14 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 14, 1996 Y Ott on lin6,e Hig er education has moved ticAtion 0 rom classrooms and campuses to the information By Chris Metinko Daily Staff Reporter Imagine not having to get out of bed, rush through breakfast and battle Michigan's bitter-cold temperatures to get to class. Online technology has made this a realit many institutions around the country. And rec the University has begun to explore the inforr superhighway as an alternative to classroom e tion. "We envision technology making it possil an extended learning environment," said Mark the University's director of Academic Outrea program dedicated to breaking down educat barriers and bringing the virtual classroom t dents across the world. Academic Outreach began less than two year and has already made a significant impact on 1 nology in the classroom. The program 11 helped develop projects such as the School of Public Health's On-Job, On-Campus pro- gram. Academic Outreach also has pro- moted the Virtual Auto U, a joint oper- ation between the University, Michigan State University and the three major automakers - Ford, General Motors and Chrysler Corporation. The School of Public Health's OJ/OC makes communication between staff, facult, students possible online with both e-mail and ferencing. Students, however, still must att four-day session on campus once a month. The new Virtual Auto U is a program start Michigan Gov. John Engler to help autor workers in the state of Michigan by keeping up-to-date with automotive technology. Academic Outreach also had a hand in puttir English Composition Board services on the Now, cyber-tutoring by University ECB tuts possible off campus. At Murray-Wright School in Detroit, for example, students c, tutored by ECB members. Along these lines, Academic Outreach isi process of creating a college preparation prc complete with CD-ROMs and Internet use, t prepare high school students for college. Today is the first day students can linkt y at ;ently nation ~duca- SV erhighway . ' 7;.-_ , _x ' . :: zM y- , : k But the debate still continues over whether Internet education is a legitimate way to promote learning. "It depends on the subject," said James Duderstadt, former University president. Currently, Duderstadt is working to expand edu- cation online through the Virtual University and the Virtual Auto U. Although enthusiastic about the possibilities for online education, Duderstadt said the classroom is still at the heart of learning. "There is quite a bit of evidence that distance learning is very effective," Duderstadt said. "I don't think it will ever substitute for the residential educa- tion." Duderstadt added that elite schools will probably never offer degrees over the Internet. "The secret is not relying exclusively on the Internet," said Jerome Johnston, adjunct professor in the School of Education and the department of communication studies at the University. "For exam- ple, my class of students still meets once a week, but the Internet and Web provide a space for presenta- tions and for continuing work in-between meetings of the class. "Motivated students can learn from TV or Internet instruction," Johnston continued, adding that the Net has a place in academia. Duderstadt said online education offers conve- nience to people who would otherwise be limited by time constraints. "The real advantage is it releases you of the restraints of space and time," Duderstadt said. "(For) someone who has a job or family, it is very difficult to stop and go to a campus." Not only does technology-based education pro- vide easy access to an environment of higher learn- ing, it also provides the institutions with the ability to offer it at a cheaper cost. Advances like the y mini --- --- - -- ----- - ----- - - - 0 TRACEY HARRIS/Daily to offer 8-10 courses next fall." New York University recently announced a program that will allow IBM employees around the world to earn a degree in information science. Academic Outreach website and of the Academic Outreach 1997 spring/summer courses. "I think we've had some success," said School of Information Prof. Douglas Van Houweling, dean of Academic Outreach. However, program organizers are talking with deans of other colleges in an effort to further expand Academic Outreach, he said. Barabra Nanzig, assistant dean for Academic Outreach, also has a vision for expan- sion. "What I would really like to be doing is offering two dozen courses," Nanzig said. get the full listing Haas sees the -N- The real (onilineeducati releasesyo-u o space and timeE," th eso- Jam es Duderstadt Former University president University is following a path simi- lar to the program at NYU. "It's just a matter of time before the University of Michigan starts this," Haas said. The University online While the University does not offer the selection of long dis- tance learning programs some other schools provide, it is branching out onto the Web. The College of Engineering offers masters degree programs in automotive engineering and manufacturing for people already working in those fields. The School of Business Administration has offered classes to employees