Higher Education

Online Learning is Here to Stay

Online learning includes all types of teaching and learning. There are communication and information systems that serve as the media needed in order to implement this type of learning. The term “online learning” basically refers to classroom education that is acquired through the use of technology.

This type of learning where the network-enabled and computer transfer of knowledge and skills is utilized, processes and applications include digital collaboration, opportunities of virtual classroom, computer-based learning and Web-based learning. The content of the materials to be learned is sent through the Internet, satellite TV, video or audio tape, and extranet/intranet. This type of learning can be customized at the students own pace or it can be instructor led with media elements to include audio, animation, text, video streaming, and image.

By the year 2006 in the U.S., there were around 3.5 million students taking some type of online-learning within an institute of higher education. The Slogan Foundation reports state that the rise of participation in online learning was an average of 12 to 14% between the years of 2004 to 2009. By 2008, there were more that 25% of all post-secondary education students taking some type of online courses which increased in 2009 to 44%. The number of students taking online courses is expected to rise as much as 81 percent by the year 2014. There are many for-profit institutes of higher education that now offer online classes and the general consensus is that students are just as satisfied with this form of education as with the traditional classroom style.

Questions to Ask Before You Enroll On-line

Education is expensive and time-consuming, so before you enroll and write that check for tuition, it is good idea to be sure you are at the right institution for your career and financial goals. One way to do that is to ask the following questions.

About the School

Is the school accredited? Accreditation is extremely important. If your school isn’t accredited your credits may not transfer to another school and employers may reject your degree.
How many students are currently enrolled and how many students graduate each year? The answer to this question tells you two things, first the size of the institution and the success of students. Generally speaking, 75 percent graduation rate is considered excellent.
Student to teacher ratio. Generally the lower the ratio, the higher the quality of the education. Look for schools with a low student/teacher ratio.

About Students

Hardware and software needs. What specific hardware and software will you need to complete your degree? It’s important to know before your enroll, if you need to upgrade your system or purchase software.
How do students and teachers communicate? How will your work be evaluated? Make sure that you understand the methods the teacher uses and that you are comfortable with them.
How do I get extra help if I need it? The amount of extra help an institution provides differs widely. Find out if the institution provides virtual office hours and tutoring services?

The more you know about your on-line college before enroll, the happier you will be with your choice. With so many accredited on-line schools to choose from, it is worth your time to thoroughly investigate all the possibilities.

Graduate Level On-Line Degrees

For the busy professional who is seeking a graduate degree, on-line education is tailor-made to fit their career and lifestyle needs. A recent survey conducted by Onlinedegrees.org, show that students are looking to continue their education in four major fields:

Engineering
Healthcare
Education
Business

In addition to scheduling flexibility, students like the self-pacing aspects of online education.

Engineering

Engineering degrees offer successful candidates a financially secure future. Because of the hands on aspects of engineering, few undergraduate engineering degrees are offered online. Graduate level engineering degrees are more prevalent.

Healthcare

If you believe the experts, a job in health care is job security. So it’s no wonder that the interest in the healthcare field has skyrocketed in the last ten years. On-line colleges and universities offer healthcare degrees in nursing, pharmacy, medical assisting, nutrition, physical therapy, and medical billing. Some schools offer a combination of on-line, on-campus, and in-service training.

Education

Most on-line education degrees are for the graduate or post-graduate level. Educators who are looking to move into administrative or policy positions within the educational field find that an on-line degree will allow them the needed flexibility in the workplace.

Business

Business degrees are by far the most flexible. Students can choose from an associates, bachelors, graduate, or post-graduate degree from some fine institutions. In today’s highly competitive workplace, the MBA (Masters in Business Administration) has become the norm for mid-level managers.

If you are thinking about taking your career to the next level, then supplementing your education is a logical next step. Whether on-line or on-campus, your educational and career goals are within reach.

Cost of Postsecondary Education

Once you’ve decided to continue your education, the next logical step is determining what your education budget will be. The first step is to ask yourself some critical questions:

Will I need to continue to work while I go to school?
Is the school of choice within commuting distance or will I need to move?
How long does the educational program last and do I have enough resources to complete the program?

Once you have the answers to those questions you can begin to look at different types of postsecondary educational programs and the costs associated with each institution.

