The virtual classroom takes hold

Margaret Fetting, PhD, would not come across as the likeliest candidate for excelling as an instructor in an online learning environment. She composed the text for her latest book, Perspectives on Addiction (published by Sage), not using a word processor or other electronic device, but in longhand.

When originally approached with the idea of teaching some of her courses at the University of Southern California (USC) in an online format, “I was aghast at this,” the adjunct professor recalls. Now, she says her experience in distance education has even served to enhance her teaching skills “on the ground,” in the conventional classrooms where she still teaches classes as well.

“It has forced an organization of the process and content of my teaching that has enhanced my on-ground teaching,” says Fetting, one of the instructor’s in USC’s first-in-the-nation entirely web-based master’s of social work (MSW) academic program.

Individuals such as Fetting serve as important case studies to illustrate the potential benefits of online education for addiction professionals, in that their arguably surprising experiences help shatter many myths that persist about distance learning. Those who believe distance learning will revolutionize professional education can easily rattle off the most prominent comments from naysayers, from the notion that the programs are not academically rigorous to the criticism that they are populated by legions of unscrupulous, money-grabbing educational institutions.

A publication issued by another California institution, California Southern University, cites a 2009 U.S. Department of Education report stating that in general, students who received all or part of their education online performed better than students who received only face-to-face instruction.

The California Southern University publication quotes Michael Lambert, executive director of the accrediting Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), who states, “Of course, there are those with closed minds on the topic who may never be persuaded, remaining steadfast in their perception that learning can only take place in the resident class setting. Maybe a percentage will never be convinced. But this [2009] survey is one more piece of evidence that the method of education is powerful and it works.”

Reflecting learning styles

Observers often say that the distance learner must be more motivated and self-disciplined than the individual doing coursework in a conventional setting, but in some ways Fetting believes the distance learning environment represents a more natural fit for today’s students young and old.

To her, rather than having a student sit through a three-hour lecture of hers, having the student review an hour and 15 minutes of “asynchronous” pre-class material online and then participate in a class of equal duration online makes a great deal more sense. “That’s the way the human mind learns,” she says, especially for busy people who have trouble scheduling attendance at lengthy class sessions that require significant transportation time as well.

The asynchronous content for Fetting’s classes might include transcripts of interviews with leaders in the addiction field, or audiotapes of lectures that Fetting has prepared. The online classes themselves are limited to 14 students in the online classroom; students need only a broadband hookup, a webcam, a headset and a telephone connection to participate. To envision what the class “looks like” online, picture the opening sequence of faces from television’s “The Brady Bunch.”

Fetting was pleasantly surprised that most of what is achieved in a traditional classroom setting can be duplicated online. “It takes some time, but you can create an emotional climate in the room,” she says.

She adds, “The only thing that is different is that [student] participation is really important online. In class, if I have someone who doesn’t like to talk, I can make eye contact with them in order to engage them. That’s a little difficult online, so I’m assertive about participation.”

In essence, Fetting believes each student’s progress must be monitored more closely in the distance learning format, as “it’s an easy place to slip through the cracks.”

She acknowledges that USC’s move to offer an entirely web-based MSW program was not without controversy during the formative stages. But it has also proven extremely popular, with more than 800 students now in the virtual learning setting as compared with about 1,200 in the school’s on-ground academic programs for the MSW.

Having the online option also has offered a personal benefit for Fetting, who now can conduct classes when visiting her partner who lives in Europe. A student can participate in an early-morning class in the States that Fetting is conducting at the end of the day from her remote location, and the process is seamless for everyone.

Who this appeals to

A professor in the behavioral sciences school at Northcentral University, a regionally accredited institution that conducts all of its degree programs in a distance learning format, says his institution’s offerings tend to appeal to individuals who want and need to continue working as they further their education.

“We tend to have an average age that’s a little older than what you see at the brick-and-mortar settings,” says James Tille, PhD. “Some are completing one career and wanting to go into another.” Coursework at Northcentral also can be taken on a non-degree basis.

Tille considers the distance learning format to be advantageous because it gives some individuals working in the addiction field an immediate opportunity to use what they learn. “They’ve got their feet on the ground for practically applying the things they’re learning,” he says. This in turn should make the online option favorable for the treatment programs that employ these learners.

Although no on-site campus requirements exist in Northcentral’s bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate programs, the institution places a strong emphasis on one-to-one faculty mentoring, its officials state.

Tille believes that distance learning options for individuals looking to move into the addiction field or simply to broaden their knowledge base in addictions will continue to grow. “We have a large number of people who want to do these things but can’t leave the life that they’ve already established,” he says.
Tille continues, “The ones who succeed with this are self-starters, those who can balance the things in their life and can set priorities.”

He says it is important for individuals researching their options to find a program that matches their professional goals. Tille, who also teaches addictions at a seminary, says those planning to work in a state agency might need to enroll in a regionally accredited online program to a greater extent than those planning to work in a faith-based setting, for example.

He adds that students must ensure that the programs they seek to attend are deemed acceptable by licensing and certification authorities in the states in which they choose to practice. He says regional accreditation such as the accreditation Northcentral University has from the Higher Learning Commission tends to be the most widely accepted national standard.

“There are some exceptions, as some authorities still look at distance learning as not being quite up to standard. But they’re falling by the wayside fast,” Tille says.