Submitted by Western Governors University Ohio.
As the COVID-19 pandemic forces college campuses across the state to make hard decisions about whether to teach in-person classes this fall, one Ohio university is mostly business as usual. Western Governors University Ohio draws on two decades of institutional knowledge about the techniques and technology of online learning.
“Having years of experience as a nonprofit, online-only institution, WGU is not only skilled at online learning, we also know the kind of supports and assurances students are looking for when they consider pursuing an online education,” K.L. Allen, state director of WGU Ohio, said.
With thousands of Ohio college students facing uncertainty this fall about where and how their classes will be taught, Allen suggested five questions they should ask about taking college-level courses online.
1. Will I have the help and mentoring I need if I’m not face-to-face with my instructors? As an exclusively online university from its start, WGU knows that students thrive when they have support. Learning online doesn’t mean learning alone. But that means students must feel connected, even when they’re working on their own schedule, in their own way. To succeed, a student needs someone to check on their progress, help them with any needs, and keep them connected to the career path.
2. Will I be in control of my online learning? Many college students must balance coursework with demands of work or family obligations – often both. To reach that balance, students need to know they’re in control of their education. For effective online learning, students need to do their work when and where it is best for them so they can manage jobs and families alongside their schooling.
3. Does my online degree have value? When it comes to online higher education, students want to know their degree holds the same value as one earned in a traditional classroom. More than ever, accredited online degree programs are well-received by employers.
But many online schooling programs aren’t accredited, which can make their degrees less valuable as career builders.
4. Is an online college education cost-effective? In the face of the pandemic’s economic turndown, students are looking for a degree program that meets their needs without breaking the bank.
With no campus or classrooms, an accredited, online-only school like WGU can keep tuition costs low. A school’s accreditation matters here as well, since it opens federal tuition assistance, loans and grants that non-accredited schools cannot offer.
5. Will I have transfer options for any earlier college credits?
Transfer options for previous college-level work, including advanced high school courses, are important to help students who want to apply those credits toward their online degree. For example, WGU’s transfer policy allows students to use their past course work to waive courses.
With or without waivers, the competency-based education model, an approach pioneered at scale by WGU, lets students use their experience to move more quickly toward a degree.
Western Governors University was established in 1997 by a partnership of 19 state governors to offer students, particularly adult learners, the chance to go to college while working and caring for their families. In 2018, Ohio became the eighth state to join the WGU partnership, part of policymakers’ efforts to close Ohio’s skills gap with a new pathway for adults to seek careers in such in-demand careers as healthcare and nursing, business, teaching and information technology.