University of Idaho Senior Edwin Latrell has completed 40 online courses in seven different countries while enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.
And while he said he was frustrated that he couldn”t get his three degrees earlier, Latrell is glad he had the opportunity to be a part of the university culture by taking some of his classes on campus.
“I like being on campus,” Latrell said. “I don”t think it”s an unreasonable expectation that people do “X” number of credits on campus.”
Latrell is now set to graduate in May with a triple major in philosophy, psychology and international studies.
Terry Ratcliff came to Moscow just over a year ago as the university”s first executive director of Distance and Extended Education – a position made to help improve UI”s online education system.
“We need a plan,” Ratcliff said. “Strategic, action, vision, whatever we call it, we need some clear institutional direction when it comes to distance education, and we don”t have that right now.”
Ratcliff said UI”s distance education program is currently decentralized, with different colleges and departments offering different forms of online education fit to their preferred formats.
He said the university must also work to market the current distance education program and recruit online students to UI. Many different types of students take online courses, but Ratcliff said he is prioritizing remote students who are unable to get to campus.
“It”s the students who can”t get to Moscow but still want a U of I experience, that still want a U of I degree, that we will bring in that we don”t currently bring in,” Ratcliff said.
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Jeanne Stevenson said the development of distance education at UI is essential to the administration because it gives the university a chance to reach students who wouldn”t otherwise have an opportunity to receive a higher education.
“I think it provides “¦ the opportunity for access,” Stevenson said. “And that”s something that you also hear President Staben talk about is accessing education, and especially with a focus on Idaho residents.”
UI”s distance education program also needs to build a better student support system, Ratcliff said.
Stevenson said online courses should provide an equivalent learning environment compared to on-campus courses.
UI offers more than 20 fully online degree programs for graduate students, but offers none for undergraduate students, Ratcliff said. He intends to send multiple proposals for undergraduate degree programs to the State Board of Education in the spring.
Though Latrell relied heavily on UI”s online education while he was overseas, he said he doesn”t think offering degrees fully through online courses is a good choice for the university.
Instead, Latrell said UI should make more courses available online without offering complete degree programs.
UI Boise law professor Wendy Couture proposed a different perspective toward distance education at a Faculty Senate meeting last month.
“Distance education not only brings Moscow out to the world,” Couture said during the meeting. “But it also brings the world to Moscow.”
Couture said online courses can take on various forms, such as classes completed fully through Blackboard Learn or video-streamed lectures. She said the university should address these types of courses differently in the distance education system, since the courses affect students and faculty in different ways.
While Faculty Senate Chair Randall Teal has not taught any online courses himself, he said faculty have had varying degrees of success teaching online courses through these different means. He said some instructors have experienced challenges when attempting to connect with their students through video.
Teal said he has not taught any online courses because the majority of his classes deal with design and are not ideal for an online platform.
Ratcliff said he intends to use the upcoming academic year to figure out a plan with other university administrators. He also said he wants to discuss online education with UI faculty, students and staff.
“We”ll need to have a conversation on campus about what is it that we want to be when it comes to an online education provider,” Ratcliff said.
An improved distance education system will bring multiple benefits to UI, Ratcliff said. It would increase enrollment, which Ratcliff said would add to the university”s revenue and lead to further developments at UI.
Online education expands the university”s visibility and contributes to the number of alumni. Ratcliff said online education also helps spread education across Idaho and serves the needs of the entire state, rather than just the needs of UI.
Latrell said he certainly benefited from UI”s online education during his time overseas.
“From the student side, I can tell you it”s an invaluable resource,” Latrell said. “I”ve taken courses in seven different countries, in three different oceans – and it”s fabulous.”x
Erin Bamer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @ErinBamer