Virtual universities

Courses are just a double click away. But how do you assess the quality of an online programme. Reema Saffarini talks to Barry Harper, dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Wollongong Australia.

Enrolling in a virtual university can be very convenient. Course requirements and classes are just a double click away. You do not have to remain glued to a chair for two or three hours a day listening to lecturers ramble on in class when you can be out there doing whatever you usually do.

Online education has made the lives of many students and professionals easier. These are online education institutes that do not require face-to-face interaction, said Barry Harper, dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Wollongong Australia.

But finding the right virtual university, accreditation and quality control and the value of an online degree in the workplace are still issues that need to be tackled and clarified.

If you try to run an internet search on "online education", you'll end up with more than a million web pages offering long distance learning opportunities, e-learning systems, cheap online courses … great packages, comfortable payment schemes and so on. But the issue is how a student can choose the right virtual university or online programme.

Quality issues

"There are hundreds of online universities now around the world. It is difficult and even exhausting to find and choose the right, accredited university. Students need to be careful that what they choose is recognised by the country's ministry of education or national education body," said Harper.

The search may involve various methods. "Look for an online programme offered at a high-quality, accredited university or associated with one. Also talk to people who have been in your situation and were able to attend a virtual university.

"Students can check if an online programme or virtual university is accredited through a list of accredited universities provided by the government or the ministry," he said. Even though finding an accredited virtual university is not as easy as looking up a brick and mortar institute, the process of quality control is the same. "It is very simple. If virtual universities abide by the rules and standards set for established universities, students do not have to worry about the issue of quality and would be more confident to join," said Harper.

"For example, all online subjects at the University of Wollongong Australia are evaluated continuously through internal reviews and the national education body in ways that are identical to the rest of the university's courses," he said.

To Harper, joining an online education programme or enrolling in a virtual university makes life much easier.

"The online environment is more personalised. Students get to choose the topics to log on to and they have direct access to instructors through e-mail, chat rooms and forums. Some even use web-cams," he said.

Harper added that online programmes help those who cannot afford to go to an established university, live in another country, are constantly travelling or are always busy and on the run. "These programmes and universities provide a chance to study on your free time," he said.

When it comes to examinations, virtual universities follow various techniques to prevent fraud. Harper said some universities have invigilators who validate the identity and information of the students taking the exams. Others require students to go to special examination centres. However, some simply depend on a student's integrity and honesty.

"On the other hand, to avoid any problems, many instructors and professors use course work as an assessment tool," he said.

Market perception

Unfortunately, even if students begin to appreciate the advantages of an online education, the marketplace does not accept online degrees easily.

"Degrees whether obtained online or through an established university have one thing in common: quality. Governments and companies are very sceptical about online degrees because there are a million online programmes out there and they never know which is accredited and which is not," Harper said.

But when will such concerns disappear?

"As these universities mature and grow, any quality concerns will be solved. If a virtual university or an online programme is accredited by its country of origin and also by the country it is based in, any doubts about quality will disappear," he said.

Factors that determine the success of a virtual university

Barry Harper, the dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Wollongong Australia, says:
- A good quality learning environment and online support system
- One that provides quick online solutions to students
- One that believes in recruiting skilled instructors