When I started my educational career at Penn State I was extremely hesitant to engage in distance education. In reality I was also probably biased against untraditional forms of education. What I quickly realized was that the information age has transformed the way that individuals interact with information, and it has altered the way that institutions such as Penn State fulfill their mission.
Students sharing ideas in the World Campus Psychology Club.
When a conversation about e-learning begins, there always seems to be the inevitable digression to the lack of social interaction found in such programs. Reducing higher education to a social experience not too different than a Thursday night at the coffee house. Forget about skills in time management, writing, and dedication, there seems to be a common perception that online education is largely less beneficial because it deprives socially starving pupils the face-to-face interaction that has been the cornerstone of education.
Suppose education really is all about rush week and skipping class, and maybe last minute cram sesh’es are the best way to learn. Heck, I don’t know.
This social component seems to be at the forefront of the mission of the World Campus Psychology Club at Penn State. The program uses social media, videoconferences, chat rooms, and phone calls to connect students from all over the world. In my experience I have never met such a mission-focused group of students in my life. Students seek help and advice from other students in a way that fosters development.
The technological revolution really is an enigma, when society will accept the advances made in the last century are hard to predict. Remember the state of online dating in 1995? My mother met and married on the internet in 2000, and even in the new millennia that was completely unheard of and hotly debated. In 2015 online dating is nearly as common as, for lack of a better term, organic relationship development.
Information is available at the tips of our fingers; one can research the migration patterns of the Canada goose while sitting eating a pizza. Nearly every book written in modern history is available with the click of a button, and our minds are constantly stimulated with new information. Yet, with all these advancements, the idea of one actually learning in an environment like this is sometimes relegated to simply a step-up from a Wikipedia search. Why?
What else can we do?
In addition to club member interaction, collaboration, and support, the World Campus Psychology Club is beginning efforts to bridge another gap in online education – graduation. The reasons for completing one’s education online are often related to cost and location. Both of these pose a significant hurdle in the context of graduating since students are dispersed across the world. Some students work two, three, and even four jobs to pay for their education, and when it is all said and done the cost to attend their graduation is simply too great.
The World Campus Psychology Club is working on the development of a fund to bridge this gap. Further providing for the social needs of students from the moment they enroll in classes and beyond graduation.
Stay tuned for information on how to donate to the fund.
For questions related to the graduation project contact Cody Gustaveson at cog5225@psu.edu
