Online Learning Good for Grad Students, Bad for Undergraduates?

Posted on March 11, 2008 by David Gray

In this article appearing in The Huffington Post, by C. L. Max Nikias and entitled, “Learning for a Lifetime,” the author makes an eloquent, although somewhat narrow, case for limiting distance learning options in higher education to graduate students. To summarize his view, using his own concluding words, he says, “…the great American universities would do well to resist the urge to franchise their undergraduate experiences, and instead on the “lifelong phase” that follows them.”

Mr. Nikias’ chief argument in favor of the traditional, campus-centric undergraduate education is this:

…between the ages of 17 and 22, a person’s mind and spirit open wide, as she begins to explore her world, her place in it, and what she intends to contribute to her society. It is during this age that some of a person’s most intense bonds and affiliations take shape. Because of this, the best undergraduate college or university education should be experienced in community, so that shared social, athletic and cultural experiences can be as mutually transforming as the intellectual experiences inside the classroom, library or laboratory.

As with many detractors of undergraduate online learning, Mr. Nikias discounts a few important modern realities. For example, not everyone can, or is ready to, attend a traditional undergraduate program between the ages of 17 and 22. What would he have us tell those who missed that window? Too bad? Your opportunity for a college education has come and gone?

Two, as I’ve said before, traditional college campuses do not have a monopoly on community interaction, shared experiences, and cultural exchanges leading to intellectual development. Were that true, the world’s long history of self-educated people, dating back to a time prior to the establishment of the first college campus, wouldn’t exist.

And three, if distance learning options from reputable providers like UMassOnline aren’t working or are short-changing avid students, how can one explain the rate of adoption of online learning today in K-12 districts and colleges and universities all across America. In short, I believe that in place of the benefits – and there are many – of a traditional college education, online learning options for at least some students feature systems, solutions, conveniences, choices, timelines and access that more than offset the presumed loss of campus socialization. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am the parent of a 19-year old who is pursuing his college education in the traditional manner and a 22-year old who just completed her degree last spring, also the traditional way. The total on-campus collegiate experience is indeed a wonderful thing for the majority of 17- to 22-year olds. But, it is not the only way; it is not the singular “correct” path. For some, there are economic or other drivers that make the traditional model infeasible or less attractive.

There is another subtlety that is worth mentioning. There is no longer any neat dichotomy to be found between “traditional education” and “online learning.” You would have to look very hard to find an American college campus where it would be possible for a student to navigate through a traditional bachelor’s degree program without being exposed to some degree of online learning. And, if you could find such a campus, I would urge any student to think seriously about whether a campus that shuns the best of contemporary e-learning tools and associated pedagogies is really offering them the best possible education. Most institutions of higher education - including those wearing the “elite” label - are employing online learning tools and techniques to their students’ great advantage. And, they are simultaneously equipping them for a professional world that relies increasingly on similar tools, not to mention preparation for graduate education programs that are making more use of e-learning. The word to the wise: beware simplistic arguments and make choices that are harmonious with your own circumstances and needs.

Nevertheless, I urge you to at least scan the article if you’re interested in the ongoing conversation on this topic and because there are some tremendous statistics about the growth of graduate programs. Here’s one: …among Fortune 100 CEOs, just 17 attended graduate school a half-century ago, a number that rose to 46 by 1980 and 61 by 2006.