Minnesota Online Council chair blazes trail for e-learning

When the camera was first invented, people thought it would replace painting. That seems almost ridiculous now, but it didn't at the time, observes Patricia Rogers, a professor in the Department of Professional Education at Bemidji State University. She recounts that old fear now when comparing traditional classrooms with online learning.

An author and accomplished educator, Rogers is leading the way in online education as chair of the Minnesota Online Council for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. As an early adopter of technology, Rogers has been blazing a trail for e-learning for a good part of her career.

"In the educational world, we have many ways for students to get the knowledge they seek - many ways for them to access learning, any time of the day or night," Rogers said.

"Some people worry that online learning will replace traditional classroom learning, but it won't - it will just change the classroom. There will be more 'hybrid classes,' which combine distance learning with face-to-face learning."

As Minnesota Online Council chair, Rogers said the primary goal is to put students first and focus on what they need and want. "There are 27 faculty and administrators on the council, and it is a way for all of the campuses to meet together and discuss online learning issues, needs and trends. Our future objectives and activities will be driven by what learners need and how campuses respond."

Rogers is a Getty Fellow and a Fulbright Scholar who worked on designing distance-learning programs in Iceland. She consults internationally on e-learning, is the author of several articles on instructional technology and an edited book, "Designing Instruction for Technology-Enhanced Learning."

Minnesota Online Council chair Patricia Rogers

Now she is editing a new book, the "Encyclopedia of Distance Learning Teaching, and Technology Applications."

In her new book, Rogers discusses how online distance learning is a true paradigm shift. In the book's foreword, she notes: "I have not just updated my chalkboard for PowerPoint slides. I now use interactive modeling, Flash animation and multiple media to provide several access points to learning. I don't just teach a class in whole group session, I am actually providing more one-on-one time than I can possibly provide in my face-to-face classroom."

Online Council goals

The Minnesota Online Council has established five key goals, Rogers said. "These goals are really shorthand for some big things going on with online learning throughout the system," she explains. "We want to be sensitive to the needs of the campuses, students, Minnesota citizens and emerging educational trends."

These key goals are to:

Ensure data integrity. "This goal encompasses our portal projects, 'seamless' registration and tuition payment including registering for courses at various system institutions, and clarifies how course descriptions and programs are presented to potential learners," she said.
Communicate internally and externally with target audiences.
Take a comprehensive approach to evaluation, assessment and learning.
Define the role of Minnesota Online Council and the next phase of Minnesota Online.
Be sensitive to emerging needs and trends.

Rogers said they try hard to maintain the interactivity that gives a sense of being "a grad student at a real campus. My students report amazing things, like feeling closer to their peers in the online classes than they ever could in a class of 25 to 100 of their peers face-to-face."