e-Insights

Five Biggest Myths About Online Learning

Even as online degree programs have become more popular and widespread, misconceptions about what this type of learning entails continue to grow. A recent MSN Encarta article summed up the top five myths about online learning.

1. Online courses are easy. At many schools, including Drexel, online courses cover the same content, are taught by the same distinguished faculty, and are held to the same rigorous standards as courses taught on campus.

2. You need to be a computer technician. For most online courses, the only technical requirements are a personal computer with an Internet connection and some basic software for things like email and word processing. All other required software and plug-ins are available free to Drexel Online students through our software download center, and technical support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

3. Online students are isolated. Online students are connected via email, chat and discussion boards, and many choose to exchange telephone numbers. Instructors and advisors are also just a phone call or email away.

4. Online credits won't transfer. Unlike some online colleges, Drexel Online programs are fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS), meaning they are equal to any course taken on campus. Because every institution has its own policies regarding transfer credits, students should always investigate to ensure the maximum transfer rate.

5. Employers don't recognize online degrees. As early as 2007, surveys of employers returned a 62 percent favorable response to online learning, citing it on par with campus-based degree and certification programs. In fact, many employers participate in programs like Drexel PRO, which allows working professionals the convenience of taking courses online with the benefit of reduced tuition rates.

If you're considering enrolling in an online program, chances are you've heard one or more of these myths. When deciding whether an online degree or certificate program is for you, the best course of action is to do your own research and draw your own conclusions. Get started today by visiting Drexel Online to find answers to all your online learning questions.

Drexel Nursing Students Now Using iPods

More than 300 students in Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions--including those enrolled in Drexel University's online RN to BSN program--received an iPod touch this year. The devices' built-in Wi-Fi will allow students instant access to key medical information, which should help decrease incidents of drug conflicts and incorrect medical procedures.

“Whether students are searching for drug interactions during a clinical exercise or information in a medical dictionary, they can go online and find the latest research through numerous databases,” said L.J. “Rocky” Rockstraw, director of Drexel’s Center for Clinical and Electronic Learning Resources and an associate clinical professor at the College of Nursing and Health Professions.

The College began using pocket-PC handheld devices in 2001 to access drug and medical databases. The infrastructure required to support those devices was difficult to maintain and updates were often hard to install. The iPod touch was selected because of its “ease of use and available technical support.”

Find out more about Drexel's online RN to BSN program and other online programs from the College of Nursing and Health Professions.

Drexel Continues to Rise in University Rankings

Drexel University is once again on the exclusive list of "up-and-coming" national universities that have achieved "the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus, or facilities," according to top college officials polled by U.S.News & World Report for the 2010 edition of "America's Best Colleges." Drexel is ranked fourth in the nation among these "Schools to Watch," up from sixth last year.

Drexel also continued to improve in the overall U.S.News ranking of Best National Universities, advancing to number 88 from last year's rank of 89 (which in turn was reached by a remarkable leap of 19 places from the 2008 list). Drexel and Penn are the only two Philadelphia-based universities ranked in the nation's top 100.

The U.S. News rankings group schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Drexel named "Military Friendly School"

Drexel recognizes and appreciates the service and sacrifices of our nation’s active and veteran military personnel. That’s why we offer a number of programs that make it as convenient as possible for servicemen and women and their families to advance their education. In fact, G.I. Jobs magazine recently recognized our efforts by naming Drexel a Military Friendly School for 2010. This distinction is reserved for universities whose policies reflect a high level of commitment to recruiting and educating active and veteran members of the U.S. military.

According to a news release issued by G.I. Jobs, the list was compiled through exhaustive research starting last May during which G.I. Jobs polled more than 7,000 schools nationwide. Methodology, criteria and weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) consisting of educators and administrators from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Toledo, Duquesne University, Coastline Community College and Lincoln Technical Institute.

Drexel offers the following programs specifically for military and veteran students:

Post 9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program – Drexel is among a small group of universities with no cap on the number of veterans who may enroll through the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides tuition-free education to eligible veterans. Find out more on the GI Bill website.

