classes, evening and online programs in droves. We know from recent Sloan Consortium reports that distance learning is still growing at quicker and more significant rates than any other sectors of post-secondary education, with over six million students taking at least one online class annually.The ongoing challenge for administrators and staff in higher education is exacerbated because not only do they need to serve learners during the day and, at times, this same student body in the evening, but also through the virtual classroom. It has been reported on multiple occasions in National Survey of Student Engagement findings that students like and want the flexibility that the online learning modality provides, so it is fair to assume that the virtual graduate classroom is here to stay. Students entering these types of programs usually have some experience working in higher education settings. Areas of emphasis can introduce students to best-practice skills and models in areas like finance, curriculum design, law, distance learning, and student services to plan and manage “best-value� programs that will exceed student expectations. Being successful in the virtual classroom does take a special kind of learner: one who is not only committed to be successful, but also able to study independently with diligence and often without 24/7 academic support. Programs that exist online to serve and develop future educational leaders in the current climate need to be robust, dynamic and professionally relevant. On top of an all-important student centric focus, for graduate students the virtual classroom should be accessible, affordable and flexible. Quality asynchronous programs also need to continue to rise above the fray and help the graduate learner to answer ongoing questions focusing on quality and accountability.This can be done through an institutional commitment that has full-time faculty teaching courses, professional academic advisors available to serve student needs, and in which the integration of e-text books and other resources align to support a quality learning environment. This type of graduate program needs to challenge higher order thinking and promote rigorous study assignments. www.seenmagazine.us
It requires students to demonstrate understanding with regular, relevant writing assignments and must integrate the myriad of soft skills that are often opined by business sector professionals as missing.This can include team building, group development, communication and conflict resolution. For those teaching online graduate level courses, ongoing faculty development via classroom observations, feedback and student course evaluations are all tools that help continue to raise the bar and level of instructional quality. But it is not just instructional quality in the virtual classroom which helps to prepare future leaders.
Looking Forward The long term projections and indicators demonstrate that we will continue to see an increase in enrollment, and even if these trends slow down we will continue to see an increased demand for employees in the higher education sector. It is critically important for university
administrators to continue to find a balance between leadership of programs, accountability to stakeholders, and the ongoing development of employees with an evolved sense of personal ethics. Quality programs — like the Master of Higher Education Administration program at Upper Iowa University — must integrate educational, fiscal and political concepts into graduate level coursework along with those previously identified soft skills in a quality, robust, virtual community where students can develop their own best practice. M. Graeme Armstrong, PhD. is Assistant Professor of Education and Coordinator of the Upper Iowa University Masters of Higher Education Administration (MHEA) program. Dr. Armstrong teaches both face-to-face and online courses in the MHEA program. He earned his bachelor’s degree in management from Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, his master’s degree in organizational development from UIU, and a doctorate in higher education from Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.
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