Virtual Education

If you would like a visual mindmap to assist you while you read this article, go to https://bubbl.us/?h=17f212/2ebd17/15MGPoySUzO4Y

The culture of higher education is shifting towards an online format. In 2009, nearly 12 million students received some or all of their college education online. Online education has gained great momentum for a number of reasons, but it has also received criticism from some students and professors. This essay will take a short look at both the benefits and the drawbacks of online education. The view will be from the perspective of the students and the university.
The reasons universities have shifted towards to online education is because of student demand Online education allows non-traditional students the opportunity to attend college and receive a degree. Universities can now reach out to potential students that are not able to attend a traditional 14 week, in classroom, course. Students may not be able to attend traditional class for a number of reasons. Online classes can reach students who work, students who are overseas, and students that are not able to get transportation to school or have the funds to reside on campus. Online learning also allows for a lifetime of learning. Students can enroll in colleges throughout the country to access the desired education they wish to receive (Dykman & Davis, 2008). The development of new technology has created an environment that is easy to navigate and provides professors platforms that can share large amounts of information equal to the in-class distribution of materials.
The student demand does not negate the fact that universities need to assure that the students are receiving a quality education that is equal to the traditional classroom instruction. Leading universities have shown a shift towards the perception that online education is the same quality as traditional programs (Dykman & Davis, 2008). One of the potential obstacles in creating an online course is the lack of face-to-face between the student and the professor. This lack of interaction between students and between student and professor makes the development of community more difficult. The online professors must be involved in creating a welcoming online environment. Students who have difficulty with the software or do not feel they are part of the class have the potential to drop out. Those students that drop the class are less likely to return because of the problems they experienced. The preparation before the class begins is the most important aspect of creating an online course. The lack of face-to-face does not allow any room for misinterpretation of the assignments and expectations. In a traditional class, students can read the professors body language and tone when receiving instructions (Dykman & Davis, 2008). They can easily ask questions and the professor can see in the students reactions if they do not understand the instruction. Without the real life interaction, the online students must rely on the written instruction and the written announcements from the professor to make sense of the assignments and lectures.
The students who are struggling in a traditional classroom can be pulled aside by the professor after class or meet with students when necessary. Online, the professor does not have the ease of meeting with struggling students with the same perceived concern of a traditional professor. Professors who want to teach online need to be trained or re-trained in the nuances of online education. A professor who is not familiar with the technology will not be able to facilitate the course to its potential. Online courses are usually created with strict guidelines so that they can be taught by a number of professors. The course creativity is taken away from the professor instructing the course. This could sour some professors from teaching online.




Cook-Wallace, M. (2012). Testing the significance of core components of online education. The Business Review, Cambridge,19(2), 64-70. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/1021060398?accountid=3782

Davis, N. E., & Roblyer, M. D. (2005). Preparing teachers for the "schools that technology built": Evaluation of a program to train teachers for virtual schooling. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 37(4), 399-409. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/274709081?accountid=3782

Dykman, C. A., PhD., & Davis, C. K., PhD. (2008). Part one - the shift toward online education. Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(1), 11-16. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/200154588?accountid=3782

Dykman, C. A., PhD., & Davis, C. K., PhD. (2008). Online education forum: Part two - teaching online versus teaching conventionally. Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(2), 157-164. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/200158633?accountid=3782

Dykman, C. A., & Davis, C. K. (2008). Online education forum - part three A quality online educational experience. Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(3), 281-289. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/200158301?accountid=3782


Annotated Bibliography:

Cook-Wallace, M. (2012). Testing the significance of core components of online education. The Business Review, Cambridge,19(2), 64-70. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/1021060398?accountid=3782