Military Tuition Reduction – Active military personnel, veterans, and their immediate families are eligible for a 10–30% tuition reduction.* Find out more about our special tuition rates and financing options.

Undergraduate Credit for Military Learning - Drexel awards undergraduate credits for military experience or classes that have been evaluated for college equivalency by the American Council on Education. To request your military transcripts, please visit the American Council on Education's transcript service. Credits will be evaluated by an advisor to determine which credits transfer.

DANTES Assistance – Drexel's online programs are listed in the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) catalog, which enables students to receive tuition reimbursement support available under DANTES for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Army Reserves, Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard.

Find out more about Drexel Online's military programs.

*Tuition reduction is off the regular tuition rate at Drexel University and cannot be combined with any other discount. Tuition reductions are not available retroactively.

Online learning poised to expand sharply

In May, the Department of Education released a report that found online learning has clear advantages over face-to-face instruction. e-Insights reported some of the key findings of the study in July, and Inside Higher Ed covered it here and here. Now people outside education circles are even beginning to take notice.

NY Times writer Steve Lohr recently discussed the report on his technology blog, proposing that online education is now at a pivotal point in its development. As Web-based communication tools become both more prevalent and more sophisticated, and evidence of the value of online instruction mounts, Lohr predicts the field could see a large increase in implementation.

Interviewing several distance learning experts including Barbara Means, the study’s lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International, and Philip R. Regier, the dean of Arizona State University’s Online and Extended Campus program, Lohr purports that the real promise of online education is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms. That enables more “learning by doing,” which many students find more engaging and useful. In keeping with Drexel University's commitment to experiential learning, this "learning by doing" model is adapted in some of the Drexel University Online degree programs through clinicals, in-classroom teaching, residencies, and more.

According to Regier, the growth of social media is also a key development in online learning.

“The technology will be used to create learning communities among students in new ways,” Regier told Lohr. “People are correct when they say online education will take things out of the classroom. But they are wrong, I think, when they assume it will make learning an independent, personal activity. Learning has to occur in a community.”

Student Perspective: The Story of a Drexel Online Student

Mary Jane Gray was ready to advance her career in a nursing leadership role. Since her employer was a partner of Drexel Online, she received a 25 percent discount to help with the tuition costs. This helped Mary Jane decide that Drexel Online was the best option.

"What I enjoy most about the online learning format is that I can attend a university and work towards a degree in the comfort of my own home. I am able to participate when my schedule allows," she said. Since Mary Jane has never taken online courses before, she was presented with some challenges in the beginning. "The first term was the roughest in terms of learning 'the system' and not knowing what to expect from classes and instructors," Gray said. "The so called 'drawbacks' [of online learning] became the rewards of taking an online class." Mary Jane explained that she would recommend Drexel Online to others. "Drexel has the staff, the technical expertise and the experience to provide an excellent educational format online."

Mary Jane plans to continue her education and move towards her goals. "My future career goals are to be able to participate in a nurse leadership role so that I can utilize my knowledge and experience. The degree I'm pursing, a Master's in Nursing Leadership and Health Systems Management better equips me to compete in the health care market."

The Advantages of Online Learning - Evidence from the Dept. of Ed.

A recent report issued by the U.S. Department of Education found that students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction. Students in blended conditions, or courses that combined elements of online learning with face-to-face instruction, performed best of all, according to the study.

The report, “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning,” was a meta-analysis, or a study that combines the results of previous experiments to draw a larger conclusion. While over a thousand empirical studies of online learning had been conducted between 1996 and 2008, only 51 met the criteria for this study: (a) contrast an online to a face-to-face condition, (b) measure student learning outcomes, (c) use a rigorous research design, and (d) provide adequate information to calculate an effect size.

The key findings of the study were:

•    Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.

•    Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.

•    Studies in which learners in the online condition spent more time on task than students in the face-to-face condition found a greater benefit for online learning.

•    Most of the variations in the way in which different studies implemented online learning did not affect student learning outcomes significantly.

