuing education into their schedules.
Roland Roberts, one of a few practising audiologists in Jamaica, keeps abreast of professional requirements. He tells Outlook: "In my case, the field of hearing science is continually changing, and as an audiologist, I have to be always engaged in 'CONTINUING EDUCATION' to keep up with new knowledge. This is not only a moral obligation, but it is also a requirement to maintain my professional licences. For example, I maintain professional certification both in the United States and Canada. I am a Canadian citizen, and although I now work in Jamaica, I still maintain my licence to practise audiology in Ontario, Canada.
"To maintain this licence, I have to submit evidence of approved 'continuing education activities', annually. The minimum requirement is 45 hours of specific areas of professional/
educational activities. Usually this means attending conferences and workshops, and training programmes several times a year. It will be financially impossible for me to meet this requirement while working in Jamaica, were I not able to mix travel abroad with online education. I simply will not be able to meet the cost of travel and hotel accommodation, etc."
At present, Roberts is a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) candidate with the Pennsylvania College of Audiology. This AuD programme is a new standard for all practising audiologists in the United States. It would have been impossible for some audiologists, even in the United States, to meet this requirement without taking full-time leave from their busy practices, to meet this new standard, were there not online programmes. Roberts notes, "For one thing, there would have been a critical shortage of practising audiologists in the United States if most practising audiologists enrolled in traditional full-time school to meet this new standard in the field. The online option affords audiologists all over the world the opportunity to continue to be engaged in full-time practice.
"This not only allows us to be able to finance the cost of this new programme of studies, but steeply reduces the cost of the programme itself, because the overhead costs for the institution for programmes such as mine are less, and that reduction is reflected in lower tuition fees."
From a social interaction stand-point, Roberts says, "I am able to 'meet' more people in my field at the same time. In my programme, we have to meet as a group with our instructors weekly for each course and this helps to foster collegiality among a large group of like professionals, whereas, in traditional school you may only be able to meet a few classmates, as enrolment is usually limited to a much smaller number. I enjoy the freedom that I have to accomplish my academic goals while enjoying the pleasure of work, and the sunshine and beauty of Jamaica on a continuous basis. I can avoid winter!"
New degree offerings
THERE IS literally no limit to the subject areas in which one can pursue a degree online. Even medicine is offered by some universities, although this programme involves hefty residences compared to others.
Online learning extends from basic programmes such as the GRE, (the Graduate Record Examination) General Exam, a required test for most American graduate schools to doctorates.
At the University of the West Indies, the first online degree has been launched at the School of Education the Master's in Education. Locally also, the department of Tourism and Hospitality Management of George Washington University has launched this semester its online degree programme for tourism in Jamaica. One can earn the ATMA in 15 months with just two one-week residencies, the programme promises.
Representatives of the North American institution state that the AMTA programme is 25 years old. The distance learning format is new and the online component even more recent, introduced to target tourism professionals in areas of the world where this is needed.
Students will begin and end the programme with a one-week residency at the University or partner locations which serve the purpose of introducing students to George Washington faculty and link them with their online classmates. Later more links will be created with industry leaders and "intensive career development opportunities."
Students are promised that their colleagues will be industry professionals with no less than three years' management experience in the tourism industry, or equivalent life experience in related fields, including military assignments. Students may also include teaching professionals with an existing Bachelor's or Master's degree who are seeking a specialisation in tourism.
Students and faculty will be linked via Internet and multi-media distance learning.
Reasons to be wary
ONLINE PROGRAMMES are a particularly challenging area for Dr. Ethlyn London and her team. Just this month a distance education task force with the special objective of scrutinising standards for these programmes was set up. She says, "You cannot do a site inspection, visit to check out teachers and view curriculum. This cannot be overcome." However, there are other ways to keep tabs and potential students are encouraged to request investigations by the University Council. It (the investigation) costs a small sum, but is little compared to a potential loss of resources, time and money if the course pursued is fraudulent. "All online programmes should have a well developed curriculum and qualified teachers. Face-to-face components are also needed. Universities should try to let students see their teachers at least once or twice each year. It is also recommended that local centres be established (such as in South Africa) where students can meet with varying
frequency.
"Students should check to see if their degree will be recognised. If the institution is accredited in its own country, then there should be no problem," Dr. London notes. "Many reputable universities are offering e-learning now. Each online programme, during investigations by the council, is assessed on its own merit. None needs to be carbon copies of other 'established' universities. Investigators look for the quality of tutors, the programme structure, criteria for entry, programme aims and philosophies and also at how students are evaluated/
assessed. Are they just taught to recall or are they being geared towards higher level thinking and problem solving skills?" Dr. London asks.
The type of students admitted to the programme is also revealing. Degree programmes should ask for the successful completion of secondary education. The council does not encourage open admission for a degree programme. Mature students who are assessed beforehand are preferable. The council also looks for resources used to support the programme such as laboratories (computer, science, etc.) and libraries. "I have seen where some distance learning provide students with lap top computers and give them a password to an electronic library. You cannot do a programme without information," the UCJ executive director notes.
Yet another element examined is governance how are students/staff, student/student and student/administrative relationships regulated. "The trend is for education programmes to be very student friendly," the director noted.
Potential students may also need to be wary of programmes which offer advanced degrees in a very short space of time. "If you are promised a Master's degree in six months we would take a very dim view of that, "Dr. London said.
Why they drop out
IT IS a noted fact that students who set out to study "on their own", a situation to which online learning can be likened, have a much greater drop out rate (said to be 30 per cent) than those who attend a physical campus, are expected to appear in lecture halls and tutorials and must face a professor on a weekly basis who demands from them completed assignments.
Why is this so? Research done at the Southern Cross University "The collaborative aspects of online learning": a pilot study by authors Donald McMurray and Marinka Ellen Dunlop, notes "There are already promising indications that the Web is viable means to increase access to education. (But), evidence is not as forthcoming when the Web is used as a tool of learning, as opposed to a medium of delivering." In other words while students are quite happy to collect information via the Internet, the effectiveness of the "bedroom classroom" as a forum of learning equal to the old-style classroom, is yet to be proven.
Many older students who choose this option appear to lack the computing knowledge required for learning and using software and online research tools. Others do not like the dependence on discussion groups. In a pilot study conducted by the Southern Cross University researchers, evaluation of data revealed that while the 'net's interactivity served the purpose of fulfilling both academic and social needs of individuals scattered geographically, the long-term learning outcomes were not what were expected.
Some comments made by students in the pilot study were:
My stress level (increased) when I was unable to get access to the course until Easter. I continued to be well behind which is not my normal studying method.
There were technical difficulties.
Too much time was spent on learning to use the software. It was extremely frustrating depending on other people and their time frames.
The slowness and lack of response of other students meant I went ahead and did most of the work. I am not a fan of group discussions. It was difficult to catch others as everyone studied at a different time.
The Southern Cross researchers concluded that aspects of "technology mastering" need to be addressed. They also believe that the collaborative aspects of online learning should be promoted more. Despite the difficulties, it was noted that the programmes assisted students in developing unique online research skills.
