(Statistics may be found at eLearners.com). Online education participants are the largest group earning online degrees. Below is a summary of degree types, degree levels, and majors, along with "10 Predictions for Online Education in 2007."
Four Levels of Online Education College Degrees:
Associate Degrees.
Bachelor's Degrees.
Master's Degrees.
Doctoral Degrees.
Types of Online Education College Degrees & Majors:
Arts & Humanities Degrees: Liberal Arts, Humanities, Design, Writing, Communications, English
Business & MBA Degrees: MBA, Management, Human Resources, Marketing, Finance, Accounting
Computers & I.T. Degrees: Information Technology, Web Design, Networks, Technology Management
Education & Teaching Degrees: K-12, Early Childhood, Administration, Special Education, Curriculum/Instruction
Health & Nursing Degrees: Nursing, Psychology, Counseling, Health Administration, Human Services
Social Science Degrees: Criminal Justice, Paralegal, Law, Psychology, Public Administration, Political Science
Some careers require only associate degrees (equivalent to the first two years of a college education). These include: physical therapist assistants, dental hygienists, forensic technicians, veterinary technologists and technicians, diagnostic medical sonographers, occupational therapist assistants, cardiovascular technologists and technicians, paralegals and legal assistants. Considering that only a two year degree is required for these jobs, they are well-paid and respected.
10 Predictions About Online Education in 2007
1. Online education programs will continue to grow and expand. More programs will be offered online to earn online degrees and those programs currently offered will grow to include additional areas of study.
2. Technology will advance. Technology is continually improving and replacing older technologies. Access to online education will speed up and more options will become available to students, such as access to online evaluations of their work, etc.
3. Costs will decrease. As more online education programs evolve, competition will increase, and costs to students will decrease.
4. New degree programs will develop. New degree programs, related to online education will develop. Such programs might include: online student counseling, online education site debate/discussion host, etc.
5. More students will enroll in online education programs. Enrollment in programs has increased each year and will continue to do so. More than 1.6 million students took at least one online course in 2002. In 2003, 1.9 million students took online courses. In 2004, more than 2.3 million students enrolled. In 2005, the number of online learners increased to almost 3.2 million students. (Source: Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006, Sloan Consortium)
6. Specialized programs will begin to emerge. Students with learning disabilities will be able to take advantage of special online programs created just for them.
7. Attitudes toward higher education will begin to change. The general public will soon see degree programs as accessible to the average person, rather than just the highly intelligent.
8. The time to obtain a degree will shorten. It will take less time to obtain a degree as students will be able to work year-round, at any time of the day or night, transfer courses from other programs, and earn course credit by challenge exams. The minimum amount of time in which degree programs can be completed is two years, but the time it takes to complete a degree varies, depending on prior coursework and whether or not you take time off between courses. Many students complete a degree in two to three years, but it can take four or five years or more, depending on the pace. The more credits transferred, the faster the degree will be completed. You can earn credits from professional training, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or previous college courses. (Source: www.uopxworld.edu., "Frequently Asked Questions")
9. Most online colleges will begin to offer course credit for life experience. More credit will be given for life experiences, especially to older students.
10. New programs will begin that are hybrids. New programs will be developed that combine traditional on-campus education with online education or work/online study programs.
Getting an online education college degree is the wave of the future! Use the 10 predictions about online education in this article to begin your search for the online education college degree that is best for you.
Education in general is extremely important to be on the cutting edge of business, technology and social groups. You need strong credentials and the certification only a reputable, accredited college can provide you with to be able to be seen as someone valuable to a corporation or business. In the past, students of all ages would enroll in colleges and universities, expending valuable time and money to travel to classrooms and listen to lectures to earn credits, but modern ways have changed the way training is delivered to individuals. The new way to earn your education is to become one of the thousands of students taking courses via the virtual world from top educational facilities. Online college degree programs are an excellent way to land the skills and abilities you need to compete in a fast paced, shark eat shark world, but are distance education courses for you?
Some of the pros involved in earning an online college degree are that cost is low, accessibility is easy, and convenience is very high. There's no travelling back and forth from a campus to home, nor is it necessary to live in dormitories or rent an apartment in another city or state. Travel and lodging alone is a large chunk of expenditures when considering the goal of a college degree. There still are some costs involved in taking courses via the internet. No student will be able to avoid the cost of textbooks or course materials and enrolling with an educational facility for an online college degree means that access to a computer is imperative. However, having a computer, course materials on hand, and all lectures on audio file means that students can work on their credits at any time of the day or on certain days in the week, unrestricted by on site college schedules. Also, students can enroll in one or many courses to earn their online college degree at their own pace, slowly over the years as time and real life permit or as quickly as if they were taking the same full time curriculum as any student on campus.
While studying at the best time of the day for you in the comfort of your own home might seem very attractive, working towards an online college degree demands a certain amount of self discipline and, because of that, can be easily set aside as other distractions or priorities seem to take precedence. The control of being in a classroom has to be recreated in your home, no mean feat for some people. Otherwise, the lack of being able to devote time to your studies may mean that you end up not submitting work, missing tests or possibly even flunking the courses you need. Not only is self control an issue when working towards your online college degree, the environment around you will have a large effect on your ability to concentrate or accomplish your task to the best of your abilities. Studying at home often means distractions, such as televisions, telephones, or family have to be taken into account, which may mean a restructuring of your home organization.
Lastly, achieving an online college degree demands one vital thing, that you are comfortable with a computerized environment, as well as being able to type, manipulate software and know your way around the virtual world. Those comfortable with technology will have no issues at all with online learning and will probably complete their tasks efficiently, but those who aren't familiar with computers or who have a fear of pressing the wrong button will certainly find taking online courses a daunting task. Having access to education is one thing, but in a virtual world, being able to know your way around a computerized environment will mean the difference between obtaining your online college degree or floundering badly. However, there are many places offering free or nearly free instruction on working with computers and the amount of time required for a small course most likely won't be more than a month or two. After that, you'll certainly be adept and confident enough to handle online education.
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