Online Colleges

Online colleges offer the student the greatest flexibility of scheduling. So if you are juggling a job, a family, and school, this might be the perfect solution. Tuition for online colleges is about $252 a credit hour.

Two-Year Colleges

Community colleges, technical schools, and trade schools, all fall within the category of two-year colleges. Tuition for these institutions begins at around $239 per credit hour. However, tuition costs vary greatly depending on the program. The more specialized the program, the higher the tuition. In addition, you’ll need to factor in the cost of commuting to class. Many two-year colleges offer evening and weekend classes that allow you to keep your full or part-time job while attending school.

Four-Year Colleges

If you live within commuting distance, a four-year public college is usually the most cost effective choice. Yearly resident tuition for a four-year public school runs between $5000 and $10000 per year. However, if you need to live on campus, the cost of dorms and food can easily run another $15,000.

Non-resident tuition at four-year public colleges average between $15,000 and $25,000.

Knowing what college options you have to meet your career goal is the first step in developing an educational plan for your future. The second step is to manage your financial resources effectively to get the most education for the fewest dollars.

Avoid On-line Education Scams

On-line education is a reality. Students across the country and around the world can attend an accredited college or university without leaving their home. For students with families and full-time jobs, on-line education is often the only answer. Unfortunately with the abundance of on-line education offerings, it can be difficult to distinguish the legitimate schools from the scams.

Here are some signs that the program may not be legitimate.

Get a college degree for your life experience. Any school that offers you a degree based solely on your life and work experience is not legitimate. Some accredited schools, however, may offer you some credit for your life and work experience towards a degree. The accredited schools would then require course work to complete the degree.
Get your college degree in 30 days. No legitimate college, school, or university can guarantee you a degree, let alone in 30 days. If it sounds too good to be true. It is. Education takes time.
50% off tuition if you pay in thirty days. Legitimate schools have fixed costs. Tuition is based on course hours. Faculty salaries are fixed. Institutions that offer a huge discount for paying quickly are rarely legitimate.

The United States Department of Education hosts a list of accredited schools across the country. The schools on the list are accredited by nationally recognized accrediting agencies. Before you begin an online course of study, take the first step and check with the Department of Education to determine if the school is accredited.

Three Reasons to Consider an Online Education

More and more employers are requiring a college education for entry-level jobs. If you are one of the millions of Americans that are looking for work, you’ve run up against this door time and time again. Getting past that closed door requires a college education. Yet, the entrance competition for local and national colleges and universities is stiffer than ever and rising tuition is often out of reach for many students. One alternative to education at a brick and mortar institution is attending an on-line college or university.

Here are three reasons to consider:

Cost. Tuition at on-line colleges and universities is often less expensive than traditional institutions. This is due, largely, to a huge reduction in over-head. On-line universities don’t have dorms, grounds, sporting facilities, etc., to maintain, thus they can pass the savings on to the students in the form of lower tuition. In addition, students save the cost of commuting.
Flexibility and Pacing. On-line programs allow the student to flex their schedule around their other commitments, such as work and family. Many programs are self-paced, which means the student progresses as fast or as slow as needed to complete the program. For some students, this means they will be able to complete the coursework for their degree in less time than if they had attended a conventional program.
Networking. On-line programs connect students from around the country and around the world. In addition, on-line programs can and do facilitate guest lecturers and professors to enhance the student learning experience.

A college education is now within the reach of most Americans, particularly when you factor in the availability of on-line colleges and universities. On-line programs offer both, pay-as-you go and financial aid packages.

Preparing to get More out of Life

Getting more out of your life can come in all different forms. You could go to the gym and pump up until you start to look like the Hulk. You could run around the track until your muscles pop out like an anatomy chart. You could go to the club and work on your game until Don Juan starts calling to ask you for advice. You could even go to business school and get yourself an MBA. While the last one might not sound as impressive as the other three, it’ll most likely get you more money than being buff, being lean or being a player will.

But while the other three basically just involve showing up, going to grad school for your MBA is a bit of an ordeal, just to get in. For instance, they have an entrance examination known as the GMAT. Luckily for those aspiring to get in and breeze right past the GMAT, there is a GMAT class online you can take, to prepare you for acing the test itself. After all, you’ll have plenty of work to do once you’re in all those challenging MBA courses. There’s really no sense in giving yourself any more difficulties than you’re already facing.

