By Tom Kowalski
NFL Continuing Education Consultant
The proliferation of distance learning and online instruction for professional athletes who are striving to reach educational goals is both an exciting and sometimes disappointing development in higher education. Over the years, many student-athletes who do not finish their undergraduate degree and begin to focus on an NFL career may create a plan to make progress by taking online courses during their offseason. Other athletes, who may wish to earn a graduate degree, are prime candidates to be recruited by online programs knowing that the life of a professional athlete often does not end in the same place that it began. Such programs vary in quality and often present more challenges than traditional courses.
A recent study entitled “Adaptability to Online Learning: Differences Across Types of Students and Academic Subject Areas,” found that students who struggle in traditional classrooms find their troubles exacerbated in online courses. The report also states that students who take online courses are less likely to attain a degree and some groups, including black students, male students, younger students and students with lower grade point averages are particularly susceptible to this pattern. Shanna Smith Jaggers, assistant director of the Community College Research Center and one of the paper’s authors said, “The gap is stronger in under-represented and under-prepared students. On-line learning can still be beneficial for older students who can balance work and family. They might do a little worse but overall it is a good trade-off for easier access. But when students don’t need the courses for their access, it is unclear if it is a good trade-off.”
Our goal is to work with professional athletes to make sure that they are successful however they choose to reach their education goals.
First, we realize that distance learning and online instruction is still a fairly new field and, according to Kathy B. Enger, Director of the Northern Lights Library Network and an online educator for the last decade, there is a need for better teacher training. We will help screen programs to make certain that communication between the student and teacher is good and that the faculty knows how to reach out online to students. In addition, students who choose to attend the traditional classroom may need a bit of flexibility and therefore, we will identify instructors open to flexibility around mini-camp and other team related responsibilities. While making progress on your degree is certainly a positive way to spend your offseason, we also realize that you have chosen football as a career and must treat it professionally.
Also, we can screen students prior to taking courses to understand how they will best succeed in the type of course they enroll. Generally, we will make sure that players schedule at least weekly sessions to work on their class and recommend that players take courses in which they may have scored higher in the traditional classroom. For players who are returning to school for a master’s degree, determine if the course meets the accreditation level that you desire, especially if it leads to certification, etc.
Returning to school can be exciting and leave you with a sense of accomplishment; however, it is not always easy and frankly, there are no shortcuts. We look forward to coaching you through this venture and assure you that your time will be well-spent.