The Rush to Educate Online - a Turning Point?
For almost twenty years, I have advocated for the value of distance education, often defending it before the many skeptics of this innovative modality. So, during this time in the uncharted waters of Coronavirus, it is quite gratifying to see distance education coming to the potential rescue of hundreds of U.S. campus-based institutions and their students, even if hopefully temporary.
For many institutions, it will be a daunting task to go from having a small percentage of or no distance education students to serving thousands of students. Both institutions which are working tirelessly and the U.S. Department of Education and other regulators which quickly acted to relax numerous regulations deserve a lot of credit. Both are working to make this sudden surge online possible without jeopardizing student financial aid.
Student retention and completion is critically important during this health crisis and a potentially weaker economy. If this effort succeeds in keeping campus-based students – especially the undergraduates – enrolled and engaged in their coursework, it will be a significant accomplishment and a turning point.
And, yet, even as I am comforted to see distance education’s sudden coming of age to serve such an essential role across the country, I have this gnawing fear. We must not let this modality fail under the enormous weight of responsibility. Institutions must proceed with caution.
We’ve learned a lot about distance education over twenty years. Here are some important lessons for institutions:
Understand and protect what defines distance education. While temporarily relaxing regulations and allowing use of basic technologies, the Department also emphasized the need to continue faculty-initiated substantive and regular communication with students. This is the most fundamental characteristic that defines distance education. It is the hallmark that distinguishes distance education from correspondence education (which is not eligible for federal student aid).
College and university leadership must train faculty to interact and educate using whatever electronic means are available. Teaching at a distance requires special training and skills to keep the student engaged and persistent. With technology, there’s the urge to simply send students assignments and then grade them. This won’t cut it and it must be avoided. Good distance education programs incorporate both the benefits of technology with the same personal touch that good faculty provide face-to-face on campus. Continuing that face-to-face relationship at a distance is a particularly challenging task for institutions serving traditional 18-22-year-old students. We know this cohort is more easily distracted and less engaged when not on campus.
To the extent possible, institutions should monitor and track the regularity of faculty/student engagement over what remains of this semester. Paying special attention to consistency of engagement across faculty and programs is important. This will help colleges and universities protect student retention and graduate rates, as well as ensure regulatory compliance.
When this crisis passes and students resume life back on campus, I hope there will be data and evidence that demonstrates continued academic quality and strong outcomes, showing that distance education served students and institutions well at an otherwise terrifying time.