Two important online education organizations, University Professional Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and Online Learning Consortium (OLC), recently sent a joint letter to members of congress serving on two education committees regarding misconceptions about the quality of online education expressed in recent public statements. While the letter focuses on complete courses offered by universities and colleges, its message is relevant to the OpenCourseWare (OCW) movement, as well, because of the important role OCW plays in providing both content that online faculty can use for teaching and resources that students can use to supplement their online studies.
The letter highlights rigorous academic research showing that students achieve learning objectives just as effectively (if not more effectively) in online courses as they do in classroom-based courses. It also points out that so-called “non-traditional” learners (i.e. those who are not full-time students in their late teens and 20s) comprise more than 80 percent of today’s degree-seeking students in the U.S. Online education is often the best option because these students work and support families, and usually cannot take time to attend face-to-face classes.
Needless to say, online education has become a key feature in America’s educational landscape and OpenCourseWare is poised to expand its role in serving the needs of online teachers and learners.
You can read the letter here.