What are the pros and cons of online learning and degrees(even the most superficial ones?).Anybody who’s done it,or who feels he/she has some knowledge on the subject is welcome to post a reply.Thank you for reading this.
HEY,ANYBODY?Come on guys,don’t just skim over this and drop it.Some input would be appreciated.
Thanks shannonfelix for posting.
Thanks Fred,anything else?I need to know everything there is to know,since I may consider online learning in the future.
As we move deeper into the global recession, it has affected education not only in United States, but nations everywhere. Lending institutions have dramatically limited lines of credit relating to open ended accounts (credit cards); bank loans are hard to come by in both the private and commercial sectors; endowments to colleges and universities have fallen; and the scarcity of jobs and rising unemployment rate has left most individuals and families struggling to pay for only the most essential things, such as, rent, food, transportation, medical, and other necessaties.
Consequently, all of these factors have had an adverse impact on the education sector. With the costs of running a school increasing because of higher energy and maintenance bills, it will undoubtedly result in a complete transformation of academia and the conventional classroom.
Distance education appears to be in harmony with the coming resources and energy shortages and will in all likelihood replace many of the brick & mortar schools, which will simply not be able to keep their doors open, since they are competing for a smaller market share of students, as aging baby boomers retire. Quite simply, there is only going to be a limited amount of money in circulation, as global wealth is consolidated into the hands of a smaller number of players.
As fuel and energy shortages begin to set in, distance education will be the preferred method of education, which will avoid travel time and the costs usually associated with attending conventional campuses. In effect, more resources will be directed to distance education, resulting in an even better delivery of online materials, including cutting edge technological advancements and interactive software.
With the coming education transformation, 25% to 50% of conventional colleges and universities will be forced to close the doors, since there will not be enough students to sustain their respective operations. Moreover, the high costs of air travel and rising global unemployment will also reduce the international pool of students attending institutions in foreign territories. Within the next 15 years, only the very best colleges and universities will be left standing, not just in the US, but also within the European Union.
Advantages:
Self-paced. Reduction of transportation and energy costs. Focused study absent noisy campuses and party-goers. Reduced likelihood of contracting communicable diseases in a congested classroom setting. Lower crime and theft rates, as compared to a conventional campus setting.
Disadvantages:
Requires self-discipline and high level of motivation. Requires time-management and long term dedication to meet required academic goals. Less interaction with professors (which might actually be a good thing depending on which nutty professor you have). No physical group participation in the areas of sports.
Conclusion, distance education is to traditional education what e-business was to traditional business.
Paralegal
Member, AAPI
I feel that distance education will replace the “traditional” scores within the next 50 years and getting a distance education degree now will certainly help. For one, getting a distance education degree shows that you have a commitment to learning, it helps you gain technical skills, and you can still have the peer interaction if you so choose. I received my A.A. degree traditionally, will receive my B.S. degree online, and will be starting my M.A. program traditionally. One comment that I must make in regards to the stigma attached to online education is that the stigma must be alleviated in regards to the pre-professional degrees that one can earn. However, I do not believe in doctoral programs being taught through an online modality. Thoughts on the Ph.D. anyone?
There will never be any PhD degree online.
How in the world can you do research when you are away from campus? Original research and dissertation are the most important component of PhD education.
Wifey - If you do a search for online PhD’s, you’ll find several. They’re mainly in the administration, psychological, and financial areas. And yes, they are respected and legitimate. I’d imagine in the future, this area of education will continue to grow.
As to pros and cons of online learning, there are so many that have been named and more that you will discover yourself if/when you join the ranks of “virtual students.” Everyone is different and what is an issue for me might not be an issue for you. Some people have problems with technology. Other people have problems with the lack of face to face interaction.
My biggest issue is trying to keep myself motivated. Not being in a physical institution takes away the “babysitter effect.” As in you do not have teachers hounding you every day about homework and reading. As online students we have to keep after ourselves to get the work done. I have found that since I am so close to finishing my degree (only a year out!!!), that in itself is my motivation. =)
Anyhoo, I have homework to do. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. 
Jen
It is very convenient. You can listen to lectures in your pajamas.
On the other hand, there is very little interaction with professors and classmates that would help you understand the material.
I agree with you bioanthropsych,though I’d say that 50 years is a helluva long time.thirty five to forty is more like it.Good observation though.
Here are some of the benefits of distance education courses.
Convenience
Flexibility
Availability
Cost
Self-Directed
Time Spent in Classroom
Accessibility
Better for Some Learners
No Travel Expenses
No Interrupting Job/Career
Some of the people on this board seem to have an agenda, and aren’t being completely honest about some aspects of online education.
Online learning is certainly growing, and will continue to do so, however I think some major changes within the system will change over the next few years.
There is a growing concern about for-profit institutions, their recruitment methods, ethics, and funding resources. For-profit universities are a HUGE contributor to defaults on student loans (by percentage it’s amazing) and are partially responsible for the “education bubble” that is growing in our country.