of Cathy in Hong Kong and workers of the Eastern Michigan University is offering Internet-based courses, McCafferty, associate dean for learning resource and technolo- gy. "We will have some ready for the fall. We're looking at some programs." McCafferty said Eastern Michigan has several people working on Internet courses A and trying to decide which o ones offer a high-quality edu- s cation. i The courses' schedule has t not yet been determined, but i one program is expected to be a computer course for teachers.d "We're looking at some pro- s grams," McCafferty said. I "There is a lot of interest in it.C There is no question there is aa market for it. People don't want J to come to campus."e Some parts of existing cours- t es at Eastern Michigan use the b Internet, and Eastern Michigan b already is involved in video conferencing. Dr. Connie Krustin, a profes- The history of long-distance learning Although most think the idea of long-distance education started with video conferenc- ng on the Internet, long-dis- tance education was started n Great Britain years ago. "There is a long tradition of distance learning by televi- sion that precedes the nternet," said Education and communication studies adjunct Prof. Jerome Johnston. "The BBC discov- ered several decades ago that one always needs to bring a class together face- to-face at various times to be effective." Internet and interactive video moni- tors have made it easier for universi- ties to reach remote sites around the world, expanding class size by as much as four times. However, institutions that look to the Internet in that context are taking the wrong approach, Duderstadt said. "I think those institutions that approach the Internet as a cheaper way to educate are' going to fail," Duderstadt said. The future of Internet education "I could very easily see the bulk of a master's degree being given over the Net," Haas said. Duderstadt predicts even more. "Many students, maybe the majori- ty, will get their education this way," he said. However, Academic Outreach has far to go before it can achieve goals like this. "The process we're going through now is to educate the campus about Outreach," Haas said. "My hope we can not currently said Jennie The idea of learning over the Internet is not a new one. The University of Phoenix already offers full degrees over the Internet. Duke University is now offering a Bacherlor of Arts program online, and Pacific Airlines Daewoo Group in Korea. The classes, which rely heavily on the Internet and interactive video, also involve short campus visits to the University. However, potential stu- dents hoping for that under- graduate degree over the Internet may have a long wait. Academic Outreach does not offer many under- graduate credit courses at the University. "We haven't provided much in the way of Internet- based course work," Van Houweling said, adding that he doesn't see the University or Academic Outreach aban- doning the classroom. "For the forseeable future, there will be a residential aspect," Van Houweling said. "I think student-to-teacher interaction is important; also, student-to-student interac- tion." But if students want class- es taught solely through the Internet, they can look just beyond the Ann Arbor cam- pus. Michigan State University recently announced plans to offer courses in home com- puting, nursing, social work and telecommunications over the Internet and there are sor of business technology, teaches a legal research course that incorporates the Internet. She said she can see the appeal of Internet courses because at Eastern Michigan, there are many commuters trying to juggle jobs and education. Cyberspace vs. the classroom The Internet is not a replacement for the class- room, but rather a valuable educational tool, Krustin said. "I felt that the face-to-face element is very impor- tant," Krustin said. "I would be hesitant to do it all over the Internet. It's a supplemental tool. I don't see it as a replacement," Krustin said. Many point to the loss of personal interaction as a major drawback to Internet- and technology-based education. The drop-out rate with these type of courses is higher than residence courses at some col- leges, but Van Houweling said this will not be the case if students are taking the Internet classes in addition to classes on campus. "Courses offered to individuals not involved in a learning community have a higher drop-out rate," Van Houweling said. "There is no reason to suppose we will be any less selective for Academic Outreach than is the residential community." The new mode of learning shouldn't prompt reg- istered students to quit the classes though, Haas said. "The early indication is people can learn very, vrv e ffectivelv from technolop-v I think the dron- Academic create excitement around the idea." Links to Internet education http://www.outreach. umich. edu/ Potential students can browse the Spring/Summer course listings for Academic Outreach. The website opens today for these courses. http://www.Isa.umich.edu/ ecb/index.htm! Cyber-tutoring by English Composition Board tutors via the Internet http://www.outreach. umich.edu/muac/ ThnIIinct nin-a ri tra