BusinessTN

Distance learning is hardly a foreign idea in the United States. In fact, scholars on distance education suggest that as early as 1873 efforts were sought to expand educational opportunities by corresponding via mail. And by the mid-twentieth century, with the help of advancing technologies in film and radio, the University of Wisconsin established a Correspondence Study Unit that helped boost confidence in distance learning across the country.

Today, the emerging technological revolution is rapidly changing the way we learn. Colleges and universities can no longer solely focus on learning in classroom settings and instead must concentrate efforts on the emerging technology that makes it simple for students and teachers to communicate in non-traditional methods.

With the need for busy, working adults to gain access to better salaries and boost résumés, online learning has become necessary, popular, and in step with our progressive digital economy. And thanks to affordable technology, over 50% of American households in 2006 own a digital camera, a personal computer, a mobile phone, and have Internet access, according to Forrestor.com, a technology forecast site.

Logically then, says Bruce Chaloux, director of Electronic Campus at the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), “online learning is growing by leaps and bounds across the country, and it’s growing faster in the South than in any other part of the country.” To be exact, Chaloux notes that in the past year, online learning has increased by 35%, and the growth rate in the South is rapidly outdistancing that number.

So where does Tennessee fit in the larger picture of online learning? With 35 universities offering online programs and 300 courses available online, Tennessee, while perhaps slightly below other neighboring states according to the SREB, is still making strong headway. And thanks to large efforts by the Tennessee Board of Regents Online Degree Program (RODP), access to higher education through online courses has increased tremendously in Tennessee over the past several years. The program, which was founded in 2001 in the hopes of increasing educational flexibility for Tennessee residents, is comprised of the six public universities, 13 community colleges, and 26 technology centers. Stan Groppel, dean of extended and distance education at Austin Peay State University, says being a member of the TBR “provides students an opportunity to have access to additional programs and degrees that would not typically be available through the individual institutions.”

Located in Clarksville, Austin Peay is quickly becoming a leader in Tennessee’s online course offerings. Whereas in 2006, APSU offered nine online degrees at the associate, bachelor and master level, today they offer twelve, including a newly instituted Bachelor of Science in criminal justice, a Master of Science in management and a Master of the Arts in military history. And enrollment numbers are boosting APSU’s online success: This spring, Groppel calculates a total of 5,042 students—a 27% increase over last spring, and he expects the numbers to continue to rise steadily. Plus, this summer APSU will add an additional undergraduate online program in medical technology.

Nearby, Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville and Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro are also key players in the online educational world. TTU is the only state university in Tennessee that offers an online MBA program, and according to Bob Wood, the director of MBA studies at Tennessee Technological University, “the program has done everything we’ve wanted it to and more. We have been offering the MBA program now for five years, and we have graduated 120 students so far.” While students can turn to the veteran players in the online education field for an MBA—the University of Phoenix and Strayer University—one should bear in mind that TTU was ranked seventh in best overall cost for online education, according to Wood. And cost is something that many students and working professionals may want to carefully consider when choosing a school.

While Austin Peay State University is currently leading the way in utilizing the popular Apple iTunes computer software as an alternative way of bringing classroom multimedia content to students, Middle Tennessee State University is also exploring those avenues, according to David Foster, director of marketing for continuing education and distance learning at MTSU. “Professors nowadays are trying to incorporate all learning styles by incorporating new technology. [Nationwide,] podcasts haven’t caught on as much as you would think, but I think they will over the next five to ten years.” Currently, MTSU offers online bachelor’s degrees in areas such as nursing and advising, and master’s degrees in education, professional studies, strategic leadership, and a Master of Science in nursing.

The University of Memphis has been experimenting in online education since 1995, when they went online with their Master of Arts in journalism degree. And Dan Lattimore, vice provost for extended programs, says the university “is in the process of getting our journalism undergrad degree online by fall and hoping to have our MBA degree online by then, so we could be in the running with Tennessee Technological University.” At Memphis, Lattimore says “the basic profile of the online undergraduate student is a 40-year-old working female who has children and no other time to get an education.”

While many online students are older working professionals or parents who have no time to sit in a traditional classroom, that demographic is changing rapidly as universities begin offering better and more unique programs online. In fact, Pat Westington, East Tennessee State University’s Internet programming coordinator, says she believes “a well-designed and well-executed online course is just as good or better than a face-to-face course,” and in the next ten years we should expect online enrollment to flourish.

Whether or not we should compare online learning to the traditional classroom setting, it’s clear that more and more people are turning to online programs to further their education. And Tennessee has plenty of options to meet one’s needs. Just “do your due diligence,” Foster says, and make sure you pick the right school to meet your requirements. For those curious, try a new online portal added by the state of Tennessee accessible at www.collegefortn.org. But regardless of one’s preference, Chaloux says the technological revolution indicates that “all the lights are green in terms of online learning.”