Distance Education and the Liberal Arts College: Some Reflections
The taxonomy of distance learning goes something like this:
A. Undergraduate
Degree oriented
Non-degree oriented
Credit
Non-credit
B. Graduate
Degree oriented
Non-degree oriented
Credit
Non-credit
The fundamental questions: What is the market? For whom, and to what purpose? Any why Union?
Examples for Union College:
A. Undergraduate, degree-oriented, single-course
For qualified high-school seniors, offer that one of the first-year courses at Union be available via the WWW along with the class as it is being taught on the campus. This would yield college credit for the student.
B. Undergraduate, non-degree oriented, single course
For alumni/ae who want to take a course after graduation, but do not want to pursue a degree (or even want credit). This is the use of distance education as life-long learning in a general way.
C. Graduate, non-degree oriented, single course
Same as above. except for graduate-level work; may also serve graduate students who cannot get to the campus for a single course, or who want to take a combination of on-campus and WWW courses without a degree in mind.
D. Graduate, degree oriented, single course
Same as above, but with a degree as the object.
E. Graduate. degree-oriented, multiple course
This would be a degree program at the graduate level, suitable for older students who either cannot come to the campus or who want to take a combination of courses towards a degree (e.g., MBA). Another possibility at this level is something like an M.S. in liberal studies, for older students who want to round out a liberal education, or read and study at a general level not possible for many undergraduates. This is also an example of the use of distance education as life-long learning in a general way, rather than in a vocational way.
It is extremely important that Union not subvert its traditional mission by the misapplication of distance education to the undergraduate curriculum. This is not the market most often identified for distance education. The typical distance education student is already a college graduate, somewhere between 25 and 35 years old, looking for additional skills (and possibly a degree) for application to work, and employed (frequently also with a family). But there is another market1 one suited ideally for an institution like Union, namely those adults (who may themselves be graduates of a liberal arts college), who want to study something at the level offered by a high-quality liberal arts college, with the same level of contact with outstanding and committed teachers; they may well not be interested in an additional degree, or even course credit. They may, in fact, be retired from the workforce (but not from the life of the mind).
The other market I imagine is the qualified high-school student, who may or may not be thinking about matriculating at Union (but probably at some place similar), who can earn college credit for a single course already being taught at Union. This student would do the same work, perhaps even be in a chat room with the Union students, and certainly have regular access to the instructor via the WWW and e-mail. This would not only be a contribution toward improving the high-school experience for at least some students, it would also be a marvelous recruiting device (and PR device, for that matter).
Attachments:
1. Distance education course offerings, undergraduate and graduate. of a large university in the southwest. Notice the heavy vocational and continuing education emphasis.
2. Description of an online MA in political science available from VT.
3. Descriptions of MA programs in liberal studies suitable for delivery by distance education technology.