Ohio State faculty teach two students serving in Kuwait

COLUMBUS – Two Ohio State University students are unable to attend classes in Columbus this quarter because they are serving in the U.S. Army in Kuwait. So Ohio State is bringing their classes to them, across the ocean and desert, thanks to the Internet and “distance learning”courses that are designed to be taken by students outside of Columbus.

SPC (Specialists) 4 Brian Yeager and David Hatcher, members of the Army National Guard since high school graduation, were forced to postpone their Ohio State education in mid-January when they volunteered to transfer together to a unit where they could support the U.S. war in Iraq. They are now assigned to Camp Virginia, Kuwait, as Unit Supply Specialists in the 371st Corps Support Group.

They have Internet access and check Ohio State’s website occasionally to keep up on things at the university.

In early September, the two learned they would remain in Kuwait until April, 2004. Yeager, a junior political science major from Westerville, contacted his advisor via e-mail about registering for classes. Wayne DeYoung, academic advisor in the Department of Political Science, was able to enroll Yeager in two courses that apply directly to his degree requirements.

“I never thought it would be possible to take classes while this far away,”says Yeager. “When the war first started, classes were the last thing on my mind. But now, even though my first obligation is to the mission, things have calmed down a bit and I’ve got some time on my hands.”

After registering Yeager, DeYoung asked him if there were any other soldiers that needed help. Before long, Hatcher, a sophomore history major from Worthington, wanted DeYoung to help him sign up for Ohio State’s distance learning classes.

Yeager credits DeYoung’s initiative and persistence in making it possible to continue working toward his degree while serving in Kuwait. “He has played an instrumental part in setting all of this up and has many times went out of his way to assist me in my educational goals. I honestly don't know if this would have been possible with any other advisor,”says Yeager.

Hatcher says the two had talked for a while about trying to take on the additional responsibility that college coursework demands. “Our work load, though still heavy, allows us some free time to do personal activities. I decided I wanted to continue my education. We have always had Internet access over here, so I knew that it would be possible. It just took getting in touch with the right people.”

From an administrative standpoint, Hatcher’s enrollment was more challenging. After transferring from Ohio Dominican University, he was deployed just as he was beginning his first quarter at Ohio State.

DeYoung says the situation is extraordinary. “I can’t say whether they are the only service members taking courses from over there, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time in history that people on active duty near a combat zone have ever enrolled in their home institution for course work that will apply toward their degrees,”he says.

Technology enhanced learning courses are an option open to more and more Ohio State students, as the number of departments offering e-learning courses is increasing each year. At one end of

Ohio State’s e-learning spectrum is distance learning, where instruction is totally or predominantly online and students may be on or off campus. Currently, there are 6,712 students enrolled in 211 distance learning courses like the ones that Yeager and Hatcher are taking. At the other end of the spectrum, Internet resources supplement and complement classroom instruction.
Between those is a blended use, a mixture of face-to-face and online learning. According to Ohio State’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, which designs and maintains the e-learning facilities, two thirds of all Ohio State students take courses that use WebCT (web course tools).

One of the two courses that Yeager is taking, Congress and Interest Groups (Political Science 367), is designed to be taught exclusively over the Internet. Janet Box-Steffensmeier, Vernal Riffe Professor of Political Science, has taught many innovative distance learning courses in the past, although none that have crossed an ocean. “I’ve had other students in a desert -- in Arizona, but never anyone on active duty near a combat zone,”she said.

Steffensmeier says distance learning courses expand educational opportunities to students in a variety of situations. “I enjoy offering the online course as a service to students. It offers accessibility for students with handicaps, students who are balancing home-family-work-course overloads, students with nontraditional hours, and those who aren't physically present in Columbus,”she said.

She says Yeager can interact with other students in her class, and can offer a unique perspective. “Since the class focuses on interest groups, I'm sure some students will be attracted to the study of interest groups that have a foreign policy orientation, or perhaps the ACLU where issues of freedoms arise,” Steffensmeier explains. “Regardless, I'm sure Brian's perspective will be very much respected and unique given his situation. I'm sure his classmates will learn a lot by interacting with him.”

Hatcher and Yeager will both take Human Nutrition 210, a basic nutrition course that fills a general science requirement. Course instructor Jackie Buell says while the course is designed to be taught online, most students do their course work on-line but take the midterm and final exams in-person. “The two soldiers who are overseas will be expected to complete the same coursework that their in-classroom counterparts will take,”she says. “The only difference is, they will take their exams in a proctored environment over the Internet.”

Hatcher says DeYoung went out of his way to assist him. “It was uplifting to know that there are people at that huge university that are willing to help, even if I am 7,000 miles away.”