Personalized online learning programs help students achieve professional goals
- By Gabby Christensen / Midlands Business Journal staff writer -
Local colleges and universities say personalization of online learning programs is making it easier to better serve variety of students and lifestyles.
Dr. Mark White, director of instructional technology at College of Saint Mary, said online education continues to flourish in today's marketplace as universities expand online offerings at the undergraduate and even more so at the graduate level.
"In spite of enrollment declines in higher education over the past five years, online education enrollment has been steadily increasing," White said. "At the same time, perceptions of online learning quality and value are high with the vast majority of students agreeing that the quality of online is equal or better than similar on-campus option. Online students are very diverse, however data suggests the majority of them are looking at employment as their primary goal of taking an online program."
Technology in online delivery systems has continued to improve.
"New technologies in artificial intelligence now enable more personalization in student learning for students at CSM," White said.
Additionally, he said the arrival of video to online courses has transformed the idea that online courses are simply submissions of text-based answers in the form of papers or discussions.
"Such personalization provides more individual attention, leading to quicker understanding and better retention of the content," White said.
Rebecca Murdock, dean of the College of Business at Bellevue University, said one of the most powerful trends in online learning is to create programs that have focus and framework built in.
"Not only do students know exactly what will be happening throughout the entire duration of their program, they can actually see the finish line, which helps them stay focused and engaged," Murdock said. "Bellevue University's new Doctorate of Business Administration program is good example of this. The program is 100% online and is structured so students know what they'll be focusing on throughout the three-year program."
Murdock said the Bellevue University DBA program allows students to personalize their program by selecting an applied doctoral project on complex, multi-dimensional topic that is unique to their interests, and which they may already be facing inside their organization.
"Online learning programs like our DBA degree allow students, even at the doctoral level, to balance their studies with busy professional and personal schedules," Murdock said. "Because students are able to personalize their program by choosing an applied doctoral project that they're passionate about, they can achieve outcomes outside of academia."
Andrea Butler, associate vice president for academic affairs-online operations at Doane University, said Doane has experimented with five trending innovative strategies to support and personalize online learning, including incorporating microlearning into some online programs, implementing adaptive learning, exploring artificial intelligence and learner assistance, adding gamification and game-based learning to online courses and, finally, exploring augmented, virtual and mixed-reality using graphics, overlays and images that appear in 3D to help learners better connect to content.
"Our learners are benefiting from data-rich online environment," Butler said. "We are creating courses and programs with adaptive pathways and relevant content helping learners go at their own pace, with engaging curriculum with the support and attention that learners need to succeed."
Butler said learning environment that is adaptive, dynamic and supportive of learner makes better learning experience. "Time is precious commodity, and learners do not want to have to do busy work," Butler said. "Rather, they want to focus on their mastery of topic and appreciate the ability to move more quickly through topics or material in which they might have familiarity or quickly learn."
