Streamlining Online and Classroom Education for Enhanced Learning

Marian Stoltz-Loike, Vice President, Online Education, Touro College, Dean, Lander College for Women

Marian Stoltz-Loike, Vice President, Online Education, Touro College, Dean, Lander College for Women

Marian Stoltz-Loike drives a transformative initiative, propelling online education to remarkable heights. She ensures consistency in courses and promotes strategic collaboration with the goal of expanding online offerings, aligning with the college's mission to enhance educational accessibility.

In an interview with Education Technology Insights, Marian emphasizes how online education is becoming central to reshaping the traditional learning approaches for greater adaptability and student engagement.

How do you guarantee engagement for remote or online students in your distance learning programs?

We prioritize faculty training to drive excellence in online courses and strive for uniformity and consistency in course structure and methodology. This reduces the cognitive load on students, allowing them to focus on the content and engagement in learning. Our evaluation includes specific questions for online education experiences, gathering data on comparisons with classroom courses, ease of learning, and areas for improvement in assessments.

Semester by semester, the number of students taking online courses has grown steadily. The majority of students are primarily opting for classroom courses and enhancing their learning experience with distance education. On the undergraduate level, there has been an annual increase of 12 to 15 percent in students taking online courses.

This year, there was an increase of 25 percent in terms of students taking online courses to supplement what they’re learning in the classrooms. Courses are designed for flexibility, accommodating in-person classes, internships, and asynchronous learning.

Our staff monitors and ensures that students, especially in synchronized courses, are staying engaged. If there are issues, they reach out to both students and professors, collaborating with deans and others to address any problems.

What challenges exist in effectively managing technology, infrastructure, and platforms for distance learning that current services are unable to provide an optimal solution?

Exploring the distinction between online and classroom courses reveals intriguing challenges, particularly in how online classes are being delivered. For instance, synchronous Zoom classes have a fixed time duration, ensuring students' presence. Because synchronous classes can be done at any time, they can pose other kinds of challenges, especially in tracking students' engagement with external resources. Assessing students' time spent on tasks within the learning management system is challenging due to external engagements like watching videos or writing papers.

“Semester by semester, the number of students taking online courses has grown steadily. The majority of students are primarily opting for classroom courses and enhancing their learning experience with distance education.”

Additionally, the use of online program management (OPM) can lead to standardized content but risks marginalizing learning compared to developing customized materials tailored to students' distinct needs.

Amidst the COVID training initiatives, faculty members appreciated tiered training levels where we had introductory, beginner, medium, and advanced courses. Zoom has enhanced faculty expertise, yet the continual introduction of new software necessitates ongoing training.

In your experience, how has e-learning evolved in higher education, and what role does it currently play in the educational landscape?

Mastering various teaching modalities, including Zoom, asynchronous learning, and technologies like VR and AI, is essential. The flexibility allows faculty to adopt varied teaching approaches and accommodate personal situations.

During COVID, the shift to online education was significant, challenging traditional teaching norms. While some embraced educational technology, others reverted to traditional methods. Primarily, online institutions saw substantial growth, with a 10.2 percent increase at the undergraduate level and 6.2 percent at the graduate level.

Investments in online solutions facilitated the rise of certificate programs, witnessing a nearly 10 percent increase in enrollment. Companies like Google, Adobe and American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) are actively involved in program development, aligning with the acceptance of remote education. Employers now value certificate programs, with 70 percent of human resources managers considering them when hiring.

There's a significant shift in higher education, with a focus on e-learning in graduate programs like education and social work, making evening classes more accessible. This flexibility extends to professional schools like medical and dental, where remote attendance is now an option. Some of our medical schools provide remote education through video lectures, which allows in-person class time to focus on applications and case studies rather than just delivering information.

What advice would you recommend for educators new to university teaching or mentoring junior faculty members?

Faculty must prioritize a student-centric approach, incorporating diverse assessments such as collaborative projects, tech-based assignments, and AI integration to enrich the learning environment. Continuous professional development is necessary, both within and beyond university structures, ensuring adaptability to evolving educational tools.

The integration of software like Mentimeter adds enthusiasm to classroom interactions, accommodating the prevalent use of laptops for note-taking. Educators should actively explore new tools and participate in teaching and learning centers to stay informed, adopting a collaborative teaching community.

Faculties need to be continuous learners, not only in their disciplines but also in educational tools. It enriches classroom experience that aligns with the changing educational landscape, providing students with engaging and effective learning opportunities.