In the Click of It

A Head-to-Head with DeVry and Ellis University

Popularity in online education programs continues to grow. Ellis University’s David Harpool and DeVry’s Steven Riehs discuss why, telling HRM what benefits these programs can bring.

Dr. David Harpool, President of Ellis University, Harpool’s insights on higher education have been cited in over 100 newspapers and other media sources. He is the author of Survival College: The Best Practices of Traditional and For-Profit Colleges.

Steven Riehs, VP and GM, DeVry Online Division, DeVry Inc., has over 20 years of experience in education, technology and healthcare.

HRM. Online learning continues to gain support from more and more HR departments, but does this method of education equate quality? How can learning online provide the similar experience to in-class learning?
SR. Corporate training was one of the first areas of instruction to be delivered online as HR managers saw how effective it was. So it’s not really ‘becoming ’ accepted anymore to attend college online; it is accepted by millions of organizations .

Online learning definitely means a quality education. DeVry University , for example, is proud to be regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA). The courses that we teach online are built around the exact same learning objectives as our campus courses; it’s just that they are delivered in a different manner.

Online instructors are professionals in the field they are teaching, so they create a classroom environment in which students can reenact the workplace. Students attend webinars, work in teams, work through simulations, form study groups and give virtual presentations so that their college experience is directly applicable to their work experience.

DH. We are not interested in online learning simply equating to on ground learning. We are concerned with whether the students learn what they need to learn. Quality is dependent on the assessment of learning. Ellis University maps the program outcomes – what students need to know and how to do it – to course objectives, which are linked to learning activities, which are assessed not as a graded event but rather did the student master the identified skill or knowledge. That data is compiled into an assessment portfolio that indicates whether or not the student accomplished the programmatic outcomes. The assessed learning activities are also compiled into a professional portfolio for the student to use in joining a profession, acquiring a job, or advancement in a job.

HRM. Learning in this way allows students to create incredibly flexible learning environments, ‘attending’ courses at anytime; in an increasingly more complex, busy and mobile world, how is online education reaffirming the methods of education? What are the pros and cons of learning in this way?
DH. Good online learning is based on learning by doing, social interaction and by applying new and existing learning to real world problems. Online learning on our learning platform reflects how effective organizations actually operate. Our students have to have the discipline to study and review materials, to reflect on study questions, review and conduct research and analysis, interact in small groups, submit projects on time and be accountable for mastering the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in their respective discipline. Students who lack motivation or discipline should avoid online learning.

SR. Educators have long known that students learn in different ways; some by seeing, some by hearing, and others by doing. The most successful online programs deliver course content that addresses these various learning styles. In fact, it’s easier to deliver a very rich interactive learning experience in an online course.

Certainly an online student will need to manage their workload effectively. Compared with an onsite program, students need more self-discipline and time management skills, as they will need to motivate themselves to attend class.

Given today’s business landscape, the pros of online learning are pretty clear. Students learn proven, core concepts that provide the foundation for their entire career. They apply this knowledge to their own lives and jobs by collaborating with instructors and peers to learn from each other.

HRM. With the absence of face-to-face interaction, how can online education institutions ensure that the right dynamic between students and tutors is achieved?
SR. That’s a good question, and the answer is world-class faculty training. Online instructors are really facilitators, which is a wonderful dynamic to achieve as students take ownership of their learning. We hire faculty members who are interested in sharing their industry experiences with students, so it’s like having a new mentor every eight weeks .

There is a lot of research into specific instructional practices that work well for online learning. At DeVry we reinforce these best practices so that there are clear expectations on either side. The best programs have chats, conference calls, online office hours, and live webinars so that there are many opportunities for students and instructors to interact in a meaningful way.

DH. First, our students are working adults who are highly motivated to master the knowledge and skill needed to build a sustainable and rewarding career. The primary relationships in our courses are student to faculty and student to student. Students who attempt to find shortcuts around mastery of the material and skills will struggle with course and comprehensive examinations requiring students to apply what they’ve learned to real world problems. Like on-ground colleges who teach courses in lecture halls that hold 400 plus, if a student wants to cheat they will. However our average class size is 11 and our faculty gets to know our students very well.

HRM. How can organizations benefit from sending their workforce for higher education? As the war for talent continues, how can higher education help bridge the gap in performance, leadership and teamwork?
DH. Our courses, regardless of the discipline are designed to teach students to think critically, communicate effectively with their voice, writing and use of technology, to identify and solve problems, to research and continue life-long learning and to apply new and existing knowledge to the real world. Every percent we increase the number of workers in the United States who earn a college degree reflecting mastery of the five life long learning skills we become a more competitive Country. Advancement in education is the single most important factor to increase soci-economic status in the United States. The future is for those who are educated.

SR. When an organization makes the education of their employees a priority then you are investing in them and in their career. It’s Generation X who tend to be less loyal to employers unless they see a return on their investmen t and it’s the Millennial generation who expect to find a personally fulfilling work environment. These students are huge consumers of technology, and their expectations of using technology extend right into the classroom. Any organization that helps them participate in lifelong learning will clearly benefit from a more talented, motivated, and loyal workforce. On top of that, taking courses online gives your employees the flexibility and balance that they want.

Today’s workplace is a busy, technology-driven, collaborative, diverse, and distance environment. Online students already know how to thrive in this atmosphere while maintain ing a work-life balance. So who better to manage and lead in the 21 st century?

HRM. What are the success stories from online learning that you can tell us about? What do you think the next few years have in store for online education?
SR. We’re pretty fortunate at DeVry that we get to play a part in so many success stories. We have military students that are able to continue their education whether on leave or actively deployed. Just recently we had a student; a working, single mother of three school-aged children, who told her instructor that she wouldn’t be getting her bachelor’s degree at all if it wasn’t for online learning.

Looking ahead, the future of all education is choice. DeVry students have their choice of 90 campus locations as well the ability to take classes online. They can mix and match these locations as best suits their schedule. We’re taking this one step further now with the Keller Center for Corporate Learning , which delivers modular courses targeted to an employer’s needs. By blurring the lines between on-site and online education we know this type of flexibility and service will match students’ demand as they balance careers, personal lives, and education.

DH. There were two young women debate students who I couldn’t get to speak up in class. They took an online course and all of a sudden they found their voice. Once they gained confidence they were able to transfer that to the traditional classroom and eventually both became successful attorneys.

The next few years in online learning will be about quality. Students will not tolerate, nor should they have to, online colleges who call email and Word documents learning. Students will demand interactive platforms that mirror the social and business platforms that are intuitive, engaging, meaningful and fun to use. The acceptance of online learning will continue to grow. More traditional institutions will venture into online learning in a blended model to meet the demands of students and their limited space. Online learning will enter the period of brands based on quality. Convenience and acceleration will continue to count with students, but so will the actual learning experience. We are basing the future of Ellis University on the fact that quality counts.