02-02-2025 Edu - Flipbook - Page 6
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The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, February 2, 2025
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A global education
Distance learning opens programs to students across the world
By Alex Keown, Contributing Writer
T
here is a proliferation of new learning
opportunities at Maryland colleges and
universities due to capabilities of online
platforms such as Blackboard Ultra,
Moodle, Canvas and even Zoom. Online
classes expand the reach of these schools and open
new opportunities for perspective students of all
ages.
Long before the global pandemic brought
distance learning to the forefront of normalcy,
Community College of Baltimore County was
experimenting with “one-off virtual engagement
instruction.” When the shutdowns occurred,
CCBC leaned into its experiences to intentionally
build out virtual engagement programs with international partners, as well as the U.S. government to
provide educational services for people stationed
overseas.
“A lot of people don’t realize community colleges offer global education programs for students.
This is a fabulous way for students to engage
with areas outside of the Baltimore region,” says
Rebekah de Wit, director of global education at
Community College of Baltimore County. “At
CCBC, we have partnerships with seven different countries around the world. We’re able to
offer transformative opportunities for all of our
students. Hundreds of hundreds of students have
been engaged through the program.”
Some of the countries where CCBC has partnered include colleges and universities in Wales,
the Philippines, Belize and elsewhere. Courses of
study offered range from literary discussions to
psychology, human services counseling and criminal justice. Coursework in environmental science
will soon be offered through a memorandum of
understanding with Polytechnic University of the
Philippines, de Wit says. Students from CCBC
interact with their peers from around the world.
The study abroad programs provide students
from the Baltimore area with a broader understanding of the world. Also, the courses offer
insights into how potential careers that CCBC
students may choose are influenced by the international community, de Wit says. Ripples across
the global market impact our daily jobs through
things like supply chain management, the price of
fuel and myriad other issues. These courses that
connect people can be transformative for students
and provide them with a greater understanding of
themselves and other cultures.
CCBC isn’t the only school offering distance
learning opportunities. Salisbury University offers
a distance learning opportunity for students to
earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work.
Salisbury’s distance learning program includes
an overseas program at Ramstein Air Force Base
in Germany through a partnership with the
University of Maryland Global Campus, as well
as opportunities throughout Maryland at sites
including Cecil College, the Eastern Shore Higher
Education Center at Chesapeake College, the
Southern Maryland Higher Education Center and
the University System of Maryland-Hagerstown.
Linda Houser, professor and director of
Salisbury University’s school of social work, says
the program originated approximately 15 years
ago after state government identified areas within
Maryland that were underserved by mental and
emotional health services. This allows the university to train individuals from across the state
or serving in Germany who can meet these needs
and better serve those communities, Houser says.
The courses are taught online as well as inperson at the satellite locations. Those satellite
locations are designed with the working student
in mind by offering evening and summer courses.
This mixed approach allows Salisbury University
to leverage fully interactive live video and online
instruction coupled with conventional face-toface presentations from faculty members. Houser
notes that many of the adjunct instructors teaching the courses at the satellite campuses were once
Salisbury University students.
There are a growing number of opportunities
in the field of social work, Houser says. Graduates
can find roles in behavioral health settings, working with people battling substance abuse and
addiction, work with child welfare organizations
and agencies supporting older adults. There are
also opportunities to work in hospital settings and
the prison system, Houser says.
“It’s a phenomenally good fit between a workforce that thrives on experience and skill and
distance learning gives us an opportunity to supply
individuals who are a perfect fit with those skills to
accomplish something educationally that they may
not have another opportunity to do,” Houser says.
Not only do online platforms increase opportunities in education, but they are also effective for
social work professionals to support individuals in
need. Houser says online platforms make it easier
to provide services to individuals, particularly in
those areas highlighted by state officials as places
in need.
Goucher College in Baltimore offers a master’s program in applied policy analysis. Germán
Mora, associate provost for curriculum at Goucher
College, explains that this program provides students with the capabilities to step into any situation
where there is a need for rigorous data analysis.
The degree program offers specialized training in
specific policy-content areas including education,
health, environmental and social policy.
“Data is everywhere. It’s fairly easy to get quantitative data on various subjects. It’s understanding
those data sets. That’s what we are doing,” Mora
says.
The graduate program is providing students
with the different tools they can use to analyze the
large data sets and present it in a way that’s important to policy makers, CEOs or the heads of some
organization. Graduates will be able to structure
these large amounts of information in a way that
organizational leaders can use them to make key
decisions, particularly in areas of concern such
as risk management, public service and citizen
engagement.
Goucher’s online program was developed two
years ago and approved by the state in 2023. The
first students entered the program this fall, Mora
says. When the program was being developed, college officials requested feedback from Marylandbased organizations on real world needs to help
shape the curriculum.
Because it is on policy, the students have the
possibility to specialize on some aspects of policy,
including education, health, environment and public policy. There is room for adding other aspects of
policy as the program expands, Mora says.
Mora notes that the program does not require
anyone to have previously earned a degree in computer science.
“This program prepares individuals who do
not have a degree in computer science or a stem
field to apply analytical tools to quantitative data
to inform companies and organizations. Given
the wealth of tools that are available today. Having
such a degree isn’t required to do the analysis,”
Mora says.
Seeking Nominations
The Sun is now accepting nominations for the annual induction
into its Business and Civic Hall of Fame, which honors the achievements of
leaders who have spent their careers working to improve Maryland.
QUALIFIED CANDIDATES MUST:
Live and work in Maryland Be nearing the end of their primary career or recently retired
Have made transformational contributions to their business and/or our community
Email nominations to: talkback@baltimoresun.com
Please include“Hall of Fame”in the subject line. We are now extending the nomination deadline to February 10.
