Two University of Arkansas schools that deal with food and agriculture are using online options to reach more students.
In the fall, the University of Arkansas School of Law is adding distance learning as an option for its master of laws program in agriculture and food law while the UA’s department of agricultural education, communications and technology says enrollment in its master’s degree program in agricultural and extension education increased significantly after it began offering online classes in 2012.
Both programs are supported by course designers at the University of Arkansas Global Campus.
There were 6,122 students taking at least one online class at the UA during the fall semester of 2013, a 74 percent increase over fall 2012 and a 399 percent jump from 2008 when the first online classes were offered, according to statistics provided by the UA. The various colleges at the university added six new online programs in 2013.
According to a 2013 report, “Online College Students” by Kentucky-based The Learning House, Inc., in 2011 there were about 21 million college students in the U.S. and of those about 6.7 million were taking at least one online course. The report indicated students felt the greatest advantage of online programs is flexibility and the freedom to manage other responsibilities. The Learning House works with colleges and universities to create and manage online degree programs and courses.
Javier Reyes, vice provost for distance education at the UA, said while online options are flexible, the courses must be as viable and useful for the students as traditional classes.
“Quality is key, otherwise it will not work,” he said
Susan Schneider, director of the masters of laws program at the UA School of Law, said Wednesday the law school’s agriculture and food law program is unique in the United States, making it a good fit for distance learning. She said growing interest from around the nation in the program and the emerging nature of food law practice, made offering a distance option an easy decision.
She said despite the interest in the program, it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, for an attorney with a busy practice to pick up and move to attend classes, no matter how attractive the program. Schneider said the distance learning technology allows for the networking, debate and questioning that goes on in a law school classroom without actually having to be in the room.
When the program begins in the fall of 2014, distance learning students will participate in classes in real-time through videoconferencing while other methods like online exercises allow them to keep up when their schedules don’t allow for live participation. All students can take classes online or on campus, including two to five day courses taught by visiting experts.
The Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences first offered its master’s degree in agricultural and extension education online in 2012. Those with the degree seek careers as agricultural science teachers, extension agents and agricultural professionals. At that time, seven of the 22 students took classes online. By the fall of 2013, enrollment was 36 with 22 students taking online classes.
Professor Donna L. Graham, the graduate coordinator for the agricultural education, communications and technology department, said interest in the online program continues to grow as it reaches more and more students who are “place bound.”
She explained that term went beyond geographic limitations. Being place bound represents a myriad of situations from a job a student doesn’t want to forsake to a financial situation that does not allow a life change to become a full-time student.
Graham said as the program continues to mature she’s hearing more and more from students who are out of state interested in the UA degree.
“I get at least one request a week from out of state,” she said.
Business, Pages 27 on 03/13/2014