Online learning has increased dramatically over the last seven years, in both the classroom and workplace. In the fall of 2007, nearly four million students were enrolled in an online course. Online courses and training is experiencing a nearly 13 percent annual growth rate for many reasons, like saving money, resources, and time.
Wilkes University is hoping to prepare online instructors to meet the growing demand. The Wilkes-Barre school has partnered with an educational services company to introduce the first master’s degree program in online teaching in Pennsylvania.
The 30-credit program, set to launch this summer, will focus on the latest technology and best practices for effective online instruction in private and public education, the corporate sector, and government.
“This program will develop experts with the skills needed to facilitate real learning in an online environment,” says Michael Speziale, dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at Wilkes.
Wilkes has partnered with Performance Learning Systems, Inc., a 38 year-old provider of education programs and services for teachers with East Coast headquarters in Allentown. PLS, which has taught more than one million educators throughout the U.S., counts Drexel University, the Philadelphia school that has emerged as a leader in online education, as its other Pennsylvania partner.
The Master’s program at Wilkes can be completed in less than two years. It covers instructional design, assessment, research, advanced technology and building collaboration into e-learning courses. Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree. The program is one of 16 Master’s degree programs at Wilkes.
Source: Michael Speziale, Wilkes University
Writer: Joe Petrucci
