Continuing Education
Online Degree Options Continue To Grow
By Kelli Smith
Feb 17, 2008

Over 1.2 million students were enrolled in online higher education programs at the close of 2005 according to Eduventures, a leading education market research firm. As students across the nation flock to online degree programs, educators and prospective students alike are wondering: Is online education here to stay?

Experts agree that online education is very much on the rise, and it seems to be here for the long run. Eduventure predicts, "By early 2008, around one in ten college students will be enrolled in an online degree program."

Online All the Time

A large number of schools offer only online classes, and have little or no campus-based component but are formally accredited according to the same system as traditional campus-based colleges and universities. Students can choose from hundreds of accredited degree programs ranging from business to Web design to health sciences and more. New programs apply for accreditation each year, and many non-accredited programs offer their own certification for completed coursework.

Until recently, colleges that offer more than half of their courses online could not receive federal student aid. In March, however, Congress passed a law that dropped this requirement. The new law marks a transition for the fledgling online education industry, and will undoubtedly prompt more students and schools to tap into this growing trend.

Off the Campus and Onto the Web

Many campus-based colleges and universities have questioned the legitimacy of a degree program that does not center on face-to-face learning. Still, a growing number of traditional schools are making the leap from on-campus to online. The number of colleges that offer some sort of distance learning program rose from 62 percent in 1998 to 87 percent in 2004, according to the International Data Corporation. A study funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation reports that 65 percent of universities with in-person graduate programs also offer graduate courses online.

Some employers remain slow to accept online degrees, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. However, a number of high-profile traditional colleges are playing important roles in making the Internet an accepted platform for higher education. Later this year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will complete its pioneering "OpenCourseWare" project, which makes all MIT course material available on the Internet, free of charge, to anyone in the world.

Getting in Synch with Your Online Education Options

With so many students turning to online degree programs, how do they sort through the many different options available to them? Online degree programs fall into two broad categories: asynchronous learning and synchronous learning.

Synchronous Learning

For synchronous learning, students attend classes at set times via the Internet. You and your instructor get together and communicate in real-time for lectures, class discussions, or question and answer sessions. Online programs may use a number of technological tools to provide students with synchronous learning such as:

• Instant Messaging
• Real-time voice conferencing
• Real-time video conferencing

Asynchronous Learning

For asynchronous learning, students access their online classes whenever they want. They attend classes, study the material, and complete assignments on their own, with little if any real-time interaction with an instructor or other students. Asynchronous learning allows students to communicate with each other and the instructor, but communication happens over the course of a few hours, or even a few days. Asynchronous online programs use a variety of technological tools, including:

• Email
• Message boards
• Educational management systems
• Forum posting

Choosing the Program that's Right for You
Some online degree programs use only synchronous or asynchronous learning, and others use a combination of both. Choosing a program with the right learning style can be important to a student's eventual success. Asynchronous learning allows students to work at their own pace and at times that work for their schedules, whether at 5:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m., but it also requires self-motivation. Students need to carefully consider their personal schedules and working styles and pick a program that best fits their needs.

Students around the world are taking advantage of online degree programs to complete or advance their education. As technology improves and society becomes increasingly mobile, experts expect online education to keep growing fast, spreading higher education far outside the classroom walls.