When Bostonians opened their copy of the Boston Gazette one cold morning in 1728, they were greeted with the following advertisement:
“Persons in the Country desirous to Learn the Art [of shorthand] may by having the several Lessons sent Weekly to them, be as perfectly instructed as those that live in Boston.”
With that one-sentence advertisement, 48 years before the founding of our new nation, we were ushered into a new era of education — at that time known as correspondence education, today collectively known as distance education.
Of the many forms of distance education that exist today — correspondence, online, video, competency, mobile and even virtual reality — online education is by far the most utilized and most discussed.
Advance in knowledge
Not since Gutenberg transformed the world with his printing press in the 1450s has any advance in knowledge dispersion received as much attention or created such impassioned discussion as online education. You don’t have to watch TV for more than 15 minutes before you come across an advertisement for an online program or degree. They all typically look the same: a student on a white background with the school’s logo just behind them. The script is usually emotive or inspirational in nature, and the all-too-brief commercial flashes a phone number at the end to call and ask for more information.
Unfortunately this “fly-by-night” marketing approach has created many misconceptions about the value and integrity of online education, especially in the hands of established colleges and universities who take seriously their mission of higher education.
According to the latest statistics, more than 5 million students in the United States are enrolled in online courses, about 25 percent of the entire American higher education population. Finding its genesis in the early 1970s and only recently coming into its own, online education holds immense power for bridging time and space gaps to bring high-quality, individualized learning opportunities to students wherever they are. With readily available technology (such as tablets, laptops and even phones), a student can engage coursework and interact with their professor in any setting they choose — from the comfort of the kitchen table to the convenience of the lunch-break counter.
Indeed this increased access has brought about a new phenomenon in American higher education. When we say the phrase “college student,” most of us think of that 18- to 22-year-old neighbor or church member who’s getting ready to move back to campus. In reality nontraditional students (those who are typically 25 years and older) now make up the majority of college students in the U.S. It certainly brings new meaning to the old adage, “It’s never too late.”
All three of your Baptist institutions — Samford University in Birmingham, Judson College in Marion and the University of Mobile — are engaging in online and other distance education efforts that are specifically built to serve students wherever they are.
When we first began discussing building robust online courses at Samford, we knew we wanted to be different. We sought to preserve the Samford distinction, even in the online environment: personalized interactions and mentorships with our world-class faculty, meaningful and lifelong relationships with other students and a true sense of connection with our community. We want students to learn how to think critically and communicate effectively, even if distances separate them. I know our sister institutions in Marion and Mobile join us in creating engaging programs with a student-first focus that lift up the sacred act of learning as their primary goal.
And in offering these types of programs, we are in some sense continually re-fulfilling our calling to Alabama Baptists to bring academically rigorous Christian higher education to our Baptist family and the world beyond.
All three institutions started with little more than a dream and a dedication to the cause of Christ, and now all three stand as beacons of light, serving not only those around us in our great state but students and populations all over the world.
Somewhat ironically our world seems a lot smaller today than it was in 1728, but our core mission remains the same. Shorthand has given way to text messages and emoticons, but the foundational truth of education has not changed. Education has the power to transform and transcend, to bring hope and perseverance. It is a primary avenue for the gospel and a perpetual and vibrant thread in our storied Baptist heritage.
Editor’s Note — Christopher J. McCaghren, Ed.D., is assistant to the president for external programs at Samford University in Birmingham.
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