When it comes to online education, Dorothy said it best in The Wizard of Oz.

Were not in Kansas anymore, said Rick Hughes, director of the University of Montanas media arts program and academic affairs for online learning. This is a new world. So lets understand it.

Online learning is here to stay. That was the message driven home to more than 150 online educators from across the Montana University System who attended a two-day conference on online education at UM. The fourth annual Extended Learning Institute wrapped up Friday afternoon.

No longer is it acceptable for faculty at a public doctoral research university to say, Sorry, but thats not how I do things, Hughes said. Rather, he said, faculty members should ask how they can create the best learning experience for students.

We need to do better about adapting to emerging technology, he said.

Professors can force students to come to class at 9 a.m., but some students may be asleep at the back of the classroom and the teacher is forced to cajole them into participating.

On the other hand, professors can create an online dialogue and speak with students in the ways that they frequently communicate. That way, students can provide feedback or submit critiques in their optimal learning environment and at a time when they are most alert.

Why force these kids to be in class when they wont get anything out of it? Hughes said.

Whats not happening in online education anymore is having a professor record a lecture and post it online. That is not engaging, Hughes said. Universities need to move away from simply uploading a syllabus. And teachers who still have classroom lectures should start to think about incorporating more online components into their presentations.

The conference encouraged faculty to make a movie using illustrations and graphics and create an online learning environment that will maximize a students learning potential.

Read more:
UM speaker: Educators must understand emerging technology