Has Online Education Reached A Plateau

Online college courses are more popular than ever, with enrollment reaching a record high in 2006, according to a report released by the Sloan Consortium. The report, entitled “Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006″ gives the results of a recent study based on responses from more than 2,200 colleges and universities across the U.S. . You can read the full text of the report at www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/index.asp.

In recent years online enrollment grew at a much faster rate than the general college student body. But last year’s Sloan report showed a lower percentage rate of growth, prompting speculation that growth in online courses has started to level off.

Those concerns were proven groundless with the release of this year’s report, which shows no indication of a plateau in the growth of online enrollments. More than 3.2 million students took at least one online course in the 2005-2006 school year. This record enrollment is a whopping increase of over 800,000 more than the 2.3 million online students the year before.

The report brings some other interesting facts to light:

- Online students are generally older than the more traditional student, and are often working adults with family responsibilities.

- The majority of online students are undergraduates, although the proportion of online graduate students is a bit higher in comparison to the overall higher education population.

- More than 96 percent of the very largest institutions with 15,000 or more total enrollment offer online courses. This level of enrollment is more than twice the rate of the smallest institutions.

- About 2/3 of the very largest schools have fully online programs versus about 1/6 of the smallest institutions.

- 62 percent of chief academic officers believe that the quality of online instruction is equal to or superior to that of face-to-face learning.

- While a majority of chief academic officers believe online courses are high quality, only 4.6 % of chief academic officers thought there are no significant barriers to widespread adoption of online learning.

- 2/3 of academic leaders believe a lack of discipline on the part of online students is a critical barrier to online learning.

- Barriers to online learning include faculty issues, with the acceptance of online learning and the need for greater time and effort required for teaching online as important barriers. On the other hand neither a perceived lack of demand on the part of potential students nor the acceptance of an online degree by potential employers was seen as a critical barrier.

With a record online enrollment growth on a numeric and percentage basis, any fears that online enrollment levels are leveling off can be laid to rest. Each year, ever increasing numbers of students are finding that online courses are an integral part of their learning experience. And while the rate of increase is sure to eventually slow at some point, it appears that online education is here to stay.

 by Jesse Whitehead

Online Learning Enrollment

Online enrollment, including multiple courses taken by a single student, jumped from 1.98 million in 2003 to 2.35 million the following year, accounting for 7 percent of postsecondary education, according to Eduventures, a Boston firm that studies trends in education. Another study, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, reports that 65 percent of universities offering face-to-face graduate courses also offer graduate courses online. By early 2008, Eduventures predicts, about one in 10 college students will be enrolled in an online degree program.

“It’s only going to grow,” said Richard Garrett, an analyst with Eduventures. “The largest high school graduating class in U.S. history is expected to be 2009. There is going to be a lot of pressure on these students to get education in a competitive market.”

Excerpt fom the Washington Post

Is An Online Degree Right for You?

Have you ever considered taking a course or earning your degree online? 

With the ever-changing job market and increasing competition for stable, well-paying jobs, more and more adults are seeking additional education to help them in their current professions or to prepare them for a career change. For people who are working full time, online learning, sometimes referred to as distance learning, can be a great choice. 

Taking courses online enables you to pursue an advanced degree without sacrificing the time you spend with your family or the momentum you have in a career track. Online programs allow learners to take courses when it’s convenient for them. Without set classroom time, learners can work on assignments from home, the office, or on the road — as long as they have access to e-mail and the Internet.

The practicality and convenience of online learning has helped it become a popular choice among busy adults. Currently, there are hundreds of thousands enrolled in online degree programs.  University of Phoenix, the largest accredited university in the United States – and leading online university — helps more than 180,000 working adults achieve their academic and career goals every year.
 
Online learning offers many benefits. Most programs have rolling admissions and courses begin frequently so students can get started quickly. Going to school online means no hurried commute to make it to class in time. Students can log on to their course any time of day. And online programs typically cater to adult learners, so courses focus on material that’s important and practical.