Adult Student Center Feature: Online Learning

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Online Learning

Every day there's another announcement of new online courses. Most of them are non-credit or professional training classes. But we're also seeing an increasing number of university credit courses, and even fully-online degree programs all over the country, e.g.,

North Iowa Area Community College offers Associate of Arts degree over Internet *** University of Massachusetts Amherst introduces 3 online graduate programs *** University of Colorado System offers 4 online degrees *** 3 Oregon University System campuses developing online degree programs *** University of Southern Alabama nearly triples number of online classes

The concept of "distance learning" isn't new, of course. There have been correspondence courses for people in remote locations for many years. With the advent of the Internet, however, distance learning takes on a new dimension -- nearly real-time instruction, available anytime, from anywhere.

The first online degrees have been graduate programs, usually in business. This seemed to make sense for several reasons. The typical MBA candidate has a full-time job, family commitments and limited free time -- a prime candidate for online learning. The typical undergraduate student wants and/or needs the college social life -- a prime candidate for on-campus learning. The first assumption proved to be true. MBA and now other graduate programs are popping up everywhere in response to student demand. The second was true to some extent. Most traditional (18-21 year old) students do prefer to be on campus. But they have also discovered that the availability of online classes gives them much more flexibility in scheduling classes in a given term.

But the more recent expansion of undergraduate (as well as graduate) online degree programs is being fueled by another factor -- the increasing number of adults returning to school at all levels. They're seeking new skills to keep up with technology, or they're starting over with second careers. Many have discovered online classes to be the only way they could manage to go back to school.

Seems like the perfect solution? Maybe. But there are a few issues to consider.

First, it's important to weigh personal preferences and learning style. Some students readily adapt to self-direction and solitary study, while others are energized and supported by more face-to-face interaction, both with other students and with their professors.

Most programs are so new they should be considered experimental. The curriculum has yet to be fine-tuned. The professors are not yet totally comfortable with online teaching (and, in fact, may be somewhat resistant to it!). Course requirements may change in the middle of your program. The positive side is that you are more likely to be able to influence development of the program.

There is still limited availability. You may not be able to enroll in the program you want, or to take the classes you need to complete one in which you're already enrolled.

Quality may be an issue. Many of these new programs are offered by equally new "virtual" universities which are not yet accredited. The accreditation process can take several years. Lack of accreditation does not mean that the program is not a good one, but it makes it harder to evaluate and could cause problems with future colleges and/or employers.

Related to the above caution, many online degrees are not considered "acceptable" credentials.

Not every subject is equally suited to distance learning. There is considerable controversy still within MBA programs as to the need for social interaction, especially to learn negotiating and managerial skills. To deal with this issue, some colleges are adopting hybrid programs involving some mixture of online and on-campus instruction. In fact, this appears to be the direction of the future.

As more and more established universities begin to offer online degrees, and as the new virtual universities become "established," many of these issues will disappear. Certainly, online learning can be a viable, convenient and exciting option. Just be sure to investigate the program thoroughly, so you can go in with your eyes open.