From Lecture Hall to Laptop: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Continuing Evolution of Virtual Learning in Higher Education

Virtual learning has dramatically changed postsecondary education and it promises more transitions in the future, many of which cannot even be imagined at this juncture. To contextualize what has come before and what is yet to come, the authors find the threads that extend from early days to visions of the future for educational environments. By following those threads, we are able to plan for the immediate future and the distant future.

The authors tell us their motivation for writing this book comes from:

*Our understanding that virtual learning is having a profound impact upon higher education institutions and thus warrants a careful and ongoing examination by all who have or wish to have a professional connection to a college or university.

*Our knowledge that the growing population of virtual learners has differing educational needs that necessitate changes to instructional practices.

*Our acknowledgment that e-learning best practices are distinct in important ways from traditional classroom instructional approaches.

*Our awareness of the need for faculty selection and training processes to be changed in substantive ways to capture the unique potency of the virtual sphere as both a platform and a tool for teaching.

*Our desire to distill for chairs, administrators, and policymakers the opportunities and potential barriers to adopting and expanding virtual learning in their institutions.

*Our interest in capturing the current and evolving trends in virtual teaching for those who are responsible for charting an existing or future course for their programs, departments, or larger university.

Being connected to the evolution of virtual learning puts us, as educators, in a position to impact the future of education and the learning needs of our students. This book will help you find your place in that continuum.

NICHOLAS D YOUNG, PhD, EdD has worked in diverse educational roles for more than 28 years, serving as a principal, special education director, graduate professor, graduate program director, graduate dean, and longtime superintendent of schools. He was named the Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year; and he completed a distinguished Fulbright program focused on the Japanese educational system through the collegiate level. He holds numerous graduate degrees including a PhD in educational administration and an EdD in educational psychology. Dr. Young is the recipient of numerous other honors and recognitions including the General Douglas MacArthur Award for distinguished civilian and military leadership and the Vice Admiral John T. Hayward Award for exemplary scholarship. Dr. Young is also a regular presenter at state, national, and international conferences; and he has written many books, book chapters, and/or articles on various topics in education, counseling, and psychology.

ELIZABETH JEAN, EdD has served as an elementary school educator and administrator in various rural and urban settings in Massachusetts for more than 20 years. As a building administrator, she has been instrumental in fostering partnerships with various local businesses and higher education institutions, such as Westfield State University, Springfield College, Western New England University, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Further, she is currently a graduate professor at Endicott College and previously served as an adjunct professor at Our Lady of the Elms College. In terms of formal education, Dr. Jean received a BS in education from Springfield College and an MEd in education with a concentration in reading from Our Lady of the Elms. She completed her doctoral studies at Northeastern University with a concentration in Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership. Dr. Jean has co-authored several book chapters on such topics as virtual education, public and private partnerships in public education, technology partnerships between K-12 and higher education, developing a strategic mindset for LD students, the importance of skill and will in developing reading habits for young children, and middle school reading interventions, to name a few. Additionally, she has co-authored and illustrated several children s books.

FELIX O QUAYSON, EdD, has worked in diverse professional roles in health care, higher education, and state and local government programs, serving as a graduate school adjunct professor, data analytics specialist, performance, measurement, and quality improvement specialist, document control manager, training manager, disaster case manager, emergency immigrant outreach worker, chaperone for year one medical scholar pipeline program, mental health volunteer, independent health specialist contractor, and founder and chief executive officer of Quaysearch Health Inc. In 2010, he received an award in the pursuit of wellness at Greenspring Erickson Retirement Community in Springfield, Virginia. Dr. Quayson holds a BS in health and fitness management from Washington Adventist University, an MS in educational leadership and policy studies from Hofstra University, and an EdD in educational leadership and supervision from American International College. Dr. Quayson s research and teaching interests include higher education, health care, education leadership, policy studies, distance education, online teaching, curriculum and instructional design, and project management.