Some universities offer fully online doctorate degrees. Do you think that offering fully online degree is appropriate? or do you think it is just based on a business model (education as a business)?
I agree with so much of the discussion presented here. The dynamics of web-based education has changed significantly in the last two decades. The quality of the program and professional acceptance is an important element in the credentialing and degree acceptance in a professional that places much weight on an academic "pecking order" of institutions.
Dear Michael
I do not know much about other countries but most fully online doctorate degree programs in the United States are largely offered by several profit institutions. But I do not want to list them in here.
Many people look down online doctorate degrees because they do not think fully online degree programs are intensive and rigorous as much as traditional programs yet.
Thank you.
Don
In my opinion, online research programs are highly appropriate nowadays, though they may not suit to everyone, as well as offline or blended programs, by the way.
For example, digital communication tools allow achieving higher flexibility, greater transparency and more structured follow-up than face-to-face interactions at a specific physical location.
Finally, the contribution to scientific knowledge is reflected not by the program management model, but by such deliverables as thesis defense, conference presentations or peer-reviewed journal publications.
Hi! Evelina
I am a little bit surprised by getting a favorable option on fully online doctorate degree. Probably it depends on how to design an online doctorate degree program.
Thank you!
Don
As I know, only few such online programs are good, and many of them are intended to make money ! Need to do more research before accepting any one !
Dear Sushil,
I became to know a few people who have earned their doctorate degrees via fully online education.
I saw that their weakness is in the area of research.
Thank you.
Don
Dear Don,
One's personal experience with a specific university, program, or an individual researcher cannot be automatically generalized.
For example, I also became to know a few people who have earned their doctorate degrees via fully offline, traditional education.
I also saw that their weakness is in the area of research, because they had no peer-reviewed publications or only C-level journal articles.
Nevertheless, some of these people are now holding Faculty positions in public universities, highly listed in international ratings.
A delivery mode is only one of factors influencing the quality level of educational services, and other explanations may come into play.
Low quality of educational services may be unintentional, when the programs are poorly led or simply emerging, for example.
Yet, low quality of educational services may also be intentional, when the university leadership abuses its traditional authority in academia and turns offline, blended and/or online research programs into "business models".
This is where the discussion gets interesting.
Intentional delivery of low quality services might be considered as organizational corruption, representing an authority abuse. Certainly, alterning the service delivery mode could represent an opportunity for offenders. Yet, other factors may represent corruption antecedents for individual offenders, according to seminal Opportunity-Motivation-Justification framework. In addition, the offenders may become interdependent and steadily act in groups in case when normalization processes result in collective corruption throughout the entire organization. In this case, it will be difficult to formalize the responsibility of offenders or even to detect it on timely basis.
There is a very little number of academic papers on corruption in public universities, but this gap may present interesting research opportunities.
Kindly,
Evelina
Hi Folks,
I agree with Evelina -- one instance of a poor program isn't representative of all distance programs. I've worked with folks from both traditional and distance models at various stages in my career. Regardless of program modality, I worked with graduates of both types of programs who had a sound understanding of research whereas others were embarrassments.
However, I also think much is dependent upon the person ... one gets out of an experience what he or she puts into it with respect to motivation, effort, commitment, time, and so forth. To me, it seems as though someone who just barely passed the finish line to graduate is just as much a doctor as someone who went above and beyond the minimum degree requirements to finish a doctorate. I think much depends upon personal attributes within the distance learning format.
Just my two cents...
Have a great day!
--Adrian
I agree with so much of the discussion presented here. The dynamics of web-based education has changed significantly in the last two decades. The quality of the program and professional acceptance is an important element in the credentialing and degree acceptance in a professional that places much weight on an academic "pecking order" of institutions.
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