Does Online Education Suck?

Written on September 16, 2006  |  by RP Mickler  |  Leave a Comment Leave a Comment  |  Bookmark and Share

I hoping for some help and comments on this one especially from current and former students, educators, and administrators.

I was at the car dealership the other day and was in line to pay my bill. During the time in line, I had received a call from a student and was providing some advice on how to approach an upcoming assignment. I hung up the phone by the time I was at the counter.

“You’re a teacher,” said the girl behind the counter. She was probably in her early twenties. “Where do you teach?”

“Here and there,” I said. “Mostly for online universities, graduate and undergraduate.”

She looked at me puzzled. “Online? Is that really for real? I heard it really sucks.”

I was taken back by this one but who could blame her? I receive spam like this every day:


Want the degree but can’t f1nd the t1me?
WHAT A GREAT IDEA!
We provide a concept that will allow anyone with sufficient work experience to obtain a fully verifiable University Degree.
Bachelors, Masters or even a Doctorate.
Think of it, within four to six weeks, you too could be a college graduate.


In reading stuff like this, one would almost think that getting an online degree isn’t very legitimate yet … does it suck? That was a new one on me and I teach this modality.

So I gave a bit of rant: the education process online is more self-directed; it’s good for the learner with constrained time; electronic resources makes the content more current and relevant; there’s numerous schools trying it from public secondary ed through established universities and private for-profit educational systems.

Now, unconsciously, I was also thinking: well, the rigor of assignments are seemingly more laxed in the online classroom; sometimes contractors don’t make excellent teachers; traditional academic principles can be overshadowed by convenience; problems with plagiarism are exacerbated by the medium; variability in teaching styles and curriculum can really throw off the student’s groove; and heck, the splendor of Pomp and Circumstance ain’t all that special when it’s played across your PC speakers. Huh, maybe online education does suck.

So I thought I’d bring this to my readers. What do you guys think? How’ve you liked the experience? What could be improved or changed? What’s your take on online programs? Has it lived up to your expectations?

What’re some of the numbers on this, I wonder – what kind of metrics are useful in evaluating “consumer satisfaction” in online academics. I’m going to be doing a little research on this as the month goes on. For now, I’d like to hear from anybody on the topic. Thanks for your time!

R

Russell Mickler works a technology consultant in Battle Ground, WA, USA. With over thirteen years of experience, Mickler holds a CISSP, MCSE, a Masters Degree in Information Technology, and is pursuing his Doctorate at Walden University. His website can be found at www.micklerandassociates.com; he can be contacted at mickler@micklerandassociates.com.

Barry says:

Commented posted on: September 17, 2006

Sucks? Hell no. Memorizing meaningless data to repeat it back on a “test” or guessing at multiple choice questions with a probability of getting half right…. now that SUCKS. I want as much as I can get when I pay for an education and on line does that by challenging you to dig out the applicable information, understand how that information can be applied and then applying it in “real life” case studies. Putting into words what you have learned in a manner that is understandable and acceptable to a profession in the course of study (the on line professor)….thats difficult and very rewarding…..but SUCKS _ HELL NO

I am working on my 2nd Master’s degree on line and it is much more challenging and knowledge retention centered than any brick and morter classroom I have ever attended.

Anonymous says:

Commented posted on: September 17, 2006

Hi, i was looking over your blog and didn’t
quite find what I was looking for. I’m looking for
different ways to earn money… I did find this though…
a place where you can make some nice extra cash secret shopping.
I made over $900 last month having fun!
make extra money

Anonymous says:

Commented posted on: October 11, 2006

I think that your research on this topic will provide the same answers as they would if you posed the question on any college education – online or on ground. It depends on the college/university. I believe there are quality online programs out there, but there are those that, as you and your encounter suggest, suck. I would argue that the same can be said for many traditional universities.

One’s experience is going to depend largely on their learning style. I, for example, work on computers all day. I am computer-savvy, if you will, but is an online program for me? No. I enjoy being in the classroom – it allows me to be completely focused on the class. There aren’t the distractions of home life or the like.

The instruction is the next factor that can make or break the experience of online learning. This is also true in a classroom environment, though. I think that this factor could be more closely scrutinized by looking at traditional university faculty versus the concept that University of Phoenix has modeled their program around: the adjunct professional. It has been my personal experience that, while this model does have the potential to offer much, it does not always fulfill its potential. One can be an absolute genius in their line of work, but have no teaching abilities, whatsoever. What good do they do me? Now, when they have the knowledge and the teaching ability, it’s a beautiful thing – but it is rare.

The other thing I experienced is a lacking in high standards. I have read papers written by my peers in a Master’s degree program and thought to myself, “Did they honestly write this? Have they heard of spell check, or even general proofreading? Did they read the assignment clearly?” Yes, I would be completely taken aback by the poorly written work, but what would really throw me is seeing their score as it was handed back! Why we are issuing passing scores to those that can only write in “IM speak” is beyond me. Maybe this is where our world is going – the written word no longer needs to hold beauty, it simply needs to convey the message. However, until universities put word out that this is the new norm, I believe more failing grades should be issued – universities should charge their instructors with upholding a higher level of workmanship. I have taken courses both on ground and online under this model and I have encountered poor instruction in both places. In my opinion, even the working professional that is going to teach a course on something they do each and every day should require a teaching certificate – hopefully from a university that makes them earn it.

Finally, the third factor that can greatly impact the online experience is how the medium is used. Is it truly an online classroom? Do you get a lecture? Or, is the entire program run on newsgroups that require you to read endless amounts of posts trying to find one that isn’t just talking about someone’s bad day or their pet? That was my online experience – from the leaders of online education, too – University of Phoenix. I believe that, while they may be the forerunners of online education, if they do not change their online format, they will quickly fall behind others that make full use of today’s technology. My experience required me to sift through posts in Outlook Express and post something “substantive” four days each week. Now, the fact that the majority of the posts by others were not substantive, I hold the facilitator responsible, but to hold a full-time job and have to spend hours of my week reading through posts that, aside from the odd occasion, did not add to my learning experience is a waste. So, to those universities that take advantage of the medium, I commend you – those that don’t, those will be the ones that fall more quickly into the “sucks” category.

Overall, I would say that compared to the traditional on ground university, online education is still in its infancy. I do not believe we can say it all sucks at this point. I think it has a lot of growing up to do and some are doing it more quickly than others.