<p>Perhaps more will begin a mix between online classes and weekend programs, like the one I described in post #18 (ie: every 6-8 weeks one goes for a 2-3 day affair on campus, and the rest is online). The woman I know who is doing this type of program travels quite a distance (flight paid for by her employer). She probably gets out of her usual work schedule for 1.5 days every 6-8 weeks, but gives up a weekend, and her employer picks up most of the tab. She loves this program, and she is getting a master's degree on her employer's dime.</p>
<p>There are several distance learning formats out there that have been highly successful without having to compromise the integrity of the degree. As long as each institution remembers that integrity is the MOST important feature of their programs, they should have no problem. My institution has been offering an adult learner program for 20 years...highly successful and just as respectable as our traditional program. It's specially designed with the adult learner in mind. It's also offered at a fraction of the cost of our traditional program.</p>
<p>One observation I have been seeing with our adult learners...companies are backing out of agreements to pay tuition. The number of FA apps I have processed has doubled since this crisis began. Many have been in our program for a year or more and are just now applying for aid to cover the gap left by their employers. We're also seeing an increase in the "recently laid off" category. We've also experienced a surge in applications from students just out of high school (highly unusual for our adult program as one requirement is that you have 3 years of work experience). But with the current state of the economy, high school graduates are seeing that it may be more beneficial to forego the typical college experience and work full-time while they earn their degree. </p>
<p>It is a sad state of affairs but, thankfully, there are a bunch of highly respectable adult learner programs at respectable and affordable institutions.</p>
<p>NEM, NL,</p>
<p>For every decent DL program, there are many more that are garbage. Sad but true. Buyer beware.</p>
<p>Besides the presence of a few decent DL programs does not mean that DL will be the financial savior of these struggling LACs. Just consider, to start, economies of scale w/r/t existing programs versus new programs. Then consider what the true size of the DL marketplace is. Then consider alternatives to DL, such as community colleges and local LACs, who, through adjunct faculty (who might have been laid off from a more "upscale" institution and willing to work for starvation wages), and you have an interesting situation</p>
<p>To put it another way, I did not intend to bash all DL, although I think a lot of it is c--p, but rather to point out that the higher ed marketplace is pretty competitive, and that DL is not a particularly easy place in which to compete or make up for shortfalls in other areas. That is all.</p>
<p>nmd,</p>
<p>
[quote]
To put it another way, I did not intend to bash all DL, although I think a lot of it is c--p
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Actually, looking at statistics, the number of adult students returning back to school is on the rise. DL programs provide them the opprotunity to complete their degrees without having to quit their jobs. Many outstanding institutions have already initiated successful DL programs to handle these adult learners...who typically do not succeed in the typical traditional classroom. I mean, how many 30+yr old students are interested in the same things as 18 year olds? How many 30+ yr old students have the study skills a recent high school graduate has? Adult learners are a uniue bunch, with unique experiences, presenting a unique niche to institutions across the country. Institutions are partnering these programs with their local CC's and local LAC's as well. CC is great, but only for Associate degrees.</p>
<p>Other institutions who are looking to expand into DL programs are being wise and consulting with well-organized programs who have had great success, rather than step out onto the branch alone. Solid DL programs have been around for over 20 years...its strengths are increasing, its weakenness being explored and strengthened. What we're most likely to see is an expansion of the DL programs, not new ones popping up.</p>
<p>DL programs aren't c--p, as you think...they serve a very distinct and needed purpose for those facing downsizing and company closures.</p>
<p>One thing that I've seen in DL/AE programs in Computer Science is that courses are geared towards applications instead of theory. I see a pretty big disparity in AE vs day programs, some to the point that the regular day school won't accept courses taken in the evening schools for transfer credit.</p>
<p>The for-profit AE/DL programs like UoPX, Apollo, Strayer, etc. do not have the best of reputations. We'd rather hire graduates with real degrees.</p>
<p>Credit transference is a big deal...that's why our adult program is accreditted through SACs, just like our traditional program. When reviewing the transcripts for our AE students, you can't tell the difference between the AE's and the traditional kids. Same exact degree...same exact course requirements...same instructors...just designed around a schedule that meets the typical adult responsibilities: work and family.</p>
<p>I do know what you mean about UoPX and Strayer, though. I see those caliber students coming into our program all the time and truly wonder how they will make it through.</p>
<p>Our son took a programming class at a local university in the evening program when he was 15. The material was useful but there were only about 6 programs for the course. There was a textbook but there were no requirements to read it. He took a comparable course on paper at an out-of-state state university in the day program. 80+ labs, far more computer science theory. Two 1,500 page books to read. Far more tests, quizzes and papers to write. The evening course met for three hours twice a week. The day class met for 50 minutes four times a week with an optional recitation. It was like night and day.</p>
<p>I do not know your program but the AE programs that I've seen have far less work assigned compared to the day program. You can view the three introductory programming courses at Stanford on iTunes. I've reviewed some of them and the amount of labs assigned look pretty tough. Is the AE learner going to get the assignments that require 10 - 15 hours a week on labs? Probably not. Yes, the pieces of paper may indicate the same thing. The question is will the interviewing team know the difference.</p>
<p>MIT doesn't have an evening program. They could easily fill it with as many students as they could teach. Perhaps there's a good reason for that.</p>
<p>I happen to think that DL has a lot of POTENTIAL, but most current offerings lack the substance/content/rigor of day offerings. Perhaps one day all those 700-person freshman classes will be replaced with quality online classes. But right now I have to agree with BCEagle -- if what you need is an Oracle programmer, the DL graduate may be fine. But if you're looking for a Software Engineer, take the RPI grad. (Just a little plug for my school there.) And if you don't know the difference between the two skill sets, then you REALLY need the SE or CSIS, etc.</p>
<p>Interesting article in WSJ today describing how more students pursue MBA degrees in hard times like now. They also discussed loan money availability, quoting Mark Kantrowitz about how more money is available for MBA student loans than undergrad, since lenders consider MBA students a better risk.</p>
<p>Tpically, MBA students are at least a little more stable. This is becoming more and more true as more working adults return to the classroom in these troubling times. Our MBA program is filled with working adults who have homes, cars and other forms of collateral, make lending to them much less risky.</p>