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NORTHCENTRAL UNIVERSITY ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET
Learner: Stephen W Watts
EL7006-8
Dr. Glen Gatin
Facilitating Adult Learning Online
4 Traditional versus Online Learning
Assignment: Consider and document your own personal decision process and the criteria you
used to decide: (a) to pursue an advanced degree at an online institution rather than a traditional
face-to-face institution; and (b) your decision to pursue this degree online at Northcentral
University over other universities. Compare your decision making process with peer reviewed
research on the topic of why learners choose online over traditional learning. Did you match the
profile? Why or why not? What was the same? What was different?
Develop a short page introduction to online learning for others. Explain the expectations, the
joys, the issues, and any attributes online learners need. Use peer-reviewed research to support
your claims. What should they consider? What lessons have you learned? Length: 5-7 pages; 35 scholarly resources plus support for your criteria.
Faculty Use Only
Very nicely done, Stephen. Great description and personal reflection. Well organized, written
and supported with peer-reviewed publications.
Continue to look for current and emerging theories specific to elearning to frame your analysis.
As this is a doctoral level course, always seek the most conceptual level for your analysis.
I have made a few comments below and on your wiki.
Dr Glen Gatin
June 5, 2012
Running head: WattsSEL7003-8-4
Traditional versus Online Learning
Stephen W. Watts
Northcentral University
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This longer part of the assignment is found online here. The “short page introduction to online
learning for others” is found online here and is included in this paper as Appendix A.
Traditional versus Online Learning
The words traditional and non-traditional regarding education occur in two contexts. In
the literature authors speak of traditional learning and non-traditional learning. In most articles
the distinctions between these two contexts is not defined or explored, but assume that the reader
comprehends their meaning. Most authors of scholarly work regarding non-traditional learners
expect that the reader understands who is a traditional learner and who is not. For some authors
the distinction between traditional and non-traditional hinges primarily on the age of the student
(Bye, Pushkar, & Conway, 2007; Kenner & Weinerman, 2011), if the student is an adult
(Alshare, Freeze, Lane, & Wen, 2011; Antonis, Daradoumis, Papadakis, & Simos, 2011; Baskas,
2011a, 2011b; Gibbons, & Wentworth, 2001; McGlone, 2011), or on the students working and
family status (Bhuasiri, Xaymoungkhoun, Zo, Rho, & Ciganek, 2011; Kenner & Weinerman,
2011; Lapsley, Kulik, Moody, & Arbaugh, 2008; Martinez-Caro, 2011; Park & Choi, 2009;
Tallent-Runnels, Thomas, Lan, Cooper, Ahern, Shaw, & Liu, 2006). Perhaps this lack of
definition is a result of the blurring of the lines between what is considered non-traditional.
Although the majority of pre-school, elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students still
attend a physical classroom with at least one physical teacher leading the learning, more and
more students are attending classes online. These students may be participating in blendedlearning; a mixture of the physical classroom and the online classroom. Alternately, instructors
may bring online material into the physical classroom. On the other hand, students may learn
completely online, or through a mixture of distance learning and online learning.
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Kenner and Weinerman (2011) differentiated the non-traditional student as those older
than 25, having “at least four non-traditional factors: financial independence, full-time
employment, dependents, and part-time enrollment” (p. 88). Bye et al. (2007) defined nontraditional students as older than 27 years and more likely to be “less involved in campus
activities and more likely to be involved in caring for family” (p. 142). Several authors do not
define non-traditional but imply that older adults are the ones included (Alshare et al., 2011;
Antonis et al., 2011; Gibbons & Wentworth, 2001; Park & Choi, 2009; Tallent-Runnels et al.,
2006), while others specify adult learners as the non-traditional population (Baskas, 2011a,
2011b; McGlone, 2011). Bhuasiri et al. (2012) identified non-traditional learners as “female[s] .
. . with grown children, full-time students that work part-time and part-time students that work
full time” (p. 846). This later condition supports Lapsley et al.’s (2008) definition of nontraditional students as ones who are working full time, and Martinez-Caro’s (2011) working
adults.
