Backgrounder

Hello fellow teammates and viewers, please take a look at some topics I plan to include in my backgrounder. Any feedback or ideas would be greatly appreciated! If there is a topic you would like me to include please let me know.

Enhancing online graduate programs at Marist College

In the course of working toward the mission of making the program more cohesive and interactive, a team of current online graduate students have recognized problematic areas within online programs and what can be done to fix them. The top three major concerns with online graduate programs is lack of accreditation, limited face-to-face interaction, and reliance on self-discipline. There are several ways the program can evolve to meet the needs of students and stand out from competitors.

History of online education

The idea of distance learning is not something new; it is an idea that is over 125 years old that started off as a correspondence degree. The concept of a correspondence degree is that the instructor and student were separated, materials were mailed, and the students worked on their own time. In 1960 the University of Illinois created intranet system for students to access lectures and course material. Online programs have evolved tremendously since then but fail to keep up with everything technology has to offer.

Online learning has been on a steady incline, more students are choosing to take online courses or enroll in online based programs. In a fast paced society online programs are convenient, affordable, and a requirement for certain career paths. As society continues to advance around technology, more areas of study will require experience with online platforms.

Where Marist stands today

Marist College currently offers six online graduate degrees and two graduate certificate programs. Each program is flexible offering the option to complete the degree at your own pace as a part-time or full-time student. The curriculum for each program is pre-constructed with a timeline for when the courses will be completed. The institution offers students small class-sizes to provide individualized attention and make it easier to build relationships. The courses are offered through iLearn which is the classroom for all online graduate students; it is a place where they can access lesson plans, assignments, study materials, and interact with their classmates and instructor.

Addressing concerns

Solutions