Online Degrees: Modern Day Online Education
Online education has grown steadily in the past decade. According to a study conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group, the Sloan Consortium, and the College Board, during the fall 2007 semester over 3.9 million students took the opportunity of learning online.
That means over 20% of post secondary students were taking online courses in fall of 2007, and that number has grown even more over the last year and half. When colleges and universities first started offering online education, they started offering one or two online courses a semester. Today, online education has expanded greatly, and it is possible to earn online degrees.
Brief History of Online Education
Online courses were first used by a variety of companies to train new employees. In the 1990’s a few college companies took notice and started videotaping lectures and making those lectures accessible on the internet, but the video was slow, so most curriculum was text-based.
However, with advances in computer technology, virtual classrooms have been created along with faster and easier ways to view lectures and communicate with professors. Some universities and colleges have been slow to offer online courses, but students are demanding online education and online degrees for various reasons.
Top Reasons to Pursue Online Degrees
- Students say the number one reason they like learning online is that they are able to study and learn in the privacy and comfort of their own homes.
- One of the other reasons students like online education is that they can set their own schedule. This is especially important if students are working. Instead of trying to arrange a work schedule around school, courses can be taken at students’ convenience. Many online students have earned bachelor’s degrees and now are trying to earn graduate degrees while working full time.
- Another reason that students like online education is the fact that they can set their own pace. If a student doesn’t understand what was covered in the lecture the first time, they can re-watch the lecture as many times as they need to and study the material until they feel confident.
- Finally, online education can save money. Since students can stay in their homes to attend classes, transportation costs are cut. Additional savings can be found in not having to move to a campus, and also for students with children, there is no child care costs.
Credibility of Online Degrees
There was a time when the credibility of online degrees were questioned, but that is no longer the case. If an online degree is earned from a reputable accredited university or college, that degree is as good as if it were earned at a brick and mortar university or college. There are many websites that list accredited online degrees.
There have been naysayers of online education who say potential employers are put off by an online degree. That is a myth. Increasingly, employers are recognizing the rise in the stature of online education and online degrees, and its importance in offering accredited online education which meets the needs of so many students.
In fact, Careerbuilder.com says that many employers are impressed with students who are self-motivated enough to take advantage of new technology and options, such as learning online.