Local college students join the line for online classes

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second in a two-day series exploring online education.

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Teresa Huard saves time and money by taking online classes.

She doesn't have to put her two young children in day care. She can do her course work at home rather than drive to Yakima from Moxee, and she has greater flexibility with her schedule.

"Online is perfect for me," said 26-year-old Huard, who's earning a medical assisting degree at Yakima Valley Community College. "I get nervous when I go into a classroom setting. ... I like this a lot better. I'm not missing anything."

Huard is one of a growing number of college students who take online classes. According to an Oct. 5 article in USA Today, nearly one in four students nationwide take at least some college courses online -- up from one in 10 in 2002. The online sector has also grown by 13 percent in the past year.

The trend is mirrored at YVCC, Heritage University and Central Washington University, where enrollment and numbers of online classes have skyrocketed. From the 2004-05 to 2008-09 school year, the combined enrollment has grown by 5,000 to 6,000 students.

A precise number can't be determined, because Central counts students only once, while Heritage and YVCC count students for each online class they take.

The courses are open to everyone at Heritage and YVCC, but to meet the needs of the region, Central gives first dibs to non-Ellensburg residents. The cost per credit is the same as traditional classes at all three institutions, but lab and technology fees sometimes cost extra.

"It's clear students of today enjoy learning via online," said Wayne Quirk, senior vice president of academic affairs at Central.

Quirk, who also sits on the Higher Education Coordinating Board, said there are good and bad online classes, just as there are good and bad traditional classes. A lot depends on the interest of the students and the faculty to work with the medium.

Meanwhile, technology is continuing to evolve to make further improvements. Just a few years ago, Quirk said online science classes weren't offered because too much hands-on experience was necessary. But thanks to new tools, students across the nation can now perform dissections online.

"We can almost teach an anatomy class online with the advantages out there," he said.

Jane Ryder, a faculty member with the Allied Health Technology depart-ment at YVCC, said online classes are available to better serve the community.

"Most of our students are mature adults and are working already or have family duties," she said. "To come and sit in a face-to-face class is sometimes impossible."

That's why YVCC serves students from the Lower Valley to Ellensburg. Online, students can watch lectures and demonstrations as many times as they need, and students can print class lectures instead of taking notes, Ryder said.

Learning how to give shots or draw blood must be done in person, but Ryder said the online component is gaining in demand and popularity.

Prospective students should always check that the programs are accredited by a state accrediting agency, and they must be self starters to succeed, she said.

"They have to apply themselves," she said. "Self motivation and time management are the biggest things."

Amber Richards agrees there are both advantages and disadvantages to online classes. The 27-year-old mother of two is taking a graduate program in English at Heritage University. Some classes are online, while others are offered during the week.

"In my opinion, you end up doing more work in online classes," she said. "You have to post your work on a certain day and it better look good. ... You put more writing into it and time into the computer. It stretches you."

Loren Schmidt, an English and philosophy professor at Heritage, helped launch the school's online offerings about a decade ago. It began as a way to give students an opportunity to make up work if they missed classes. But it soon developed into something more.

During the 2008-09 academic year, Heritage offered 56 online classes compared with 20 just four years ago. Enrollment, too, has increased, from 140 to 560 students in that time period.

"It used to be the students who were more hesitant," he said. "Now we get students who've used this their whole lives. For them, it's really natural to move over and do this stuff."

Despite the advances in technology, Tomas Ybarra of YVCC said there are still limits on the types and sophistication of procedures that can be performed off campus.

"There's no way to substitute a state-of-the-art lab setting and equipment," said Ybarra, vice president for instruction and student services. "We invest a lot in our campus. We're proud of what we've created."

All online classes are now taught only in English at Heritage, YVCC and Central. Offerings vary from English and writing to courses in professional and technical programs.

In the future, educators and students agree the demand for the medium will remain high -- especially because people are becoming more accustomed to social networking sites and video streaming.

"Student demand will drive it," said Tracy Pellett, associate vice president for undergraduate studies at Central. "Institutions that respond to that demand will thrive, while those that do not may struggle as time goes on.

"Although there will always be a need for face-to-face classes, it is clear that students are wanting to learn in a way that is convenient to their schedule and lifestyle."

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 509-577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.

Growth in online education

The following numbers reflect the growth in online classes and head count from the 2004-05 to 2008-09 school years. In some online classes, students have the option of spending some time in a traditional classroom. These three institutions also offer hundreds of other classes that have online components.

* Yakima Valley Community College went from 352 to 580 classes and 4,587 to 7,697 students.

* Heritage University went from 20 to 56 classes and 140 to 560 students.

* Central Washington University went from about 20 to 250 classes and 200 to 2,650 students.*

* Central counts students only once; Heritage and YVCC counts students for each online class they take.

Contact information

* Central Washington University: www.cwu.edu, 509-574-6894

* Yakima Valley Community College: www.yvcc.edu, 509-574-4600

* Heritage University: www.heritage.edu, 509-865-8500

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