Kent State University - School of Journalism and Mass Communication
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By Holly Schoenstein and Danielle Wiggins for The Co-Lab The digital revolution isn't only changing the media management model, it's also altering the classroom management model. In order to market themselves as cutting edge institutions, universities are offering much more coursework online to attract additional students and increase revenues. It's an initiative branded 'distance learning.'Â Kent JMC is on the bandwagon. The school offers a masters program for journalism educators in reporting and editing. It's almost all online. The school is also considering taking its public relations masters program completely online. A decision will be made soon.
Fruit does not foresee online-only classes dominating future JMC curriculum. However he does believe the Web is changing the collegiate teaching model. "It's no longer the old traditional lecture course," says Fruit. "I think you're going to see a much more diverse delivery system. You're going to get more of those blended courses where they are face to face courses but they have significant online elements and professors can then do other things with their live class time." Eight JMC online only courses are being offered this summer through Kent's main campus. The school will also offer Fundamentals of Media Messages to students enrolled at KSU regional campuses.  Five online only classes will be offered in the fall. Four of those are apart of the masters program for journalism educators. A Program that's Almost There The Kent State reporting and editing masters program for journalism educators is one of a kind. The program will soon be the only completely online masters degree for educators through an accredited school of journalism and mass communication. Not all of the courses in the reporting and editing track for journalism educators are online. However, students entering the track can expect to take most of the courses in this alternative format by the time they graduate. Typically, three online classes in the track are offered each semester.
year, is being able to do so from any place in the country -- and pay in-state tuition -- without having to leave home," she says. Tantillo is retired high school journalism and English teacher and newspaper adviser. She lives part of the year in McHenry, Ill. and the rest in Naples, Fla. She consults with scholastic journalism teachers anywhere via e-mail. There are about 20 students enrolled in the program. Bowen says online classes don't "work" as well as on-campus classes, but the program is working on ways to improve the atmosphere. "We've found ways to make them as close to the real time as possible," Bowen says. "We've done a lot to try to make it as warm and fuzzy as possible."Â Same quality education But Trevor Ivan, a second-semester graduate student in the journalism educators track, feels he is getting the same quality of education from online courses, just in a different format. "Overall, I'd say they've (the courses) been very positive," Ivan says. "I enjoy the freedom of doing things at my own pace." This semester Ivan is taking two online classes and plans to take at least one or two more before he graduates. He says students need to be disciplined to keep up with immediate due dates and have good time management and communication skills.
"I was unsure how the technology would work and whether I would be comfortable with it. I was anxious about how I would be able to interact with students without physically seeing them." Tantillo and Bowen worked together to design the reporting and editing course. Both professors believe students will not be put at a disadvantage simply because they take the course online. "We worked very hard to ensure the online course content was every bit as rigorous as an on-campus course," says Tantillo. "The major difference would be we would have more group work with students physically present together in class. Physical presence would make the coaching aspects of the class run more smoothly, but the students in last fall's reporting class did manage to have electronic coaching sessions." Distance Learning at the University Level Kent State University is showing a commitment to rolling out more online degree programs and online courses. The University currently offers over 100 online courses this semester and recently hired an executive director to oversee continuing and distance education. The crown jewel of the University's efforts was the 2009 debut of the online bachelor of science degree in nursing. It's the first undergraduate online degree program at the university. "The launch of the RN-BSN program exceeded our expectations and it continues to generate hundreds of inquiries each month," says Deb Huntsman, Executive Director of Continuing and Distance Education. "Online courses are particularly important for adult students who work full-time and the convenience of an online course or degree program allows them to continue their education." And that's the goal of distance learning at KSU – to attract new students to the University from around the state and the nation. Huntsman has not identified the number of new students enrolled in online classes nor has she determined the return on investment for online courses and degree programs. Huntsman does say that the University is currently studying the overall effect of online education at Kent State. ____________________________ Summer 2009 JMC Media Power and Culture, Fundamentals Fall 2009 JMC Media Power and Culture, Reporting for Mass Media, ____________________________
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