More and more technical communication programs are incorporating distance education into their curricula.  Whether they use web sites to replace or supplement traditional instruction, the web and Internet have made their marks on the programs today.  Online programs are growing in number and degree options: one post-graduate online certificate program at a regional southern University recently added the option of an online Masters Degree.  While its Distance Education certificate program is a success, its instructional method -- the web -- has influenced the traditional on-campus program to such a degree that the two are virtually interchangeable.

Tension arises when students enroll in a campus class and find themselves in a virtual classroom.  They may not ever have to physically enter the classroom, may never meet the instructor or the other students.  For some students, this situation is ideal: they can work full time, take as many as classes per semester as they can handle, not worry about baby-sitters or taking time away from work.  For other students, this method of instruction may seem attractive, but in the end works to their disadvantage.

The benefits of distance education seem clear enough.  For the universities and their faculties, resources are used more efficiently.  Documents can be submitted via email, saving paper and printing costs, and returned with comments typed directly into the file. Students can get more individual attention; they can email or chat with instructors when they are actually engaged in writing an assignment.  Instructors and students can't anticipate all the potential questions and problems during the normal class time.

Students can also access the "classroom" at any time.  If they work better in the evening, then the material is available on the web site.  Besides accommodating work activities and other responsibilities, it also helps aids students who work better during hours not traditionally assigned to the classroom.  Students can work in greater comfort from their home from their own computers.  And, my students would add, they don't have to drive around looking for a parking place.

But beyond the practical and time saving, there are other aspects of web instruction that take away from the educational and practical experience.  The interaction with peers and instructor is lacking and is probably unsatisfactory for many.  Instruction may suffer from lack of depth: students in a classroom interact with peers and instructors to gain more knowledge, but those same opportunities may not arise in a web class.  Even with an organized discussion, the spontaneity is missing and important information may not be discussed.  The best-prepared web site may not cover every situation.

Decisions about instructions in both distance education programs and traditional programs have to be made with students' best interest in mind.  Perhaps some classes can be "interchangeable" while others must be taught differently depending on the audience. Negotiating the line between traditional and online classrooms will determine the success of any program whether undergraduate or graduate level and the satisfaction of its students.