Online education is changing rapidly, and a graduation rate can’t possibly capture the effectiveness of an education — online or not. Instead of compiling metrics that paint an incomplete picture, we asked good questions to the right people.

Bestschools.com offers students a review process for rating an online college education.  The research and methodology   goes beyond the numbers to do something different in reviewing innovations in online education,  State by State. Preference was given to schools with strong faculty training programs highlighting the differences between on-campus and online classroom.  Higher marks went to schools that have dedicated staff support for online programs.

I was interested in the State reviews after seeing an article in a local newspaper describing a high rating for Peninsula College in Washington State  in the Washington State review.  Recently, we learned from Herb Cook that Peninsula College is a partner in the Fort Worden Life Long Learning Center near Port Townsend.

While looking at the review for Washington State, I also noticed that Heritage University, where I received my Master’s degree in Adult Education, received high marks for “high-touch” support for students.  When I attended in 1996, online learning was not part of the program.  The college was set up in modular buildings in the hop fields near Toppenish, Washington.  Student support was part of the program then.  As part of a cohort of students that attended classes together all weekend once each month during the program, we became  a community of learners and were mentored by an advisor following us throughout.

Finally, Checking out the New Mexico college ratings for online education, two schools are mentioned for a large variety of online degree programs: The University of New Mexico and Eastern New Mexico University.

Online education in New Mexico is well supported. New Mexico was the first state in the nation to create a statewide eLearning system for its entire constituency, including state agencies. This is known as Innovative Digital Education and Learning in New Mexico, an initiative that opens statewide enrollment and allows schools to share eLearning initiatives. In addition to IDEL, New Mexico has been a member of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education since 1952. In recent years, New Mexico has participated in WICHE initiatives related to distance education.

While NMSU was not mentioned in an interview, all PSA board members have completed the NMSU Online Teaching and Learning graduate certificate, a program for faculty training.  While the program was offered online asynchronously, opportunities were available for synchronous online meetings and discussions.  The instructors were responsive and available for student assistance if requested.  All instructors provided opportunities for teamwork, collaboration, and exploration of the technology platform used at the time by NMSU.

In the ratings, Bestschools.com  gave preference to schools that had strong faculty training programs highlighting the differences between the on-campus and the online classroom. They also gave higher marks to schools that have dedicated staff support for the online programs.

Finally, we gave additional points to schools that had a clear idea about how their programs were growing, and had sage advice for students evaluating different online degrees. For example, if a university was planning to add several new degrees within the next 12 months, they received a bonus. If they had decent advice about important topics, such as teamwork, collaboration, or technology platforms, we gave them preference. Ultimately, it’s helpful if the programs are administered by critical thinkers who are focused on providing a high quality student experience comparable to a traditional classroom.