Regarding whether I match the profile of a non-traditional student it is requisite for me to
introduce myself and a little about my desires and rationale for pursuing a doctor of Education
degree in e-Learning. I am currently 53 years old. I work 50-70 hours each week for a large USbased Technological company. Most weeks I travel to various locales to teach, mentor, or work
on technical projects. In this regard I fully meet the definitions of a non-traditional student. I am
older, I work full-time, and I have dependents and family. The only part of the profile that I do
not meet is that I am also enrolled in school full-time, taking 12 to 15 credit hours per semester,
as opposed to the usual part-time enrollment of non-traditional students.
The primary affordances to the non-traditional student of online, non-traditional learning
is flexibility; learning that can take place anytime, anywhere. This factor was critical to my
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pursuit of a doctoral degree. Due to constant traveling and long work weeks I felt that I would
not be able to accomplish my goal of becoming a doctor. I achieved a Masters degree in a
traditional setting a decade and a half ago, before I began to travel extensively. Once I began to
travel it seemed that my goal would never be realized. A traditional face-to-face institution of
learning is unavailable to me – I needed something much more flexible. I needed a program that
could fit into my already “busy work, family and personal schedule” (Baskas, 2011a, p. 6).
When a colleague indicated that she was pursuing a degree online early last year my eyes were
opened to new possibilities, and I began to explore options.
I began the decision process based on a degree that my employer would contribute
toward; this indicated that it would be in the field of technology. Three online schools offered a
program that would further my professional goals in terms of technology. I then contacted each
school to get additional information regarding the programs, costs, and requirements of
attending. The lack of a residency requirement at Northcentral University contributed to a more
in-depth look at that school. The program that had everything that I wanted in regards to degree
and level of professional development and technical writing was twice as expensive as the
Northcentral offering. The third school’s program was much more expensive as well, required a
residency each year, and did not offer nearly the level of challenge that I sought; and was
eliminated from consideration. My decision at that point came down to expense. My personal
experience in business has been that unless a person is at the cutting edge of innovation and
genius, the university where he or she receives a degree is much less important than that he or
she has one.
Conclusion
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My choice to pursue a professional degree at Northcentral University is typical of nontraditional students who have made the choice to return to school across the country. The
acceptance and expansion of online courses makes it possible for students to attend class from
any location, and at a time of their convenience. Coupled with the economic downturn of the
past few years, the establishment of online learning as a realistic and quality alternative to
traditional schooling has led to a boom in opportunity for students and universities alike (Alshare
et al., 2011). I meet the profile of a non-traditional student. I am older. I am returning to school
after years of business, sales, and technical experience. I have a family. I work full-time, and
see the opportunity of continuing education as a way to open doors of opportunity for promotion
and advancement. I find the flexibility granted by online learning a great boon to my ability to
attend college, and to meet my personal and professional goals.
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References
Ali, A., & Ahmad, I. (2011). Key factors for determining students’ satisfaction in distance
learning courses: A study of Allama Iqbal Open University. Contemporary Educational
Technology, 2(2), 118-134. Retrieved from http://cedtech.net/
Ally, M. (2008). Foundations of educational theory for online learning. In T. Anderson (Ed.),
The theory and practice of online learning (pp. 15-44). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca
University.
Alshare, K. A., Freeze, R. D., Lane, P. L., & Wen, H. J. (2011). The impacts of system and
human factors on online learning systems use and learner satisfaction. Decision Sciences:
Journal of Innovative Education, 9(3), 437-461. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4609.2011.00321.x
Antonis, K., Daradoumis, T., Papadakis, S., & Simos, C. (2011). Evaluation of the effectiveness
of a web‐based learning design for adult computer science courses. IEEE Transactions on
Education, 54(3), 374‐380. doi:10.1109/TE.2010.2060263
Baskas, R. S. (2011). Applying adult learning and development theories to educational practice.
Retrieved from ERIC Database. (ED519926)
Baskas, R. S. (2011, March 27). Adult learning assumptions. Retrieved from ERIC Database.
(ED517971)
Bye, D., Pushkar, D., & Conway, M. (2007). Motivation, interest, and positive affect in
traditional and nontraditional undergraduate students. Adult Education Quarterly, 57,
141‐158. doi:10.1177/0741713606294235
Cercone, K. (2008). Characteristics of adult learners with implications for online learning design.
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Journal (AACE), 16(2),
137-159. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/j/AACEJ
Desai, M. S., Hart, J., & Richards, T. C. (2008). E-learning: Paradigm shift in education.
