Distance Education New Brunswick
Most of us had preconceived notions about university before we started our degree - the good times to be had, people we'd meet, fresh ideas soon to be crammed into our heads. It was like entering a new world, or at the very least a dramatic change of life.
But we all grow older, and times change. Sooner or later the realization sets in that education can't end at convocation, that the breadth of our learning can't be captured in a four-year degree - not if you're interested in advancing your career, that is.
The problem is that many of us may find it hard to reconcile putting that career on hold, especially after all the work we put into obtaining that degree to nab the job, for the sake of obtaining more credit hours in the hopes of a promotion. Because the bills can't be put on hold, and any student can attest to that fact it's hard enough to focus on hitting the books when they don't have to worry about making ends meet.
Have those concerns mounted enough to open up a new market? Would most of us prefer to do school work at home, if possible? Dr. John Crossley, president of Meritus University, is banking on it. "The main benefit and purpose of online universities is the availability of content for those that can't show up easily for it face to face," said the head of the Fredericton based institution. "Most of them are specifically designed for working adults to continue to work and pursue their education."
Meritus open in October 2008 at Fredericton's knowledge park, offering masters of business administration, bachelor of arts in business administration, and bachelor in information technology management programs. But Crossley admits the notion is far from new - in the 1980s, distance education served the same market, mailing materials and assignments out in big brown envelopes. That work was transferred to CDs in the 1990s; online delivery is the latest advance in the distance education trend-line.
But Meritus isn't the city's only online institution. The University of Fredericton, housed on Queen street, also offers an online business Master's program along with certificates in health, safety and environmental processes, and disability management. Lansbridge University is another local online university offering Master's degrees in business administration and an executive MBA; Yorkville University delivers an online Master's of Arts in counseling psychology.
"We target working professionals... traveling to a traditional classroom setting is simply not an option for them," said Don Roy, president of the University of Fredericton. "Due to the nature of our courseware development process, we are able to make the content relevant and transferable to the learner's workplace. Learners are able to attend class from any location with an internet connection - very convenient for people who travel."
Aside from the flexibility of the classes, Crossley said another advantage of enrolling at these online universities is the structure of their courses. "When you're simply standing and delivering a course lecture you can be more flexible to shift up the order, take advantage of circumstances and be more spontaneous. That can be a real advantage, but you can't do that online. When you teach exclusively online you're forced to think through the course design and delivery more carefully; you have to have the basic architecture there, and that level of organization can be a big advantage as well."
Crossley said some online universities can offer their students typical 'stand and deliver' lectures through video streams. But he said most forgo that in favour of receiving the course content through message posts and virtual seminars on the university's network. Walter Lee, vice president of Yorkville University, said the latter option is a much better fit for mature students.
"The interesting thing about online education is that not only does it make sense in terms of access, but the teaching methods are extremely effective, particularly for adult learners," he said. "In a properly designed online course students participate much more in their own learning, in the form of online discussions, than they do in a traditional classroom. Studies have shown that adult students respond much better to participatory learning environments than they do to lectures and more traditional approaches to education. In fact, numerous empirical studies have shown that online learning outcomes are either higher or equal to those in a traditional, face-to-face education setting."
Crossley said some online schools have a synchronous system, where the entire virtual class logs on at the same time to partake in the discussion. But he added that can defeat the purpose of the program, because most enrol to do the work on their own time at their own pace.
"Some online universities have a synchronous system; we don't, because the whole point is availability," he said. "An asynchronous can help our students in Toronto, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico respond to questions or complete assignments when they can before the deadline."
Roy concurred, adding that online universities have opened up a whole new avenue between local educators and international students.
"Canada is well known internationally for quality education," he said.
"The demand for post-secondary education in India far exceeds their capacity to deliver, (and) Canadian online education is a very practical alternative."
Crossley cites a poll conducted by Dicomm Media as evidence of a budding niche for online institutions - not just in Fredericton's Knowledge park, but all over the country. According to the poll (a general survey of Canada's business community), 92 percent of employees said they would consider online education, while 96 percent confirmed that pursuing such a degree would appeal to them if it helped them maintain their current working schedule. The survey indicates that trend stretches all the way up the ladder, with 88 percent of employers acknowledging that they would hire an employee with an online degree, and 98 percent adding that they encourage their employees to upgrade their education through online learning. On the whole, 52 percent of the Canadian business community polled believes that the value of an online education is equivalent to that of the traditional system.
While such figures may make the case for online education geared at working adults very clear, Crossley said the same potential is not so obvious for undergrad courses, especially in the arts and social sciences.
"The main audience is working adults, health and business administration," he said. "It's less common to find humanities and social sciences in there, seeing as online schools are mostly private, but public universities are subsidized - they could afford to do that more. There's not enough of a market for social sciences for us."
Crossley added that public universities are increasingly adding online components to their programs.
"The difference between face-to-face and online education is fading rapidly. Most schools now have a blended model that's becoming standard," Crossley said. "But even with the online component, many of those courses are still built on having to show up in person regularly, which often doesn't help the working adult."
But Crossely added that when he was Principal of Renison University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo, a member of the faculty of arts designed a course that had equal online and lecture components; students could choose either, and everyone's preferences would be appeased.
"I'm not sure if that's the future or not. There would be issues with marking, and that would be a lot to organize - but there's potential for it."
Crossley added that the potential for online universities doesn't so much lie in revolutionizing education as making it more convenient.
"We're past the misconception of just getting a degree and going straight to work now, and that being the end of it. It's accepted and necessary that being a working adult now is essentially learning as you go."
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