Comments on: Distance Learning: Untried and Untrue http://www.nebhe.org/thejournal/distance-learning-untried-and-untrue/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=distance-learning-untried-and-untrue NEBHE Wed, 11 Sep 2013 02:35:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Dr. Anthony G Ziagos http://www.nebhe.org/thejournal/distance-learning-untried-and-untrue/comment-page-1/#comment-1951 Dr. Anthony G Ziagos Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:57:31 +0000 http://www.nebhe.org/?p=6548#comment-1951 Nice try but I cannot agree. The Open International University System has been in place for over 100 years and functions quite well. The detractors will always make claims of sub standard results but look at the graduates of todays "University" system and unemployment percentages. Again, I say to you and others it is the student not the school that succeeds.
Every educational system has low end participants that eventually hurt reputable schools. Ask U-MA Lowell about the FINANCIAL benefit of on line learning.

]]> By: David J. Ruff http://www.nebhe.org/thejournal/distance-learning-untried-and-untrue/comment-page-1/#comment-1949 David J. Ruff Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:18:48 +0000 http://www.nebhe.org/?p=6548#comment-1949 Dr. Halfond,

I greatly appreciate your efforts to push for honesty surrounding virtual learning. While I see great potential with virtual learning, I am equally concerned that institutions of learning--K-12 through higher ed--are jumping on this solution as a panacea before truly understanding the problem being solved. Furthermore, most options are attempting to repeat the face-to-face experience rather than taking advantage of ways that technology can enrich learning that are not doable in time-dependent, in-person meetings. I say this even as I have experienced some wonderful on-line learning programs in the K-12 arena and believe that virtual learning holds great promise.

Consequently, in addition to the questions you have already raised, I might add:

1) How are your online courses taking advantage of technology to engage students in learning in ways that are not available in direct in-person classrooms?
2) On-line courses provide potential changes in both the physical location of learning and the common time requirements normally seen in regular classes. How are your on-line courses taking advantage of this increased freedom of time?

Finally, while I appreciate that your article was about on-line learning, I was struck by the number of your questions that are quite applicable to any learning environment. I would imagine that many of your questions--including the following--would make many people squirm if they were posed for any of the courses in many of our learning institutions:

1) How does your institution establish and maintain academic standards, expectations and quality in your courses?
2) Do you routinely monitor courses to address problems that arise?
3) How well do students get to know one another in their courses and programs?
4) How do you promote affiliation, community, and peer learning?
5) How do you connect these students to the mothership?
6) What applied research have you conducted to measure student satisfaction, learning outcomes and impact on the academic culture?
7) How have you taken the lessons learned through teaching as opportunities to improve classroom instruction?

Again, thanks for your piece.

David Ruff

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