Online Graduate Education: Design and Competency-Based Models

Introduction: The Adult Learner and the Case for Online Graduate Education

When a practicing school administrator attended her county's administrator forum, it became clear that the rumor about the "Good Old Boys" network was not exaggerated. Sitting across the table from fifteen district superintendents, not one of them was a woman. There was only one other woman in the assembled group, and like our subject she held a lower position on her district's administrative team. Just as she had done throughout her entire career, she made the decision not to let the statistics change her course; she was more determined than ever to proceed and succeed.

During the next few months she began researching her situation, and after reading several articles about women in upper management, she became keenly aware that a doctoral degree would help level the playing field for women like her who want to reach the higher levels of administration in the K-12 education arena. She enjoyed her job as a district curriculum developer and adequately met the responsibilities of the job description; however, she was interested in broadening her administrative skills and reaching the top.

Like so many other school administrators, she was "baptized by fire" and developed management and leadership skills on the job. The culture of her district is rather isolationist, and mentoring is not widely practiced. Just a few years earlier, when the Internet was first becoming a popular phenomenon, she had been an early adopter at her school as a teacher. She used the World Wide Web with her students and often created assignments that involved email and discussion groups for researching classroom curriculum. Seen as an up-and-comer, she was recruited to share her talents with others in the district. To supplement the leadership skills she learned from peers, she attended workshops through professional organizations, district-sponsored administrative training, and courses at a local private university — all leading to a preliminary administrative credential. All these efforts helped to advance her within the administrative ranks of her district; however, it was clear that an advanced degree would make her more marketable.

Career advancement is her primary focus, although balancing professional responsibilities with personal life presents a real challenge. Married for twenty-two years, she lives with her husband and a seventeen-year-old daughter; her other daughter recently married and lives nearby with her husband and a new grandchild. Living in rural Northern California adds another layer of difficulty — the nearest small city is sixty miles down a winding two-lane road, and harsh winters can make accessing resources difficult. Realizing that a doctoral program would require a tremendous commitment, she feels fortunate to have her husband's support and is glad her family has matured. Nevertheless, her job and family demand constant attention, as does the desire to spend time with her new grandchild. Time and energy commitments are major factors when exploring doctoral programs.

Learning from a college friend now enrolled in a Doctoral Program in Education Management, she discovered that the program caters to the practicing administrator who wants to earn an advanced degree while continuing to work. "They meld management theory and my daily duties as a principal into assignments that are so practical; I love it!" As someone already comfortable with technology, she was also encouraged to learn that the program offers a track using online technologies to make learning both engaging and efficient.

This composite character, though based on realistic facts, is a fictitious figure developed to illustrate a typical candidate for doctoral programs designed for working professionals. Lee Murphy, writing in Marketing News, describes the number of institutions coming online as a tidal wave. Data indicate that the number of schools offering online courses doubled in a single year and that student enrollment in these programs shows a ten-fold increase over that of traditional on-campus programs (Murphy 2000). There are clear advantages to online delivery of graduate-level programs, but for institutions without the resources or expertise to implement them effectively, technology has not yet delivered on its promise. Prospective students like the one described above must still ask: "What about me? What about the things I already know and can do? Where will I spend my time and energy?"

For the growing numbers of colleges and universities joining the online education community, providing curriculum access through technology is only the beginning. Tougher questions follow: "We're online, webbed, and communicating — now what?" "What does 'effective integration of learning technology' really mean?" And as candidates enter programs with increasingly advanced skills, how can doctoral programs achieve measurable results within a competency-based system? The question "How are we using the technology?" demands a real answer.

Moving into the online environment, and with a primary focus on applying management theory to the practices and processes of administering educational institutions, graduate doctoral programs in education management face new design challenges. How should they address the unique needs of the adult learner in an online environment? How can a program deliver its education management theory courses in a competency-based model online and still retain the high-touch quality that sets it apart from the competition? And what assessments will guide a competency-based program?

College-based distance learning has been gaining momentum since the technological explosion began. The ability to take classes online — through chat rooms, email, websites, and other avenues — has been steadily growing for the last twenty years. Online instruction can take many forms. Students may visit a website to download course material, homework assignments, or tests; upload completed work through the same site; and receive grades electronically. They can also be directed to attend chat rooms at scheduled times for classroom-style instruction, which offers the opportunity to ask questions and interact with peers. Instruction and assignments can likewise be delivered and submitted by email, and interaction among students can be facilitated through email list systems.

