Does size matter to you? Are you one of those people who believe that the bigger it is the better? Do you follow the crowd rather than choose a different path? If you answered yes to all the above questions, you would probably choose your online university and course by its popularity and student strength. The top ten online institutions that offer degrees, in terms of the number of students are:
- University of Phoenix
- Park University
- St. Leo University
- University of Maryland-University College
- Central Texas College
- San Antonio College
- SUNY-Empire State College
- Baker College-Flint
- University of Florida
- Walden University
Picture the following scenario _ You’ve enrolled in a course, bought the required books, and on the first day of class look up to see the author of your prescribed textbook stroll into the classroom ready to deliver a lecture. This is what you will experience if you sign up for the free online courses at Barnes & Noble University. The authors of the materials used teach most of the courses. You can take courses on liberal arts, hone up your life improvement skills, or join online reading groups.
The trouble with enrolling in an online degree program is that it is often difficult to stay the course. I should know…as I have put my MBA degree on the back burner for almost a year now. The reasons are varied, from a change of job to family pressures and commitments. As time goes by though, the inclination to drop out slowly overtakes the desire to complete the degree successfully. I find myself looking for a railing to hold on to, to support myself against the forces that threaten to sweep me further away from my goal of becoming a master of business administration.
The institution I belong to has no clue that my thoughts are taking me to the point of dropping out. If it did, probably the administrators would take steps much like the Purdue University has to increase retention rates. The University is using its course management system (CMS) to keep track of the progress of its online students and thus be able to predict who is in danger of leaving the fold.
The CMS is used to conduct online classes as well as lend support and add value to traditional lectures through discussions, tests, and interactions. Now it is playing an additional role, that of a guardian angel, to identify those students who are falling behind in their coursework and assignments, and alert instructors to the prospective danger of them dropping out.
The data garnered from the CMS is often compared and combined with existing data about the student like grades on standardized tests, high school grades, and grades from previous institutions, to paint a picture that can tell if the learner is just having an off period, or is not too committed to sticking to the course schedule. When compared with the data gleaned about the other members of the class, the information provides a very useful method of identifying those in danger of quitting, and then doing what has to be done to get them back on track.
Students of schools in Alabama, North Carolina, and West Virginia will benefit immensely through the use of Curriculum Pathways, an award-winning online learning tool. The tool is being made available to educational institutions in the State by the Alabama Department of Education, at no cost up to July 2007. The software, which comes from the stables of business intelligence solutions provider, SAS, is being offered through the company’s inSchool division to help schools whose operations were thrown out of gear by the storms that wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast. DM Review reports:
Curriculum Pathways covers core disciplines including English, math, history, science and Spanish. Topics map to state and national standards so educators can meet test score goals, differentiate instruction and engage students through higher-order thinking skills. These online-only resources can reach students in class, at home and in community centers.
The unique online graduate school of the University of Baltimore provides a solution for those wishing for time to attend graduate school without putting their career on hold. The first of its kind and among the first with national accreditation, the course is completely online with no classroom time at all.
The University of Baltimore specializes in its online graduate school offering a degree in Master of Business Administration and Public Administration. Entirely online, all class work and faculty-student interaction is conducted online. For assignments, discussions and examinations the submissions are electronically done to enable you to pursue studies from any location with no ties to the campus. Going beyond a part-time study programboth the online graduate schools involve full participation and extensive study despite physical absence.
To get the most out of online education, the student is required to be proactive with an outgoing attitude towards learning and studying. The ones with motivation and self-starters can use online schools as the ideal platform. Online degrees info reports:
Do you ever wish that you had the time to go back to graduate school, but don’t want to put your career on hold? Or simply can’t afford to take the time to go back and forth from your office to a campus to your home? The University of Baltimore solves these problems for you with our unique online graduate school. One of the first of its kind (and one of the first to be nationally accredited), the online graduate school is offered completely online with absolutely no classroom time.
Recent surveys have revealed that online education would surpass the expected 20% estimate in the future if financial aid, scholarships and online education kept pace.
Until recent times, financial aid, scholarships and online education were hard to balance as there were restrictions on the use of grants and loans. Where the content is concerned, distance learning is identical to conventional education but when it comes to financial aid and scholarships, there’s a world of difference. It is mainly the degree mills and bogus institutions to blame for this.
There are three provisions to the 1965 Higher Education Act that ensure availing scholarships or financial aid for distance education is next to impossible.
The first is the 12 hour rule which requires a student applying for financial aid in an online course that requires more than half-time commitment. Each week needs to have at least 12 hours of instruction, examination and preparation for testing.
Secondly the institution imparting the course is only eligible if less than 50% of its student population are distance learners or less than 50% of its courses are on computer, correspondence or video.
The third requirement is that courses should be related to a standard educational timeframe like quarters and semesters. Also less than 30 weeks of instruction per year will not be eligible.
