“We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless we’re in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from reality. There’s no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch, either.”
—Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft
Distance educators lack the face-to-face interaction characteristic in brick-and-mortar universities, and so are constantly challenged to “see” the true learning experiences of their online students—and to use this knowledge to provide the best possible learning experience.
At American Military University (AMU)—a 100% distance learning institution with more than 20,000 students studying in 130 countries—we take this challenge very seriously. Our origins lie in providing relevant and affordable education to the military. Today, we serve more than 6,000 graduate students, with special emphasis on serving professionals in the military, national security and public safety sectors, and beyond. Many students have more than 15 years experience in their professions.
Each morning, key members of our academics, student services, and operations teams meet to discuss student issues or experiences from the previous day. Some issues may affect only that individual, while others may have a much wider reach. The team leaves these 10- to 15-minute meetings with a solution or a resolve to find a solution. Ideas are also brought forward into future strategic planning meetings. The real result, however, is that the student voice is heard—and heard immediately. More broadly, AMU educators and services team members connect with the students through the typical university course and program surveys.
We also recently went a step further in listening to our students—and keeping their comments at the forefront of our decision-making and planning discussions. During the summer of 2006, we surveyed current AMU graduate students and graduates who attended the university between 2003 and 2005. We wanted to gain deeper insight into the overall graduate student experience. We were pleased to learn our students wanted to tell us their stories. More than 700 of those surveyed (13.46%) completed the questionnaire. Responses came from Afghanistan, Iraq, Timo, Cuba, Okinawa, Germany, Italy, Muscat, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Bosnia, Iceland, submerged in the Pacific Ocean, Southwest Asia, South Caribbean Sea, Kabul, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, across the United States, and more.
GRADUATE SURVEY
We asked our students about the strengths and weaknesses of completing a graduate degree online. We also probed for a greater understanding of the value of flexibility, self-discipline, and characteristics of the overall learning environment. In addition, we structured our questions to better understand the similarities and differences between online institutions and traditional brick-and-mortar universities. Table 1 presents the initial findings—findings that can provide insights for all distanced educators as they strive to understand their students.
Respondent Data
| % | |
|---|---|
| Age of AMU student in survey | |
| 22–30 | 20.9 |
| 31–40 | 38.0 |
| 41–50 | 28.5 |
| 51–60 | 8.7 |
| 61+ | 2.0 |
| Gender of AMU student in survey | |
| Male | 74.8 |
| Female | 25.2 |
| Undergraduate Degree Experience | |
| 4 year brick and mortar, traditional | 81.1 |
| 2 year brick and mortar, traditional | 10.1 |
| BA, 100% online | 4.9 |
| BA with some online courses | 15.7 |
| Never attended a class online | 15.3 |
| Business and Professional Development Experience Prior to Attending the University | |
| Participated in online education through work | 40.9 |
| Attended online seminar for personal/professional development | 25.0 |
| Never attended online classes or seminars | 45.8 |
SUCCESS FACTORS
FLEXIBILITY
Flexibility was a predominant theme across student responses. Graduate students must integrate study into an already busy personal and professional life. This is especially true of those serving in the armed forces. This comment was representative of many:
I appreciated being able to work on courses at times and in environments conducive to my own learning. I don’t work as well in the restrictiveness of a traditional classroom. It was available to me anytime, anywhere, even in the middle of the night.
We must continue to recognize the importance of flexibility to the ongoing success of online institutions and their students. Continued improvement of programs, policies, and initiatives can enhance student flexibility. It is important to remain student-focused as a university grows and matures.
PROFESSORS AND THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Professor commitment, excellence in teaching, and attention to students and their needs are characteristics of online and traditional universities. Teachers make the difference, as this student says:
Outstanding professors … chose excellent course materials and provided outstanding and motivating feedback. This interaction is essential in the online arena where face-to face-contact is not possible and allows the student the full academic and intellectual experience.
Three factors rise to the top regarding success in the online learning environment: interaction, feedback, and real world relevancy and applicability. Professors must find creative ways to actively engage their students—maybe with more frequent online discussions or by adding more group assignments.
Feedback is also important. Replace face-to-face interaction with extensive written feedback and guidance on papers and assignments, in discussion boards, etc.
Finally, practicality and relevancy are critical factors. At AMU, we use “real life” simulation exercises, current case studies, and commission reports, such as that of the 9/11 Commission, to bring the real world into the classroom. Students are then asked to critique, reflect, and analyze using knowledge from the class. The simulation exercises also help engage the online student.
SELF-DISCIPLINE
Respondents remarked frequently about the importance of self-discipline and personal commitment to success in an online environment. As one student commented, “Self-discipline is paramount. The desire to study has to come from within.” This is not surprising. Without the requirements of attending a class at a certain time, students must motivate themselves to stay engaged in their coursework.
CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME
The lack of face-to-face interaction between students and professors still seems to be a common frustration for online students—and one of distance learning’s greatest challenges. One student said that online classrooms “are limited in their ability to capture the energy of a traditional classroom.”
I suspect that, over time, this will become less of an issue. Younger generations are growing up interacting in the “virtual” world and are becoming more comfortable with technology. They do not miss face-to-face interaction in the same way. It is a part of their everyday life and learning experience. Baby boomers are also becoming more and more computer literate. As this population ages, more individuals return to school and online education becomes a way for them to be connected and to continue learning. It will be interesting to observe responses to online education over the next decade to note changes as young people today enter college, then graduate school, and as baby boomers reach retirement.
Perhaps our next greatest challenge involves staying innovative and incorporating the latest technology. For example, AMU is currently experimenting with podcasts and exploring alternative and creative learning methods. We also work very hard to make students aware of the online resources available to them—research databases, periodicals and more.
One student challenged us to move beyond our current learning platform, commenting: “I’d like to see it integrated into Blackberries, chat, and a much better user interface. Voice interface would be nice, something like Teamspeak.”
SIMILARITIES TO TRADITIONAL CLASSROOMS
While the responses varied significantly regarding the similarities and differences of online and traditional institutions, there were common areas for emphasis. Both environments must focus on:
Well laid out lesson plans;
Papers, tests, and feedback;
Research;
Workload;
Qualified faculty;
Homework and deliverables;
Reading and writing;
Level of professionalism and quality of leadership; and
Classroom management by teachers.
A quality education, regardless of whether it is online or brick-and-mortar, must address these issues.
WHAT NEXT?
Despite these insights and affirmations from our online students, distance educators must begin to question what is needed to prepare tomorrow’s cadre of students for success in the online environment. Technology-savvy but less-experienced learners are entering the classroom. We also must be prepared for baby boomers, who are experienced learners but may be less comfortable interacting in technology-driven environments. We must ensure that that technology enhances, not detracts, from the overall learning experience.
About the authors
