Saint Xavier University has embraced its online courses and has reinforced the belief that online components are perfectly complementing traditional face-to-face courses. The use of online courses at Saint Xavier has recently been in the spotlight, as seen by Saint Xavier’s graduate nursing program obtaining a number one ranking by US News and World Report.
Online or hybrid courses have also been taken by students in other majors outside of nursing. Senior psychology major Paige Jeffrey stated, “I liked it, I liked being able to complete assignments online while also receiving instruction,” when referring to her online course at Saint Xavier.
These recent accolades have been noticed among university faculty and has brought on the question, is online education the future of collegiate academics?
When asked if the future of collegiate education is rooted in online courses, Saint Xavier’s academic affairs provost, Dr. Paul DeVito stated that he believes there always will be traditional classrooms in undergraduate education, but technology will be present in these classrooms where appropriate.
In terms of demand for online instruction, provost Dr. DeVito believes most demand lies with graduate students who have busy schedules, families, and demanding jobs and prefer the convenience of online instruction. Provost Dr. DeVito’s belief is that, “Online integration is utilized where it fits, such as graduate level professional disciplines like business and nursing.”
Saint Xavier has shown their interest in technological and online integration, and provost Dr. DeVito was proud to point out that Saint Xavier has promoted this integration with the CIDAT center and the switch from Blackboard to Canvas. With the pieces in place for online integration will faculty at Saint Xavier jump aboard the online bandwagon?
Communication professor Dr. James Walker has a similar view to provost Dr. DeVito that a full online classroom experience will never take over traditional face-to-face classrooms.
Dr. Walker firmly believes that many students need that human element in the classroom, an element not present in the anonymity of online classes. As well, Dr. Walker was quick to mention that faculty will always use their preferred methods of instruction, but this does not mean that professors are shying away from utilizing online components in the classroom.
The communication department is currently offering many hybrid courses that mix online and traditional classroom instruction seen in the communication department’s communicating with social media course. Dr. Walker even stated that the communication department would be offering a full online course, Internet as communication, during the next academic year.
The demand for these courses, in the view of Dr. Walker, lies with undergraduate students who have adjusted to the necessary responsibilities of undergraduate coursework and can take on the task of online instruction without the constant presence of an instructor.
The ever-growing presence of technology and online integration within collegiate academics has grown rampant the past few years, and Saint Xavier has joined in on the growth of online instruction. Saint Xavier University’s number one ranked and accredited online nursing program has brought the university acclaim on the national level and put themselves in the league of institutions such as Johns Hopkins University.
The future of online academics at Saint Xavier is bright and focused on making the best of the online integration where it best fits, however we probably will not ever see the end of traditional classroom instruction.
As explained by Dr. Walker, “Students seek out a four year university for that face-to-face instruction, if people wanted online only they would be looking elsewhere.”
So the next time you enroll in courses at Saint Xavier consider if they are offered online, and just maybe take that dive into the virtual world of classroom instruction.
Jake Alleruzzo
News Contributor
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