Full Digest V8, I2

5 TPC Digest 5 | Current Practices in Online Counselor Education C Counselor education is following the broader trend in higher education of increased program offerings via distance education. This trend is likely not appreciated by all. The majority of today’s counselor educators and clinicians were educated in traditional, residential formats and may possess an out-of-date or inaccurate understanding of the current practices that make today’s online formats work. Online education does fill a need. Remote and rural areas in the United States often lack physical access to counselor education programs, which limits the number of trained counselors in those regions. Urban areas may have more residential teaching options, but commute times on congested highways may put programs with traditional formats out of reach to many working students. International students may find themselves torn between wanting to gain the knowledge and skills provided in U.S.-based counselor education programs and wanting to remain in their country to serve their community. Online counselor education programs currently serve diverse populations in underserved areas throughout the world. The four authors herein did not always believe in the efficacy of online learning. They were educated traditionally, began their teaching careers in residential classrooms, and later found themselves adding distance learning to their educational repertoire. This paper reviews their research findings on current practices as described in the literature and the survey results of counselor educators’ perspectives on the challenges and success factors for online counselor education effectiveness. The newest wave of technologies has taken much of the social distance out of distance education. Email, e-learning course management platforms, threaded discussion boards, audio calls, and videoconferencing allow for rich faculty–student interactions during individual advising, group supervision, and class sessions. The survey asked counselor educators about their university’s most significant challenges in providing quality online counselor education. Challenges included making online students feel a sense of connection to the university; changing faculty teaching styles from traditional classroom models to those better suited for online coursework; providing experiential clinical training to online students; supporting quality practicum and internship experiences for online students residing at a distance from the physical campus; and convincing faculty that quality outcomes are possible with online programs. Reported best practices include ensuring the excellence of the student admissions screening process; ensuring excellent advising and feedback; setting high expectations; fostering student–faculty–community engagement; investing in quality instructional materials, course development, and technology support; providing excellent support for online clinical training and supervision; recognizing the workload requirements and time constraints of online students; and working to instill the belief in others that quality outcomes are possible with online counselor education programs. Finally, what about the success of graduates? The survey respondents overwhelmingly believed that online graduates were as successful as residential students in gaining postgraduate clinical placements, obtaining state licensure, and getting accepted into doctoral programs. William H. Snow is an associate professor at Palo Alto University. Margaret R. Lamar is an assistant professor at Palo Alto University. J. Scott Hinkle, NCC, is Director of Professional Development at the National Board for Certified Counselors. Megan Speciale, NCC, is an assistant professor at Palo Alto University. Correspondence can be addressed to William Snow, 1791 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, wsnow@paloaltou.edu . William H. Snow, Margaret R. Lamar, J. Scott Hinkle, Megan Speciale