Imagine sharing a classroom with three million students. That's the number of people pursuing degrees online from institutions of higher learning across America today! Since online learning is no longer being viewed as suspect or just an easy way to earn a credit or grade, enrollment for online learning is at an all-time high. Busy professionals, stay-at-home moms and traditional students are quickly learning that you don’t have to sit in a college or grad-school classroom to pursue a degree. Instead you can get your knowledge when you want it and where you want it because you have the flexibility to learn at your own pace, place and time, such as your home office, or on the bed with your laptop. With this kind of flexibility you don’t need to rush to class, hassle with parking or waste gas, leaving you with more time for the all those busy aspects of your life.
Students all over cyberspace are also discovering that personality, identity and social interaction are not just for traditional classrooms. As a distance education student you are able to enjoy dialogue, social interaction and meaningful discussions while still managing a busy schedule and family. Oftentimes in face-to-face discussion you have one or two students who tend to dominate and others who say nothing. In an online forum, everyone is able to talk to each other and all students have an equal voice.
Still think you are too busy with career and kids? The fact that you don't have time to sit in a college or grad-school classroom no longer means you can't pursue that sought-after degree. A wide variety of virtual programs and degrees now allow working adults and others who traditionally have not been able to access higher education to return to school without giving up on the core functionalities of their daily schedules, all while adding new insights and experiences the their lives.
A recent survey conducted by the College Board and the Sloan Consortium based upon responses from more than 2,200 colleges and universities nationwide reveals that there is no end in sight for online education. Just check out these facts:
- 65 percent of schools offering graduate face-to-face courses also offer graduate courses online.
- 63 percent of schools offering undergraduate face-to-face courses also offer undergraduate courses online.
- Among all schools offering face-to-face master's degree programs, 44 percent also offer master's programs online.
A larger percentage (62 percent) of chief academic officers agree that the learning outcomes in online education are now as good as or superior to face-to-face instruction, while 57 percent say it is critical to their institution's long-term strategy. "At this point, the question isn't who is doing distance education," states John Flores, chief executive officer of the nonprofit United States Distance Learning Association. "It's who's not doing it.”
Distance learning doesn’t just mean that you are learning via a website. Multimedia training offers much more. Today you can easily access video, virtual chats, e-books, wikis, blogs, podcasts and an endless supply of virtual knowledge bases. All these tools enable you to enjoy dialogue, social interaction and meaningful discussions. Online tools don’t just apply to distance education. Many traditional courses are also becoming digitally enhanced via online communities as many traditional classroom teachers choose to communicate with their students online for their curse preparation, post lecture work and discussions.
It is easy to think that taking a distance education course can make you feel isolated, both as a student and a teacher, but with today’s highly interactive programs, it is easy to create a community hat interacts frequently.
Trends in education show that e-learning is becoming more learner-centered and self-directed, as opposed to traditional professor-led lecturing. With the technological revolution, accelerating advances in information systems, and growth of Internet usage, it is no wonder traditional institutions are stepping up and offering distance learning programs. It’s easy to figure out that no matter what the class or program you decide to sign up for, you are always guaranteed the freedom, flexibility, and convenience of learning, while juggling a professional and personal schedule. Make sure to explore the many programs and courses available to you via this site and check back for regular updates.