Online course offerings provide flexibility for busy students
It’s not unusual for Robin Bartell to turn to her husband at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night and announce that she’s going to class. Then she'll jump online for an hour or so to work on an assignment for a class in her Master’s of Education program.
Bartell is a student at the College of St. Catherine. Besides working on her master’s degree, Bartell teaches full time and directs children’s theater after school. “My days begin at 6 a.m. and I don't get home until 6 p.m.,” she said. “If I were doing an on-site class where you had to meet at 4:30 every Thursday or from 11 to 3 every other Saturday, I'd never be able to commit.”
Online learner at Saint Mary's University
The online delivery system works well for busy, practicing teachers whose evenings and weekends are often filled with meetings, grading papers and family activities, according to Susan Goetz, who directs the undergraduate and graduate education programs at St. Kate’s. “When the program can be delivered online, teachers can go to class in their pajamas or whenever they have some spare time,” she said.
Designing a course to be delivered online is quite different than face-to-face, Goetz acknowledged. “We've learned that there is still the need to build community within the course.” Small groups of students meet together physically or virtually to complete assignments and they stay together throughout the program (five consecutive terms). “They build a very strong and positive relationship and the instructor actually gets to know his or her students better online because there is much more one-on-one interaction,” Goetz said.
Providing more opportunity
Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP) has been offering online programming since 1985 and was one of the first colleges in Minnesota to offer accelerated learning where students can complete an entire program in 18 to 24 months. Classes meet online one night a week for the duration of their program. Kim Craig, director of graduate and degree completion admission, notes that 60 percent of CSP’s bachelor’s and master’s degree students take online courses. “It’s our goal to offer flexible and sound academic programming that will allow more students access to education,” she said. “Education equals opportunity.”
Gov. Tim Pawlenty concurred with this notion in his recent state-of-the-state address when he challenged Minnesota's state college and university system to move at least one in every four classes online by 2015. The governor noted that online delivery makes college classes accessible to more people. “It’s flexible, modern and efficient,” he said.
A case in point is a single mom who’s now enrolled in an online program at CSP. “She really wanted to improve her status and give her kids a better life,” Craig said. “She wouldn’t be able to complete her B.A. without the online option.”
Many CSP students do their online programs as part of a cohort, Craig said, so they get to know each other. “The way we deliver our courses is very effective in helping students to build relationships with each other and professors,” she said. This is especially the case during ‘chat time’ when all students log on together. “They have great discussions — which are sometimes more open when students aren’t face-to-face,” Craig said.
Combining online with face-to-face learning
At Saint Mary’s University, the online offerings are delivered in a “blended” format that includes on-campus meetings. In the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership program, the face-to-face sessions are the culmination of month-long critical thinking, research and writing, said Viki Kimsal, who directs the program. “It’s almost a celebrating of what cannot be experienced but for meeting in person,” she said.
The online coursework includes discussion forums which require students to research, analyze and give critical feedback. For example, in one forum the students became panel members assessing how much of public officials’ private information the public has a right to know. “Some teaching works very well as online instruction and some is enhanced when it culminates in the traditional classroom,” Kimsal said. “Students who like to make friends with classmates learn self-discipline and develop closeness by e-mail. Students who appreciate isolation enjoyed their 'ah-ha' moments when they come together for the monthly face-to-face sessions,” she said.
Time invested up-front in developing effective content and delivery methods helps ensure a high quality experience for students. Before launching their program, the St. Kate's team carefully researched effective practices in online learning to see what strategies and software worked best, Goetz said. They also seek ongoing feedback. "We are continually evaluating our courses and working with instructors in the program to make sure we meet the needs of students and stay current on best practices and technology," she said.