Just think of all the great things you can go on to accomplish with your business degree. You can get a great career, where you can afford to get into the best clubs (and work on your game). You’ll also be able to afford memberships to the best gyms (so you can turn your body into a work of art). And if that wasn’t good enough for you (you’re learning), you will also be able to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I have a terminal degree. There are many people in the world who have not gone further with their business education than I have.”

Disadvantages Of Higher Education

We are all under the impression that the more education that we have, the better off we are, the more employable we are, and the more valuable we are. However, there are some career paths where having too much education can actually make getting a job harder to do. This is usually because employers are not ready to pay higher salary for higher education level for a college graduate that is still considered inexperienced. The cost involved in the training for a new graduate can be a lot for a company and combined with a high salary, it is not fiscally sound for the company. So here is what many college graduates and post-graduates do to avoid the problem.

This might not sound like what you want to hear, but may be necessary in a bad economy like the Great Recession. Many graduates do not include all of their education. This is especially true of teachers who have finished college with a Bachelors and Masters degree, but have never taught. Schools are always looking to save money, and teachers are paid on a scale that combines their education and years of experience. Schools know that new teachers have a lot to learn, and therefore are not willing to spend more for a teacher that has high education when they know the training for a new teacher with a regular Bachelors degree is going to require the same amount of attention. What many of these new employees do is keep quiet about the amount of education, and then about a year to two into their job, reveal the education. This would allow a candidate to be considered for higher pay, they would have established themselves, and also make them eligible for promotions based on higher education. While this is not the choice for many, students are not wanting to sacrifice their higher educational goals, and therefore are needing to find creative ways to have the job and the degree at the same time.

Options for Students after High School

Not too long ago, the only way to get an advanced degree was to go to a traditional brick-and-mortar university. Although this worked for the majority of students, it wasn’t for everyone. Because some students had already started a family or needed to work to pay their own bills, attending classes on a schedule could be difficult, if not impossible. Let’s take a look at how technology has made it possible for many students to attend college.

The Ultimate Convenience

If you have to work to support yourself after you graduate from high school, college can seem like a pipe dream. With a full-time job, who has time to go to school and sit behind a desk? If you enter an online degree program, this is no longer a problem. You’ll be able to attend classes whenever and wherever you want! If you have access to a computer during breaks at work, you could even put in a little time then. With online degrees, you won’t have to worry about your work schedule, daycare, or any other issues with family responsibilities.

Decreased Cost

For many recent high-school graduates, they would love to attend college if they could afford it. Luckily, it’s easy to earn one of the many online degrees at a fraction of the cost of attending a traditional university. Not only do you save on tuition, but you also save on room, board, and transportation costs! This is one of the primary reasons that online degree programs allow many high school students to attend college when they would not otherwise be able to even consider higher education.

If you’ve chosen to give up your dream of a higher education because of money or other responsibilities, don’t make any hasty decisions! An online degree program may be your answer. The key to a bright future is often a good education. Don’t give up on yours!

Online High Schools

More and more students today are deciding to go a non traditional route with their schooling. Instead of going to school in a traditional high school, many are making the choice to take their high school classes online. In fact, it has become such a popular option that there are now many online high schools that allow students from virtually anywhere to attend.

You may be wondering how these online high schools function. A student will log into a class, sometime at a specific time, others when they have the opportunity. They can listen to, watch, or read a lecture, and get their homework. Many times, the homework will be completed and turned in online. Sometimes this is through a content management system that the school has set up, other times it may be through emailing the assignment to the teacher. Rarely, you may need to actually mail in your assignment.

Many classes still need text books. Some of these are available online now, and you are able to access them through the online high school. Other times, they may be mailed to you, and then at the end of the class, you need to mail the text book back to the school.

There are many reasons that families choose online schooling for their children. Many feel that it is the next step in home schooling. Others just feel that it is the next step in schooling in general. Some students feel that they are easier able to do their work, if they are able to work at their own pace, which is generally a big part of attending an online high school. Other times, it can be a religious preference or family preference not to send a child to a public high school. No matter what the reasoning is, the popularity of online high schools is growing significantly each year.