Words of advice from an online instructor

Capella professor compares online and on-campus learning experiences

Jerry Halverson Jerry Halverson, PhD, is a faculty member at Capella University's School of Education, where he teaches Leadership in Higher Education and Higher Education Administration. He has more than 40 years of experience in teaching and education administration, including five years as a regional director with Michigan State University and 16 years as the dean of New College, an undergraduate program for working adults at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. He joined Capella University in 1998 as dean of Capella's School of Undergraduate Studies and has also served as Capella's acting dean of the School of Business and vice president of academic quality.

World Wide Learn talked with Jerry about the differences he has observed between an online education and education at a traditional “bricks and mortar” institution.

World Wide Learn:	What made you interested in teaching online?
Jerry Halverson:	I like the collaborative nature of teaching online. At traditional institutions, the focus tends to be on covering a certain amount of material. The onus is on the student to take the material and learn from it. At Capella University, my job as a faculty member is to facilitate learning by interacting with all students and encouraging interaction among students. These interactions help them learn new material, connect it to what they already know, and share it with others.
World Wide Learn:	How do you encourage interaction in an online learning environment? Isn't that more difficult to do than when you're in a face-to-face learning environment?
Jerry Halverson:	The online environment actually provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the faculty member and each other. Let me give you an example. At Capella, our courses are broken into one-week units. There are required reading assignments for each unit, followed by two or three questions to which students must respond. In their responses to these questions, students must provide evidence they have read the material and demonstrate their understanding by applying it, when possible, to their own situation. They are also required to respond to two or three other students. As the faculty member, I read all responses and provide my own comments and/or encourage students to reflect further on the topic. I interact with 100 percent of the students in the class, and they interact with each other, learning about the challenges, perspectives and values of classmates from all over the United States and often, other countries. In contrast, maybe 10 percent of the students in a traditional face-to-face classroom are actively engaged in the learning process. The faculty member only interacts with those people who raise their hands. In the online environment, in a sense, everyone is raising their hands.
World Wide Learn:	Are online students different from on-campus students?
Jerry Halverson:	Online learning isn't for everyone. Students must be self-motivated. Many people don't have that discipline. They prefer to be in a classroom with other students and are motivated, in part, by having to be at that classroom at a certain time. And that's fine – there are many ways to learn.
World Wide Learn:	Are there other differences between online instruction and campus instruction?
Jerry Halverson:	Judging from my own experience, course development would be one difference. At traditional educational institutions, many courses are developed by a single person – the faculty member who teaches the course. That's not inherently bad, but it does mean the course reflects the knowledge, values and perspectives of only one person. At Capella, course development is a collaborative process. We have two, three or more faculty members design a course, and they discuss the content and learning outcomes from their multiple perspectives. As a team, we are able to examine the knowledge and skills graduates will need to function in a certain capacity – for example, school superintendent, university president, or dean, in the courses I teach. We then collaborate on a selection of readings and exercises designed to help the students succeed.
World Wide Learn:	What advice would you give to someone who is considering going back to school to get a degree?
Jerry Halverson:	I think many people focus too much on the credential itself: Should I get a master's or PhD? Should I get an MBA or an MS in business? I would encourage potential students to examine where they want to make difference, what they want to improve upon, and what issues, knowledge and skills they will need to succeed. After that, the selection of the credential and the “right” institution is relatively easy.