by Sandy » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:48 am
I don't have a Ph.D, but I do have two masters' degrees, and have taught as an adjunct. The schools I've taught for had pretty high standards, in terms of course objectives and expected student outcomes. The level of monitoring and supervision was high, and there wasn't much "wiggle room" when it came to course content. The syllabus and lesson plan outlines for each session had to be complete before the dean approved the course to be offered.
I see online courses as a means of delivering coursework that helps fill in gaps in places where it is more practical, but as far as I'm concerned, the jury is still out on how effective it is when it comes to full degree programs. I've interviewed a few candidates for teaching positions who had online degrees, and while that is anecdotal, there was a clear difference in interview skills, and in content area knowledge and skill. None of the applicants with an online degree made a second interview. Of course, in this area, right now we are blessed with an abundance of experienced teachers in most subject areas, and that means that whenever I have an opening, I also have a pretty steady stream of applicants from some high quality schools, including some excellent Christian colleges and universities. I'm currently supervising a cohort, a little different than teaching as an adjunct. I don't think I'd enjoy teaching an online course.