e-Insights

Student Perspective: The Story of a Drexel Online Student

Jeremiah Staropoli is a unique example of a Drexel University Online student. Although he works literally across the street from Drexel, he chose to enroll online. "If it weren't for taking classes online, I would never have been able to complete this program," Jeremiah says. "With my schedule, family, and work, it would have been impossible for me to attend on-site classes."

The President of Thompson Institute chose Drexel Online because of ease of course delivery and ability to work with his demanding schedule. With a child at home and another on the way, flexibility was important to Jeremiah. When first starting the program, he faced some challenges scheduling and transitioning to an online environment. "Learning how to come together with my cohort and utilizing technology while ensuring a great performance was a definitely bonus to the online program," he says. "The sheer amount of work that an online degree program demands was a difficult balancing act."

However, Jeremiah successfully graduated in 2008, and even hired three of his classmates to work alongside him at the Thompson Institute. He plans to continue his education and move forward with his goals. "I plan to get my doctorate in Higher Education: Leadership and Administration at Drexel University. It is my plan and I hope to continue making an impact in higher education throughout the rest of my career."

Student Perspective: The Story of a Drexel Online Student

Kerri Cummings, an online student studying in Germany, is a rare breed. Although she already has a B.S. in German and an M.B.A., with seven years of management consulting experience, she decided that her ultimate goal in life was to help those around her by becoming a therapist. In order to meet her goal, Kerri realized that a Bachelor's in Psychology would help her land in a PhD program. "My ultimate goal is to help others in challenges they face in this world, and I hope to earn the academic experience I need to start doing that as soon as possible," Kerri says. Although studying across the globe could present potential problems, Kerri has adjusted to the demands of being an online learning. "I am somewhat introverted, which leaves me relatively quiet in group-situations," she says. "The online experience has helped me get my thoughts, questions, and suggestions out there for everyone to hear." She has some words of advice for potential online students. "Make sure you are studying at a respectable university, like Drexel. Online students should see their studies like a job, and not put assignments off to the last minute. Drexel's program gives you a unique opportunity - you have to access to everyone in your class including the professor and the assistant, which is something you do not always have offline."

The Online Classroom – A Teacher’s Perspective

In a recent commentary in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Gena Grecco, an English professor with both on-campus and online experience, explains the differences and nuances between the two, and how the online classroom can be just as rewarding—and in some ways even more so—than the traditional classroom.

The students
In online classes, students tend to be older, multicultural, and have work and family commitments. Many are in the military or have a spouse enlisted. Many are single mothers. Some see an online degree as the only format that allows them to achieve their goal of a higher education.

Far apart, yet close
In an online class, students and professors can literally be hundreds of miles away from each other. It’s important to establish a common ground and supportive arena early on. Students need to feel comfortable not just with the professor but with the other students in the class as well. A sense of community is an important component in successful online learning.

Choosing words carefully
Without the benefit of tone, facial expression, and body language, communication takes on a whole new light and can be challenging at times.

- Give careful consideration to word choice so that meanings aren’t misinterpreted and when in doubt, use parentheses for clarity. “It is amazing how even an emoticon like ‘:)’ at the end of an e-mail message can defuse a tense situation,” says Grecco.

- Online conversation, particularly in live chats or discussion forums, doesn’t necessarily have to be proper, and in fact sometimes the most engaging conversations occur when you write the way you speak. Use bold, italics, and even online lingo like “LOL” to relate the feelings behind your words.

Getting personal
In order to parallel the support one might find on campus, it helps when students and professors share aspects of their lives that are not class-related but that may affect their success in class.

Read more of Grecco's insights here:
Teaching Online: 2 Perspectives - A Reaffirmation of Why I Became an Educator (Subscription Required)

The College of 2020: Students - a report from The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Chronicle of Higher Education published a report this month (titled "The College of 2020: Students", in which the author projects, based on present and future demographics and economic conditions, what America's higher education will look like in ten years.

The author predicts that of the three business models colleges currently use to attract and keep students, only two will continue to work: the elite college model (the private colleges with the brand names and the flagship state universities) and the flexible model of the for-profits and the community colleges. The colleges "in the middle" are likely to face significant challenges. "Many colleges that have focused on a residential, four-year model will find that they need to attract more adult students, more part-time students, and more students who will want all or many of their courses online", states the report. The report goes on to state "many of these colleges are historically and constitutionally unequipped for such a major shift."

