Online schools have become one of the most popular and affordable ways for students to complete their degree or further their education. Since the 90’s online education has grown into a viable and reputable way to get a college education. Saint Leo University for example is the largest provider of college degrees for the US military. The University of Phoenix has degree programs tailored to the working adult, and there are many more online schools that offer degrees in less time and money than traditional programs.
There are many reasons you may consider taking online classes. Economics, time constraints, and convenience are some of the main reasons students enroll in online classes. A recent study found 96% of all universities in theUShave at least one online class. Over 73% of the universities in the study report a demand for online classes. An average of 53% of the universities cited the economic recession as one of the main reasons for a growing demand for more online classes and degree programs.
There are 5.6 million students enrolled in online classes, and the enrollment is growing by 21% each year as opposed to the decrease of 2% in enrollment of traditional campus based programs. Over one in four college and university students have taken at least one online class during their degree program, and according to the study the search term “online university” receives over 1 million hits in a year. That’s a lot of interest in online education!
Traditional campus programs are now blending online classes with the classroom experience. Students meet in chat rooms, text, use Facebook and Twitter to communicate, and take advantage of the availability of e-books to work on their studies. Almost all colleges and universities make their electronic libraries available to their students for free. This gives students availability to thousands of reference materials as well as other media. These types of blended programs work well for degrees which require students to have hands on experience. One example of a blended program is for nursing. Classroom work is done online and clinicals are then done in a healthcare facility.
Today’s online student is typically an adult learner who is finishing their degree, taking classes to advance their employability, or increase their chances for career advancement. Many of them have families to take care of and find online classes easy to fit into their busy schedule. As technology continues to grow and becomes more accessible, it will be interesting to watch how online education grows and becomes an even more important avenue to obtain higher education.
Tags: adult learners, blended degree programs, distance learning, online college classes, online education, popularity of online education