by Jessica McCann

Online education is hot. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that more than 2.8 million students enrolled in online courses at U.S. colleges in 2000-2001. That's more than twice the enrollment in 1997-1998, and the number just keeps growing.

While the phenomenon of online education is often categorized as revolutionary, it is simply another form of distance learning. And the premise of providing high-quality, convenient education from afar is certainly nothing new.

Arizona State University has been committed to making its courses and degree programs accessible through distance learning for decades. Its pedigree lies in modest technologies such as mail-order correspondence courses first offered in 1935 and television courses pioneered in the 1950s. But the delivery of distance learning is constantly evolving -- and becoming increasingly high-tech.

Today, ASU offers a number of online programs featuring the latest Web-based delivery technologies. They include a bachelor of arts degree in history, roughly a dozen master's degrees, and a handful of certificate and professional development programs. More than 200 online courses were made available during the spring 2004 semester -- everything from Applied Statistics to Western Civilization.

"It's a way to provide greater access to education and to reach people who otherwise are unable to attend classes on campus," said Bette DeGraw, Dean of the College of Extended Education at ASU, which administers the university's online offerings.

Take Stacy Durazo, an online student from Yuma, Arizona. A single mother who works full-time as a high school registrar, Durazo doesn't have a lot of free time. Add her somewhat remote location into the mix, and attending a four-year college simply was not a viable option. Durazo is currently working to complete ASU's online bachelor of arts degree in history. While convenience was her primary motivation, Durazo also discovered another benefit of online education.

"I've really enjoyed the classes, not only for the convenience, but for the challenge," she said. "I feel more challenged when I take my classes online because I feel more responsible; I feel like I have more of a hand in my own education."

That same responsibility in one's own education also can be a pitfall of online education, according to critics. They question, can online courses provide enough structure and guidance to enable students to follow through and complete the work?

"Around 1999, there was this national outcry that, while a lot of people were taking online courses, nobody was finishing," said William Verdini, Associate Dean of the College of Extended Education. "In fact, someone came out with a study that said 50 percent of the people who took classes online dropped out."

Unconvinced these national figures accurately represented ASU's student body, the university conducted its own study in the spring of 1999. It found that roughly 89 percent of students enrolled in its online classes that semester had completed the course -- essentially the same completion rate of ASU's traditional, face-to-face courses.

Two years later, the university's Distance Learning & Technology staff did a more thorough survey of online students. The completion rate remained at roughly 89 percent. What's more, 83 percent of students reported that the course effort was the same or higher as a face-to-face course, and 84 percent said they would take another online course.

"Those findings show that our online offerings do, in fact, provide the tools and support that students need to learn and be successful," said Verdini.

Today, about 80 percent of all institutions of higher education offer at least one online course, according to recent study by the Sloan Center for Online Education at Olin and Babson Colleges. Complete online degree programs are offered by 34 percent of all colleges and universities. Among public institutions, the numbers are even more compelling, with 97 percent offering at least one online course and 49 percent offering an online degree program, according to the report, "Seizing the Opportunity: The Quality and Extent of Online Education in the United States, 2002 and 2003."

Online education is, of course, popular among working professionals seeking a flexible alternative to traditional education programs. But, as the university's study revealed, it is also popular among full-time, on-campus students, who make up close to 70 percent of students enrolled in online courses at ASU. Nearly half of those students surveyed said they believed taking the online course would help decrease the time it would take them to graduate.

Demand alone, however, does not guarantee success of online education programs. Such offerings may begin with the concepts of convenience and accessibility; but to be successful they also must be backed by quality and credibility -- the same quality and credibility that stand behind an institution's traditional offerings.

That is one of the elements which distinguishes ASU's online offerings from its competitors. Almost without exception, its online courses are taught by the same distinguished faculty and use the same proven curriculum as its on-campus courses. The new W.P. Carey MBA - Online Program is a prime example.

"We use our own W.P. Carey School of Business faculty. We know from examining other competing online MBA programs that few use school of business faculty exclusively. Many use business faculty from across a university system or they use adjuncts," said M. Johnny Rungtusanatham, Ph.D., Faculty Director of the W. P. Carey MBA - Online Program, and Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management.

The W. P. Carey MBA has been ranked among the best programs in the nation and the world by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Business Week, Financial Times and other respected publications. The online MBA program offers the same quality and depth of the W. P. Carey MBA, with the convenience of Web-based delivery.

The online program also recognizes the effectiveness of students learning together. Similar in structure to the school's Executive MBA program, the online MBA employs the same cohort organization -- a proven model that enables students to connect as a community of learners. For each course, interactive exercises -- completed either individually or in pre-formed teams -- facilitate shared learning. Unlike mass-marketed online programs, the W. P. Carey MBA - Online Program will enforce what Rungtusanatham calls "time fences." Students will be held to deadlines by quizzes and assignments, assuring that they move ahead at the same pace as others in their cohort.

Another advantage of the program is that classes begin twice a year, in January and July, thus offering additional flexibility to potential students.

The new online MBA launched in January, with 48 students from 13 states and four countries. The inaugural class of 2005 was on campus for the mandatory weeklong orientation, which included an introduction to the technology used to deliver the program, their professors and classmates. Students will now pursue their degrees from home, work or on the road.

That same level of quality and convenience is evident in the university's other online degree programs. Just ask Richard Besserman, M.D., who recently completed a master of science in technology degree through ASU East's online program.

A practicing physician for more than 20 years, Besserman also had founded two health industry companies -- one that developed medical instrumentation and another that developed software which aids companies in managing health and safety in the workplace. He currently runs HSE Management, a business development and consulting firm. Enrolling in the online degree program enabled Besserman to continue his business activities while advancing his education.

"It allowed me to manage my schedule, which is a tremendous advantage of the online educational process," said Besserman, whose degree specialty was in emergency management.

And, like Durazo, Besserman encountered some unexpected benefits of being an online student. For example, he was impressed with how the Web-based technology facilitated interaction among students and faculty in the program.

"One of the nice things about online learning is the ability to have a discussion board that enables students to respond not only to questions that are posed by the professor but also to the comments and input of other students," he said. "A discussion board provides a very nice forum in which to communicate. You may not have one-on-one contact in person, but you get to communicate with others in your class and respond to their views and better understand the dynamics of thought of your classmates."

Besserman's chosen degree also is a good example of the way in which ASU's online programs can meet a unique need in the community at large.

The emergency management specialty of the master of science in technology degree has become especially salient since 9-11. For example, it helps prepare students for emergency situations such as a terrorist attack involving hazardous materials. The highly-specialized program is delivered by faculty with specific expertise in areas such as waste management, industrial toxicology and emergency management. Though the demand for such expertise is increasing, few universities have amassed such a brain trust. Through its online degree program, ASU has extended access to that field of knowledge across the country and around the world.

"That's the power of online programs," stressed DeGraw. "For many years, ASU East offered that degree program in person; but now they're doing it online because of the great need to really make it go farther than just Arizona."

It also falls in line with the strategic goals of President Michael Crow in terms of creating the new American University at ASU -- a university marked by excellence and growth, and by creating international outreach and greater access, DeGraw added. "All of those things can be achieved quite effectively through online education."

To learn more about ASU's online courses and programs, visit http://asuonline.asu.edu/.

Test drive ASU's online MBA

Dr. Angelo Kinicki explains online learning.

Members of the inaugural MBA Online class gathered at the main campus to begin the program.