Cook-Wallace statistically looked at the core components of teaching online. The four components that were examined were teaching online policy, educational technology standards, full-time equivalency (FTE), and technical support. The four components look to examine if online education provides students with quality education that is similar to face-to-face instructions. The article looks at the technology used to conduct online instruction and if this technology causes frustration for bot he instructors and the students.
This article was an excellent source examining the quality of online education. The article was posted in The Business Review, a scholarly publication. The literary review conducted a 25 question survey with 374 administrators of higher education with 118 respondents being deemed useable. The authors indicate the methodology used to obtain the data and discuss the limitations of the survey. The questions asked looked at the most important components of developing and online education program. The results were consistent with my experience teaching online at numerous institutions.
The article did not change my mind on online education as it didn’t explore whether it is better, worse, or the same as in-class education. The article focuses more on the quality of the online education programs and if they meet the high standards students expect.

Davis, N. E., & Roblyer, M. D. (2005). Preparing teachers for the "schools that technology built": Evaluation of a program to train teachers for virtual schooling. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 37(4), 399-409. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/274709081?accountid=3782

This article acknowledges the massive growth of online education in the United States. The U.S. Department of Education agreed that online training should be incorporated in preservice teacher education. The proposed plan was examined by Iowa State University and the article evaluates that proposed programs. The article focuses on K-12 students and teachers rather than collegiate educators.
The article defines the growth in the use of online education techniques in the classroom. The focus of the article is on K-12 students and educators. This is a departure from my area of focus which is college students. The article lays out a detailed preservice educational plan for educators of K-12. The information and suggestions translate to college educators as well. The article examines if the guidelines of the preservice service training is effective. The strategies of the evaluation are well designed and thorough.
The article did not change my mind about virtual classrooms but it did give me a glimpse of the growth of online classrooms. With online education growing each year, the necessity of regulations ensuring the quality of education is needed. In terms of technology, the article was a bit outdated being published in 2005. The rate at which technology changes, an article that references technology that is 8 years old may be outdated. The concept that online programs need to be created to meet high standards does not diminish over time.

Dykman, C. A., PhD., & Davis, C. K., PhD. (2008). Part one - the shift toward online education. Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(1), 11-16. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/200154588?accountid=3782

This is the first of a three part article written about online education. Part one of these articles looked at the shift towards online education from traditional classrooms. The article explores the many reasons why both institutions and students are drawn to online education. The ease of access for a multitude of students and the cost effectiveness of the programs make online education attractive to both parties.
These articles were the most detailed and accurate exploration of online education that I have found. The first article lays out the positive and the negative aspects of creating and shifting towards online education. The article did not change my feelings towards online education, but solidified my beliefs. The article reinforced my hesitation of some classes being taught online and my belief that online education can be high quality and benefits the masses. The articles research also cautions that educators must be properly trained to teach online. It also reiterates other ideology that the course creation must be well planned and thorough to be effective.
The object of these articles is to give a complete overview of the online experience. Beginning with the shift towards online education, comparing the online versus in-class education and the creation of a high quality course.

Dykman, C. A., PhD., & Davis, C. K., PhD. (2008). Online education forum: Part two - teaching online versus teaching conventionally. Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(2), 157-164. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/200158633?accountid=3782

This portion of the articles compares the online experience with the traditional teaching experience. The article discusses the differences for both the professor and the student. The article clearly lays out the educator’s role in the online classroom. There are several different aspects that professors must accept if they want to adopt on online course. The article spends significant time detailing the relationship that needs to be created between professors and students in an online environment.

Dykman, C. A., & Davis, C. K. (2008). Online education forum - part three A quality online educational experience. Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(3), 281-289. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.lib.rivier.edu/docview/200158301?accountid=3782

The final article in this three part series shifts the focus from the instructor and students to the program itself. The article breaks down each portion of the course including the technology, the feel and the assignments. The course content must be created carefully to give the student a quality education. Ensuring that students are participating and giving feedback are critical. The article separates each assignment and determines how to ensure that they are effective. The philosophy of the program should be known before the program is activated. These articles should be read before any institution begins offering online education.