Later after endless debates, the US Department of Education has relaxed these stringent rules to the extent that they are almost at par with the more conventional form of education. Online degrees info reports:
While it is thought that online learning may capture as much as 20% of all higher education enrolments in the future, recent surveys suggest that this number would be higher if financial aid, scholarships and online education were playing by the same rules. Luckily, times are a changing.
Whether online or offline, there is no such thing as prestigious unaccredited university. Accreditation is what prevents bogus online universities to hand out degrees overnight. Currently the United States alone is known to have over thirty bogus universities selling degrees online.
It makes no sense to attend an unaccredited university online as there are plenty of accredited ones trying to woo you. The leading university names in the country, the likes of Stanford, California State University, University of Illinois and University of Maryland offer online degrees.
The bogus universities selling online degrees are also known as degree mills. A college degree is believed to be the second biggest purchase most people make in a lifetime, after home mortgage. Degrees can make or break careers which explains why sales of bogus business are in great demand.
One way to tell if an online university is a degree mill is by checking if it has any accreditation. Or it may be accredited by an authority other than the ones recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. No matter how prestigious the name of the accrediting body sounds, if it isn’t among the official bodies, it doesn’t count. Online degrees info reports:
“Prestigious unaccredited university?” No such creature. Not online. Not anywhere. Accreditation is the highest mark of academic quality. Without accreditation a bogus online university can begin awarding degrees overnight. More than thirty bogus universities currently sell online degrees in the United States alone.
It is the threshold of huge change. The entire transformation is yet to be complete. However certain predictions can be made quite safely. One is that it is fin ding greater acceptance among academics and public alike. The numbers in distance education are also increasing.
Innovation plays a crucial role in distance education. New ways are constantly adopted marking a departure from the old conventional system of education.
The role of the faculty is under transformation. Faculty members are steadily losing control over the education content.
Higher education is beginning to resemble business. In future professors may be accredited instead of the institutions.
Classroom teaching however will not suffer as a consequence. They will merely be the alternative as a different avenue to the same destination. Currently the structure for distance education is mainly geared for the graduate level and professional specialization.
The huge strides that technology is in midst of has had as dramatic an impact on distance education. About 15 years it was not such a popular concept and the necessary equipment was expensive. Things have come a long way since then. The advent of the Internet along with advances in computer technology have created a world of possibilities. Online degrees info reports:
Right now, there’s tremendous change. Distance students today might wish they could fast forward a few frames into the future. Distance education is undergoing enormous change, and not all the pieces are in place yet. Brand-new and well-established institutions are figuring out how to provide distance learning to a growing population that wants higher education but not in a traditional classroom setting. In the interim, distance learners might find that what they thought was the model for distance education today will look very different in just a few years.
The biggest advantage that online learning offers is the freedom to pursue it literally anywhere and at any time. This means that parents can attend to their children whenever necessary, professionals traveling on business can attend class from anywhere in the world that has Internet access.
Student-centered teaching is possible in online education. Each student is unique in the kind of learning abilities that is most effective.
Students have access to learning material 24 hours a day and seven days a week. One can read and re-read, discuss, explain and comment. It is free from the disadvantages of verbal teaching due to distraction, absence, boredom, etc.
Attending classes online cannot be detected unless the student chooses to participate in a classroom discussion. This ensures student interaction and differences of opinion with every student getting to have a say on the subject.
Online learning also offers the advantage of making instructors more approachable. Using online chat, email and newsgroup discussions, studentscan have an open interaction with teachers.
A much wider range of subjects can be covered in online learning. Libratry facilities can easily be accessed by students from everywhere at any time. Online degrees info reports:
Why do students flock to the online learning environment? With over 4 million students are enrolled in online schools and universities (and that number is growing 30% per year), there are many compelling arguments for attending a cyber classroom (Lewis, 2005).
Scholarships are financial aid in a personalized form meant for students with potential in academic, artistic or athletic fields. Scholarships are also meant to help students from underrepresented groups and those with compelling financial need.
Pell Grants are offered by the federal government for students who meet specific criteria to qualify.
Education loans can broadly be divided into two categories of student loans which include Stafford and Perkins loans, and parent loans or PLUS loans.
There are both subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans. Subsidized Stafford loans are offered to students on the basis of their financial needs while for unsubsidized Stafford loans, a student’s financial needs are not considered.
Federally aided Perkins Loans are available in the schools with low interest rates. PLUS loans are given to parents of students who meet the criteria for dependents.
In order to avail of federal financial aid of any kind, the first step involves filling out a free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) form. International students including Canadian may find it more difficult to qualify for financial aid in the USD. However there are financial aid opportunities for them as well. Online degrees info reports:
Scholarships are personalized forms of financial aid. They are usually appropriate for students with particular strengths in academic, artistic, or athletic fields. Students from underrepresented groups or students in financial need may also be eligible to receive scholarships.