Drexel University Online saw this trend coming many years ago, and now has nearly 70 degrees and certificates fully online; making it one of the largest providers of online programs of any private, non-profit, university in the country.

A free executive summary of the report is available at: http://research.chronicle.com/asset/TheCollegeof2020ExecutiveSummary.pdf

Global education and study abroad flourish despite US economic challenges

According to a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the number of students who study outside their home country is projected to increase from three million this year to eight million by 2025, making international education one of the fastest-growing sectors in higher education.

Consequently, business opportunities surrounding study abroad programs are expected to hold steady or even increase during the global economic downturn as colleges see a greater need to engage globally.

Some of the industries spawned by study abroad programs include:

• Recruitment
• Support personnel
• Student housing coordination
• Insurance and healthcare providers
• Regulations compliance
• Administrative software
• Evaluation of foreign academic credentials

Drexel University's online Master of Science in Global and International Education degree provides a broad and solid foundation for anyone with an interest in the fields of study abroad, global trends in education, and comparative research of diverse approaches to teaching and learning.

Click here to read the full article, "Internationally, the Business of Education is Booming."

Click here to visit the program webpage for the Master of Science in Global and International Education

In Memory of Dr. Constantine Papadakis 1946-2009

In this article from Inside Higher Ed, Dr. Constantine Papadakis, is remembered as a University Builder and much more. Click here to read.

Dr. Ken Hartman Speaks About the Conficker Worm on NBC 10 - Philadelphia

Dr. Ken Hartman speaks about what the new computer worm, Conficker, exactly is and what it can do to your computer. He gives you ways to find out if your computer has the virus or if you don't, how you can prevent it.

Click here to view.

Letter to the Editor - Time to Plunge In to Distance Education

The National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges recently published the result of a survey they conducted on distance education. The results were reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education on February 10, 2009. Given what I perceived as an inaccurate and misstated conclusion of the findings, I decided to submit the below Letter to the Editor, which was published last week.

I, of course, welcome your thoughts. Ken Hartman

 

To the Editor:

Had Drexel University and other private nonprofit colleges been able to participate in the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges' surveys about distance education, the results might have been somewhat different ("Professors Regard Online Instruction as Less Effective than Classroom Learning," The Chronicle online. February 10).

Nasulgc members need only look at how some private nonprofits are delivering online instruction to see that is can be done with excellent learning outcomes. The keys to a quality distance-learning program are faculty involvement and compensation. Faculty members must be incentivized to both develop and teach online courses, and faculty members must also have access to seasoned instructional designers able to offer technical and instructional support.

It's not surprising that this survey revealed that faculty members who have actually taught online courses were far more positive about the learning outcomes than faculty members who have never taught online. To my Nasulgc colleagues, as well as prospective online students, I say, "Jump in - the water's warm!"

Virginia Benton of Tyco Electronics Talks About the Benefits of Online Learning

Listen to an interview with Virginia Benton, Director of Global Learning, at Tyco Electronics Corporation. She and Dr. Ken Hartman discuss the benefits of online learning and what an important role education plans in jobs today.

Click here to listen: Viginia Benton Interview

Nationalizing The Student Loan Industry

President Obama recently proposed taking over the entire federal student financial aid lending process, abolishing the bank-based student loan programs, in the preliminary budget for the 2010 fiscal year. When you read the new proposed budget, as well as the fine print in the recently passed Federal Economic Stimulus Package and Higher Opportunity Act, it’s clear that the federal government will now play a much bigger role in determining who gets financial aid and how much. 

We have, in my opinion, taken the first giant step towards nationalizing the student loan industry when few, if any, private banks are willing or able to issue student loans. The good news is that it will be much easier for some lower income students and parents to receive federal student loans, as the free federal financial aid form is being simplified. Moreover, a greater number of families will now be eligible for education tax credits or refunds.  The bad news is that we are likely to see historic levels of student debt, as some students and families will borrow more and more.

Working adult learners, who can take advantage of their company’s tuition reimbursement program, will be the real winners in the years to come. Between employer tuition reimbursement and the convenience of online courses, working adult students will have the tools needed to weather the upcoming storm.

But that’s my take on the proposed FY10 budget. More importantly, what do you think? Is it a good idea for the federal government to control ALL lending of federal financial aid money? Will the federal government provide the same, better, or worse service than a private bank?