The rumblings for government legislation is increasing, and as defaults on taxpayer funded loans continue to increase, more pressure will be applied for regulation.
I have no problem with online learning, I just think it should be a tool in the toolbox for educators, an arrow in the quiver. If someone wants online education, go to a reputable brick-and-mortar university that offers online degrees.
Because of the explosion of online colleges, the undergraduate degree is becoming inflated. You can’t have multiple online colleges handing out 100’s of thousands of diplomas each year and it not affect the overall value of a BA/BS - that is just basic economics, greater supply - lower value.
Well I got my AS traditionally, my BA mostly traditionally (but with some online courses), and I’m working on my MBA online. I also work for a college in a department whose programs are all online (a public state university). Here is my take.
Online degrees are not going anywhere. In fact, they are becoming increasingly popular; not only for the students, but for the colleges. The for-profit schools were a bit ahead of the eight ball on this, in that they had a less rigid infrastructure and really could take off with online learning. When the non-profit schools saw this (specifically the potential profits to be earned), they also jumped on the bandwagon. Now you have non-profit colleges and universities who market and focus on their online programs just as much as the for-profit schools do.
However, the result is a mixed bag for students. Like I said, colleges see online programs as “easy revenue”. However the reality is that while online degree programs do not take as many resources (like physical buildings, a fat administrative staff, etc.), that doesn’t mean that you do not have to invest in them and provide the proper tools to both the students and the faculty. From seeing the online educational offerings at 4 different colleges, I can say first hand that there is a big difference in quality between one school and the next. I should also mention that all of my experience is through the non-profit higher education sector. I personally am really concerned in how the quality of online education is assessed. Yes, you can see general college rankings, but that may or may not translate over to the online degree programs.
So to me, the pros are obvious (that online degrees are more flexible, and personally, I feel that online courses are more demanding and require that you are more handy with the material). But the cons basically lie within the area of quality control; and having no real way of telling if an online degree is one of quality or not.
im think in the near future ppl are going to go for [accredited online degrees](<a href=“http://www.vistacollege.edu/online/programs/business-administrator/”>http://www.vistacollege.edu/online/programs/business-administrator/</a> ) as they are more cost effective…
I’m not an online education basher, many of my undergrad classes were online. One word of caution those is find out what alumni who are doing with their degrees.
I’ve seen many Facebook of LinkedIn profiles of those praising online universities, but aren’t doing anything relevant with a degree.
I’m generalizing, but I’ve seen people who just seem to go after as many degrees as possible or work in jobs where they don’t need an advanced degree, such as working in a call center as an entry-level worker or not moving up to a better job.
A reputable school would get you in touch with alumni who are doing well (which should be easily verified) after completing their degrees.
@adkinsjm
I also see that with people who get degrees in the traditional, on-campus format; almost exactly as you have described!
My undergraduate degree was earned about 80% on campus. Yet networking with alumni still isn’t automatic. You still need to be the one to take the initiative. If anything, being an online students puts you in a psychologically distant place so you sometimes have both that, and the physical distance to contend with. But if you are the type of person who goes after things and seeks out opportunities, then this should not be a problem.
Another issue with online schools are lax admission policies. I know community colleges usually admit students with just a HS diploma and that’s fine, since they are low-cost options. When you have online schools charging $10,000 and up per year in tuition and don’t have admissions standards, that’s a problem, especially when so many students drop out and default on federal loans.
There’s one prominent for-profit online school that doesn’t have a GPA requirement for grad school. All you need is a Bachelor’s degree. For students who barely graduated college, offering a grad school education isn’t helping anybody, especially when a lot of these students are likely funding their education through loans.
How many brick-and-mortar schools admit grad students just on the basis of having a degree and not having any GPA requirements, asking for letters of recommendation or a statement of purpose?
How many brick-and-mortar schools admit grad students just on the basis of having a degree and not having any GPA requirements, asking for letters of recommendation or a statement of purpose?
Well I work for a public state university in PA and I process the admission materials for our graduate program (although I do not make the admissions decision). I will say this; we do require a letter of recommendation, statement of purpose, and GPA. However, I have seen letter of recommendations come in with no signature (so in my mind, the student probably typed it themself), statement of purposes that consisted of one sentence, and GPAs below our requirements. These people get admitted; albeit, under a ‘conditional’ admission status…but as long as they pass their first semester classes, it is changed to ‘full admission’. In two years, I have yet to see otherwise.
When it comes close to the start of the semester, my university (the Deans) start freaking out over admissions numbers. If people don’t quite make the cut, so what. We need the enrollment (so their tuition dollars) so that the state doesn’t see us as some cursory program and shut us down.
So the reason behind the methods is different at non-profit schools…but the end result is the same (people enrolling in graduate school who really aren’t qualified to be there). So this is an issue across the board.