•    The effectiveness of online learning approaches appears quite broad across different content and learner types.

For more information:
“The Evidence on Online Education”
Inside Higher Ed

“Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies” [Adobe PDF]
U.S. Department of Education

Student Perspective: The Story of a Drexel Online Student

Jessica Davey, a Global and International Education student from New Jersey, decided she wanted to continue her education while living and working in Kigali, Rwanda. She currently has 58 students from more than 20 countries including Africa, Europe, Asia, North American, and Latin America. "Working in Rwanda has been quite an eye-opener. It is a fascinating mix of several worlds from local Rwandese and expatriate professionals to the United Nations," said Davey. "Living in this context takes what I learn in the Global and International Education program out of the realm of theory and research, and makes everything I learning instantly applicable." Davey hopes to one day work in policy development or an education program with a major international agency, such as UNICEF, in Rwanda. At first Davey was skeptical of online courses, but then found it to be very challenging and academically rigorous. "The online classroom has been impressively interactive. I enjoy meeting students from very diverse backgrounds and locations," said Davey. "For someone who needs the flexibility of time and location or for someone who simply prefers to work more independently, this is a great choice."

A Drexel Education More Attainable than Ever for Military Vets

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, which will go into effect in August 2009, introduced some of the most robust education assistance to military veterans ever provided by the federal government. Under the new legislation, eligible servicemen and women can receive funding equivalent to the highest undergraduate tuition and fees rates at a public college or university within a particular state. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released a preliminary list of colleges participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.

The program allows colleges to enter into dollar-for-dollar matching agreements with the federal government to pay veterans' educational costs above those covered by the base GI Bill benefit. Participating schools decide how much they are willing to contribute toward the program - up to 50% of additional costs - and the federal government matches this contribution dollar-for-dollar.

For example, in the state of Pennsylvania, eligible veterans can receive up to $700 per credit hour and a maximum $8,205 in fees per term. In New Jersey, the maximum is $437.50 per credit hour and $5,102 in fees. Click here for a complete list of in-state tuition costs and fees.

Drexel is proud to be included on the list of 1165 U.S. colleges and universities participating in the program.

Click here for more information on the Yellow Ribbon Program

Click here for more information on the military benefits offered by Drexel University Online

Chemist and father of three revisits dream of a career in the classroom

When his doctoral studies at SUNY Buffalo were interrupted, Derek Dunn opted to finish graduate school with a master’s degree and pursue a career as a chemist. Fourteen years later, Derek has decided to revisit his dream of teaching chemistry through Drexel’s online Post-Bachelor’s Teaching Certificate program.

“[My career] has been great but my love of teaching is still there,” he says. “Plus, the unstable nature of the pharmaceutical industry has driven home the importance of a fall back plan.”

A husband, father of three, and full-time research scientist at Cephalon, Inc., in Frazer, PA, Derek says two things fell into place that made his decision easy – a friend’s advice to look into online programs and a scholarship opportunity that would help cover the cost of his courses.

“I absolutely needed the convenience of an online program,” he says. “After the kids go to bed, instead of watching boring TV shows I’ll work toward my teaching certificate.”

Derek also says he would not have applied to the program if he hadn’t recently learned about the ACS-Hach Second Career Teacher Scholarship. Endowed by the Hach Scientific Foundation, the award is distributed through the American Chemistry Society to chemists interested in pursuing a master’s degree or becoming certified as a chemistry or science teacher.

The requirements for the Hach Scholarship are:

* a bachelor's degree or higher in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical engineering
* work experience in a chemistry-related field
* must be accepted into an education master's program or teacher certification program
* must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident

“Let’s face it - the convenience of Drexel’s online program coupled with the Hach scholarship cut down on the time and money it takes to become a chemistry teacher,” he says. “I think if more people knew about these types of opportunities, more would be inclined to go back to school.”

Find out more about the ACS-Hach Second Career Teacher Scholarship.

Find out more about Drexel’s online Post-Bachelor’s Teaching Certificate program.