Seizing the Benefits of Online Learning

By J. Michael Adams
President of Fairleigh Dickinson University

Is distance learning better or worse than the traditional classroom environment? Some watch the wave of distance-learning developments and worry that the tides of technology threaten the very fabric of the educational process. There are those who see online delivery as a radically new, inexpensive and profitable vehicle to reach unserved students. Others defend the sacred grounds of the classroom environment.

There is another approach. We should refuse to become embroiled in a debate over the merits of online learning. At the same time, though, we must recognize that distance learning can transform students' lives, and it must play a significant role in the education process. That's the philosophy at Fairleigh Dickinson, where, beginning in September, we will become the first traditional university to require all students to take one online course each year. Every Fairleigh Dickinson student will know how to learn online, but more importantly they will discover how the Internet can be used to connect people and to open doorways to new worlds and new cultures.

The age in which we live demands that people think and act globally. But to be a global citizen, one must seize the benefits of modern technology. Without question, the Internet is the most important innovation in learning in recent history. We can reach people throughout the world in seconds, and we can find more information from our computers in one hour than in a week physically in a library. Building on those obvious merits, I believe the Internet is a powerful learning tool. It can bring teachers and students from throughout the world together, and it can expose students to insights and perspectives found on every corner of the globe.

Many universities have introduced online courses as a way to bring their programs to new students in distant localities. Some have viewed online learning as an inexpensive way to deliver programs and build revenue. But this should not be our motivation. Rather than using the Internet to bring in students from the world, we should emphasize using the Internet to bring the world to our students.

Institutions should establish formal relationships with scholars, civic leaders and organizations throughout the world. The possibilities are endless. Imagine a student in an anthropology course studying online with an anthropologist working in New Guinea, or an economics student in a chat room with a virtual faculty member from the World Bank or an economics professor at the University of Moscow. An American course taught by an American economist assisted online by a Russian economist would give students completely different views of looking at classic problems.

There is another issue and that concerns how information is organized on the Internet. Everyone is aware that with the bountiful supply of excellent data available electronically comes an inordinate amount of useless and incorrect information. Thus, we need to prepare educated people who can critically analyze the information at their disposal. Just as we prepare people to read a book critically, we need to help train students to be skillful drivers along the information highway.

But to emphasize such lessons and to encourage the introduction of experts from around the world does not mean surrendering control of the classroom. Local faculty should remain the architects of a global education. They should design the curriculum and organize the content. And they should continue to provide the traditional classroom environment. We need not take anything away, but instead add a new dimension.

There has been controversy over the merits of distance learning, but after working closely with and evaluating the potential of distance learning, I have found that by every measure distance learning can be just as effective as classroom teaching. Neither is automatically superior. They are two different ways of learning. You can be taught well in the classroom and you can be taught poorly in a classroom. The same applies to the Internet.

Some contend that an element of personal interaction is lost over the Internet. This issue needs to be addressed. We must provide opportunities for students to come together online and in person, and we must make sure students can schedule meetings with professors online and, when possible, in person.

Others argue that students will have too much freedom in an online setting and will find ways to circumvent online rules, in other words cheat. Ultimately, as educators we can't teach anyone anything. All we can do is provide the environment in which individuals have the chance to learn. The responsibility, as always, whether in the classroom or online, rests squarely on the student.

One thing is not debatable; the Internet is here to stay, and we have to prepare people to use it well. Not only can it provide tremendous benefits for a lifetime of learning, it also can bring people and cultures closer together. With the learning capability of the Internet, students can reach out beyond the normal boundaries, explore new worlds and learn how to play leading roles on a global stage.