A Humanistic Framework for Distance Education

Abstract

Counselor educators discuss how to maintain humanistic values when using distance education methods to deliver course work. The authors outline 4 principles that guide their practice of humanistic education within technically oriented formats and, specifically, their use of the interactive video network. Specific strategies for implementing each principle are described.

Online Teaching and Learning in Counselor Education: A 23‐Year Content Analysis

“…Some challenges are general to online education, such as higher student attrition rates in online than traditional institutions (Haynie, 2015); a perception of less value for online degrees by some employers (Roberto & Johnson, 2019); technical difficulties, restricted class cohesion, and time boundaries (Ancis, 1998); and Zoom fatigue (Quezada et al, 2020). Notably, this format of education may feel somewhat awkward, constrained, or intimidating to the first-time faculty and student users (Hall et al, 2010). Online teaching may pose additional challenges to educators who have established methods of instruction that do not readily match the online education modalities and, thus, may struggle in adjusting their teaching styles (Hall et al, 2010), which may be widely experienced by instructors amid the pandemic whose previous in-person teaching was turned into online or remote (e.g., spending significant amount of time in revamping the courses).…”

Online Teaching and Self‐Efficacy to Work With Suicidal Clients

“…Just as face‐to‐face programs must establish the best methods for preparing counselors to work with suicidal clients, online programs must also attend to the efficacy of educational interventions because online and traditional educational strategies differ in their application (Benshoff & Gibbons, 2011). Some counselor educators have questioned whether online teaching strategies can adequately prepare students for interventions that require a strong helping relationship (Hall et al, 2010; Murphy et al, 2008). Although Watson (2012) and others have provided evidence of the efficacy of the online modality in counselor education in general, there has been little research exploring the efficacy of the online modality in teaching suicide skills and interventions to counseling students.…”

Promoting Optimal Student Engagement in Online Counseling Courses

“…A contemporary trend in counselor education is the increasing number of online courses (Hall, Nielsen, Nelson, & Buchholz, ; Jennings, ; Walsh & Leech, ). This trend is a significant one, raising concerns regarding the quality of education provided to counselors‐in‐training (CITs; Layne & Hohenshil, ).…”

“…First, there is a risk that the instructor, who takes a highly active role in designing the course, may impede behavioral engagement by limiting the learner's opportunities to exercise freedom of choice (Walsh & Leech, ). There is also a risk that the instructor may become more technology‐centered rather than student‐centered (Hall et al, ). If the embedded features in a course lack built‐in flexibility, then they may fail to accommodate the unique abilities, interests, and learning styles of the CITs and hinder cognitive engagement (Clark & Mayer, ).…”

“…If the embedded features in a course lack built‐in flexibility, then they may fail to accommodate the unique abilities, interests, and learning styles of the CITs and hinder cognitive engagement (Clark & Mayer, ). There is a realistic concern that online communication potentially limits the quality of interaction among students in a course, and as a result could hinder positive affective engagement with peers (Hall et al, ). Instructors should take care to allow opportunities for students to engage in cooperative learning and to engage with the course content on affective, behavioral, and cognitive levels (Rogers, ; Walsh & Leech, ).…”