Growth of Distance Learning and the Nontraditional Student

There are many positive aspects to online learning and many valid reasons to pursue it. Distance, time constraints, and a preference for more self-directed study are all legitimate motivations for choosing online courses. In recent years, the use of online courses for graduate work has received increasing attention. While online undergraduate instruction has been an accepted method for many years, the conventional wisdom held that graduate-level study required on-campus attendance. This assumption has interfered with many people's desire to earn advanced degrees. Many otherwise bright and capable professionals have seen their career growth stunted by the inability to advance their educational credentials. Women in particular are often prevented from climbing into upper management. Shouldering the dual burden of supporting and caring for a family, many women are squeezed out of senior positions because they lack advanced degrees. Providing a pathway to earn graduate credits online would allow these individuals to complete their degrees and advance their careers.

The demographics of college campuses have changed dramatically. In 1997, the most recent statistics available at the time, 42% of all college students were "nontraditional students," according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In 1973, nontraditional students made up only 12% of the college population. Nontraditional students — also referred to as adult, re-entry, or returning students — are defined as anyone who is 25 years of age or older, married, a parent, or has been out of school for at least three years. This population, increasing every semester, is changing the way courses are offered at community colleges and universities nationwide.

The average age of college students is rising each year. Studies show the current average age of students at surveyed universities to be 25 or older, reflecting the reality that many people are returning to pursue higher education after years in the workforce. This trend further underscores the point that students are balancing families and careers alongside their studies. All of this points to a clear and growing need for graduate coursework offered online. As one observer noted, "Nontraditional students typically have to maintain full-time employment, a family, and other responsibilities of adult life. Colleges must consider these needs in order to successfully maintain this ever-growing demographic group of students."

The demand for online graduate degree courses is becoming more pronounced as economic pressures intensify. Those who have lost jobs believe a higher degree will help them re-enter the market; those who are still employed believe a master's degree will protect their position in the future. Moreover, as adults progress through their careers they develop an interest in promotions and advancement that require graduate-level credentials, yet they do not always have the freedom to attend traditional classes. As Murphy observed, "Many of our students are going back to school to improve themselves or for a love of learning. Most come back for reasons related to their careers — they want a promotion or a career change."

Distance learning classes have grown at an exceptional rate since they were first widely offered in 1996. At the time of writing, there were at least three million distance learners nationwide attending one of the 54,000 online education courses offered in 1998. Forty-four percent of higher education institutions were offering distance learning classes, up from 33% in 1995, according to NCES. Part of the reason distance learning for graduate programs has been slow to develop is the institutional assumption that it cannot fully educate students or produce outcomes comparable to those of traditional instruction. Recent research has challenged this view. According to a study by the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment, "Distance learners do as well or better in their courses than traditional students, and surprisingly, interact with the instructor more than their campus-based contemporaries." As one program administrator explained: "We only allow highly motivated, screened students to attend distance learning classes and they generally are adults. That is why we have such a high success rate."

As many college classes have found their way onto the Internet to enhance their curricula, several universities have also begun offering entire courses and even full degree programs online. Using virtual bulletin boards and email, most universities offering these new programs gear their efforts toward working adults who could not otherwise pursue degrees in higher education.

Recently Stanford launched a master's program in Engineering that can be completed entirely online. According to John Hennessy, dean of Stanford's School of Engineering, "We are going to give the people in the industry the same courses as if they were on campus." One notable difference from the in-person program is the timeline: the on-campus degree can be completed in one year, while the online program allows students to spread the work over three to four years. The curriculum is described as nearly identical by those responsible for its implementation. Rather than attending lectures and labs with other students, online participants follow a self-paced track using materials provided through the World Wide Web. In exchange for in-class participation and standard office hours, students email the professor for assistance and meet weekly with a graduate-level teaching assistant.

Conclusion

The basis for online education programs has been established for years. There are many students who, for various reasons, cannot attend the traditional college classroom. An online graduate program must incorporate the same foundational criteria used in undergraduate online programs, with some additional modifications. Specifically, a graduate online program must ensure access to a graduate advisor and should extend the time allotted for students to progress through the program. These measures help ensure that students meet the required objectives and complete the coursework necessary for the degree.