Article Review 1

Review

An article written by Ma and Runyon (2004) introduce a new instructional model that is geared towards enhancing the traditional university experience. The reason for this new model is a result of the increased development of Internet technology that has created competition for traditional universities. With the increase of the Internet, more universities have been created that are geared towards distance education. Ma and Runyon (2004) strongly agree that the traditional university has a higher advantage because of the human interaction and this is a vital element to the education process.

Distance learning always will have the major problem of its lack of human contact and the resulting weaker relationships among and between students and faculty members. More important, we should realize that for most students, the university is not only a place to obtain a college degree but also a community in which to “grow up” and become productive members of society. (Ma & Runyon, 2004, pp. 368)

While the main focus of the traditional university is experience and effective learning, it is still important to incorporate technology to enhance the curriculum. The instructional model incorporates Internet-based resources and collaboration of faculty members. The idea is to provide students with as many resources as possibly through faculty collaboration of information. This model proposes that an Internet-based faculty resource center be designed for an academic program or discipline. Then each individual course can be built into the site. All faculty members for their course will have access to their materials as well as other courses that align in their discipline. The instructors can collaborate during class preparation and share instructional resources. This idea is not only to improve academic productivity, but also enhance their teaching effectiveness. In the classroom instructors can log-on to the site and deliver a lesson with all materials available from one location. Ma and Runyon (2004) call this type of delivery “Academic synergy” because of the collaboration of faculty members’ academic knowledge and experience. This is the key advantage to this model because students have access to the best information that technology can offer without losing the most important factor, human interaction.

Personal Reaction

I believe that Ma and Runyon have something that could be vital to higher education. I know that there are resources out there like Blackboard and sites like we use for my current program, but I am unaware of this type of collaboration amongst faculty members of the same discipline. I have wondered how major universities are handling enrollment when it is just as easy to access the Internet from home. In the news recently there has been discussion about university attendance rates and rising costs of tuition. I would think that these factors would deter students from attending traditional universities and enroll in distant education programs. The article does bring up a good point that the human experience is vital. Not only as creating an academic network, but also to aid in maturity and preparation for the professional workforce they are studying. I know that in my four-year undergraduate experience, I matured dramatically and really found who I was. I know that the expectations for my parents generation, the expectation of my generation, and the expectation of my children will all be different, but for the current technology advancements and needs of students, I believe this model would greatly benefit traditional universities.

Citation

Ma, Y., & Runyon, L. R. (2004). Academic Synergy in the Age of Technology-A New Instructional Paradigm. Journal of Education for Business, 79(6), 367-371.