Online v. Traditional Learning

An ongoing debate in higher education continues to revolve around whether or not an online education is superior, equal, or inferior to the traditional, on-campus setting. Some college programs refuse to offer e-learning programs, while others have made it the cornerstone of their current and future efforts. In our opinion, the debate is misdirected. The reality is -- both methods are viable educational environments. And whether some colleges like it or not, e-learning is here to stay and likely to grow as the demand for it continues.

But to help students better understand whether or not an online program is right for them, we’ve provided some details on our distance education format at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Executive MHA and Executive MPH programs.

Quality of Program
The Executive MHA and Executive MPH programs have the exact same requirements for graduation as the residential program. Thus, whether a student is enrolled in the executive or residential MHA program, he or she is expected to complete 60 hours of coursework. In addition, the course content is nearly identical. For example, both MHA programs teach operations research, health law, epidemiology, and a number of other similar courses. The same is true for both Master of Public Health programs. This duplication has been a conscious decision by the department in order to provide the highest quality education, regardless of the delivery system.

Quality of Faculty
At UNC-Chapel Hill, the Executive Masters Program uses many of the same faculty that teach courses in the residential program. Those faculty members who teach in both have proven adept at adapting to each format, in most cases figuring out through trial-and-error which techniques work best for each environment. In fact, many say that their residential experience has improved because of the techniques they learned through the online environment.

Student and Faculty Interaction
One of the biggest misconceptions about an online learning environment is that there is little interaction between students and faculty. The reality is, in fact, just the opposite. There can often be a great amount of interaction occurring. Whether it’s an instant messaging format or a conference call environment, a live classroom session via the Internet can be just as lively, if not more so, than a traditional classroom. One reason for a potentially higher level of interaction is that it’s often expected. Because of the physical limitations of interactive learning, both faculty members and students tend to rely on other forms of interactivity.  

That’s not to say that some online courses do not have student participation. A lot depends on the instructor and the expectations he or she sets for the class. But many traditional classrooms lack interactivity as well, especially if an instructor relies on lecture slides, has a dull or uninteresting presentation style or discourages discussion. Thus the online format is not the problem in most cases involving a lack of interaction. It often rests with the communication abilities of the instructor.

In summary, online classrooms can be just as effective for learning as traditional classrooms. While some colleges and universities may try to cut corners by using less qualified instructors for the online format or lowering their standards, the Executive MHA and Executive MPH programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill do neither, thus providing a student with the highest quality education regardless of the delivery system that works best for his or her situation.