Education, 129(2), 327-334. Retrieved from ERIC Database. (EJ871567)
Gibbons, H. S., & Wentworth, G. P. (2001, June). Andrological and pedagogical training
differences for online instructors. Proceedings of the Distributed Learning Association,
Callaway, GA.
Gunawardena, C. N., Linder-VanBerschot, J. A., LaPointe, D. K., & Rao, L. (2010). Predictors
of learner satisfaction and transfer of learning in a corporate online education program.
The American Journal of Distance Education, 24(1), 207-226.
doi:10.1080/08923647.2010.522919
Kenner, C., & Weinerman, J. (2011). Adult learning theory: Applications to nontraditional
college students. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 41(2), 87-96. Retrieved from
http://www.crla.net/journal.htm
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Lapsley, R., Kulik, B., Moody, R., & Arbaugh, J. B. (2008). Is identical really identical? An
investigation of equivalency theory and online learning. Journal of Educators Online,
5(1), 1-19. Retrieved from http://www.thejeo.com/
Martinez‐Caro, E. (2011). Factors affecting effectiveness in e‐learning: An analysis in
production management courses. Computer Applications in Engineering Education,
19(3), 572‐581. doi:10.1002/cae.20337
McGlone, J. R. (2011). Adult learning styles and on‐line educational preference. Research in
Higher Education Journal, 12, 1‐9. Retrieved from http://www.aabri.com/rhej.html
Omar, A., Kalulu, D., & Belmasrour, R. (2011). Enhanced instruction: The future of e-learning.
International Journal of Education Research, 6(1), 21-37. Retrieved from http://www.
journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-educational-research/
Park, J.-H., & Choi, H. J. (2009). Factors influencing adult learners’ decision to drop out or
persist in online learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 12(4), 207-217.
Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/journals/12_4/18.pdf
Pelz, B. (2010). (My) three principles of effective online pedagogy. Journal of Asynchronous
Learning Networks, 14(1), 103-116. Retrieved from
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Picciano, A. G., Seaman, J., & Allen, I. E. (2010). Educational transformation through online
learning: To be or not to be. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 14(4), 17-35.
Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/sites/default/files/2_jaln14-4_picciano_0.pdf
Strang, K. D. (2012). Skype synchronous interaction effectivenss in a quantitative management
science course. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 10(1), 3-23.
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Tallent-Runnels, M. K., Thomas, J. A., Lan, W. Y., Cooper, S., Ahern, T. C., Shaw, S. M., &
Liu, X. (2006). Teaching courses online: A review of the research. Review of Educational
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Appendix A: Online Learning
Online learning is an exciting and expanding phenomenon for students of all types! If
you are new to online learning there are things I would like to share with you briefly.
Expectations
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Joys
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Issues
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Attributes
Needed
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You get a quality education with the same ultimate credentials (Desai, Hart,
& Richards, 2008; Picciano, Seaman, & Allen, 2010; Thompson, 2007).
You should receive prompt, accurate, and encouraging feedback from
Mentor’s (Ally, 2008; Pelz, 2010).
You should receive clear guidelines, expectations, and requirements from
Mentor’s (Ali & Ahmad, 2011; Gunawardena, Linder-VanBerschot,
LaPointe, & Rao, 2010; McGlone, 2011).
Learning is a joy in itself.
Researching and learning new things in a field that interests you brings
intense pleasure.
Interacting with and developing relationships with other students, and in
some cases your Mentor, is a pleasure.
In some cases Mentor’s do not provide clear expectations, or prompt,
accurate, and encouraging feedback.
Some Mentor’s have ego issues, or present material that is a decade old.
Your company may not fully cover the cost of courses.
It is entirely possible that your program will be evolving and not
completely stable.
Self-discipline is required for online students (Cercone, 2008; Omar,
Kalulu, & Belmasrour, 2011).
The ability to set and steadily work toward goals is a requirement for online
students (Strang, 2012).
You must be able to work with a computer and the necessary software
required by your program (Bhuasiri et al., 2012).
Since most assignments and communication for online students are in
writing, you must have some writing ability.
Considerations

Online learning does require time; just as much time as a traditional class.
It is necessary for you to make time every week and preferably every day
to study, to research, and to write on your assignments.
Lessons
Learned
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Give every assignment your all – do not just meet the minimum standards.
If you are right – say something. Mentor’s and school officials are not
infallible, and if approached with tact and a clear explanation of an issue,
they will generally acknowledge mistakes.