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Distance
Education in the USA
Important Questions to Ask
Distance
Learning - defined as any learning that takes place when
the learner and the provider/faculty are at a geographic
distance from each other - is undergoing a phenomenal growth
in the United States. Over 2 million students are now enrolled
in over 54,000 online distance learning programs.
 The
unprecedented increase in distance education is due to three
major trends: the increased use of personal computers by
the public (some 65 million American homes are now Internet-connected);
the spread of user-friendly online learning software that
allows colleges to launch new distance courses quickly;
and the demand from the consumers - students - who place
a premium on the convenience and features of distance learning.
The
American campus is undergoing a transformation that promises
to be the most powerful change in American higher education
since the invention of the printed textbook. There are,
of course, some faculty who maintain that the 'context'
of learning is being sacrificed, that higher education is
being 'commodified' and is in danger of losing the diversity
which made US colleges the 'envy of the globe'. But most
colleges are rushing to embrace the new technology, and
statistics suggest that within a decade most students will
be primarily distance students who will have periodic and
short-term residencies on a campus, perhaps throughout their
lifetime.
Other
trends in the US distance education scene are that colleges
are being forced into becoming global providers, often without
understanding the challenges involved. Competition for students
is no longer a matter of regional turf battles between colleges
in one area, making it truly a global village, and institutions
that can deliver the most convenient and relevant educational
service will dominate.
There
are some serious concerns and problems that come with all
of the excitement about distance learning:
- Quality
of the educational experience is critical - how can you
tell the difference between a high quality school and a
sub-standard school from reading a website?
- The
expense of most distance courses is a factor; colleges are
not discounting the cost of the courses to students, and
some are using them as sources of quick cash to pay for
projects like new buildings that the distance students may
never see.
- The
matter of prompt, efficient and competent instructional
service/tutoring is also a question to be raised before
embarking. Most online classes with more than 20 students
in them are frustrating for both faculty and students. Each
student is likely to send several dozen emails each week
in a 15-week online course, and having more than 20 students
in any one class section seems to overload the system. Consequently,
the quality of the instruction will deteriorate.
- The
acceptance of the academic credits by other academic institutions
earned via distance study is a problem. If the US college
is not accredited by a 'nationally recognized accrediting
agency' such as the DETC or a 'regional' accrediting agency,
the chances for credit transfer are almost nil.
- For
many students, the lack of face-to-face instruction can
lead to a sense of loneliness and frustration, and fewer
than half of the distance students finish their courses
in many instances. It takes a well-disciplined, mature,
self-starting person to persist and finish a course while
studying at home or work.
- The
quality of the instructional materials is also a major consideration:
is the online course merely a boring 'page turner?' Or is
it a truly interactive, highly engaging and well-crafted
set of learning experiences? How can you find this out before
you enroll?
How
can students from outside of the US protect themselves from
having a 'bad' distance learning experience? Ask these questions
before enrolling:
-
Is
the college, university or school 'accredited by a nationally
recognized accrediting agency?' To learn which of the
hundreds of US accrediting agencies are legitimately 'nationally
recognized', consult these websites:
www.chea.org or www.ifap.ed.gov/dev_csb/new/agency.nsf
(There are more than three dozen 'unrecognized' accrediting
agencies operating in and near the US. Most of them award
worthless accreditation to their client colleges, and
most of the students enrolling in these distance study
colleges are from outside the US.)
-
Is the college or university properly licensed in its
home state? Each of the 50 US States has its own licensing
laws, which colleges must obey. You can check their compliance
by reading the college's website, or by emailing them
to ask.
-
Ask
if the college's academic credits will transfer to other
colleges in the US. Ask them to name at least three accredited
colleges or universities that have accepted their distance
program transfer credits.
-
Ask
about the college's 'refund policy'. Will you get a portion
of your fees refunded if you decide to quit the course?
(If there is no refund available after you enroll, this
suggests you enroll elsewhere.)
-
Ask
how many students are enrolled in each online course.
If it is over 25 students per class, be very wary.
-
Ask
about how you can obtain the textbooks, the exact hardware
and software specifications you will need for your personal
computer, and the cost of local and international online
Internet charges you should expect in your country. How
does the college handle the shipping of textbooks to you?
Do they use air or expedited shipping service? How much
extra will this cost you? A college with long experience
operating globally will know the answers to all of these
questions.
-
Find
out what the TOTAL costs and charges of what you will
have to pay immediately. Often, colleges have 'hidden'
fees that are not disclosed in the website catalogue,
such as student or virtual library fees, activity or transcript
fees. Be sure you know what ALL the costs will be.
-
Avoid permitting anyone from having permission to automatically
deduct fees from your personal credit card. Pay your fees
yourself as they become due.
-
Ask
for the name and address - including the website and email
address - of the college's accrediting agency and state
licensing agency. Save these addresses for later use,
should a problem arise. US federal law requires recognized
accrediting agencies to publish this information to prospective
students.
-
Ask
for permission to audit or visit an online class for a
brief period to see if you like it. Also, inquire about
online library and database resources that are offered
to its distance students. Do you have to pay extra to
use these virtual resources?
Chances
are that if you select a US college or school that is accredited
by a 'nationally recognized agency', you will have a wonderful
and exciting learning experience. But you cannot be too
cautious about selecting a distance school - there are hundreds
of 'bad apples' in the global barrel of educational institutions,
and the best advice is 'Buyer Beware'.
Visit
the DETC website at www.detc.org
and check the resources, with links to directories of legitimate
and reputable US distance learning institutions… and
always do your homework before you enroll!
Author
Michael P Lambert
Executive Director
Distance Education & Training Council
www.detc.org
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