Online Learning: What's It All About?

It's no secret that online education is becoming increasingly popular in today's rapidly advancing technological world. Adults, career changers, stay-at-home moms, high school graduates, even celebrities are all taking advantage of the chance to pursue college degrees from the comfort of their own homes. According to a recent report by Eduventures, a consulting and research firm, the online student population exceeded 1.5 million students in 2006, representing 8.6 percent of all students at degree-granting institutions.

A Bit of Background
While today, many people think of online learning as a fast, convenient, and cost-effective mode of higher learning, it was not always perceived in such a positive light. Some of the most common concerns and apprehensions in the early days of eLearning revolved around the quality of such a nontraditional education. Skeptics doubted that a degree earned online could compare with the hands-on experience of a campus-based, brick-and-mortar education.

However, as more and more schools have developed innovative, well-researched and interactive distance learning programs, many critics' voices have subsided. With message boards, online forums, e-mails, podcasts, online lectures, and virtual classrooms, the eLearning experience continues to evolve as an effective means of receiving a top-notch education.

Opportunities Abound Online
Prior to online education, the only option for nontraditional students who were unable to attend actual college classes was to participate in a distance-learning program via "snail" mail. Just a small number of schools offered such "correspondence course-type" programs, and they were usually not nearly as comparable to an in-class experience.

Fast forward to 2007, and there are thousands of reputable distance learning degree programs available to those of all ages pursuing associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, noncredit, and certificate degrees. And with the numerous regional, national, and specialized/professional accrediting institutions, as well as those that examine and recognize those accreditations, such as the Washington D.C.–based Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a private nonprofit national organization, and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), it is easy to ensure the quality and reputability of an online degree or certificate program prior to enrollment.

As reported in the recent Eduventures report, Online Higher Education Market Update, cyber degrees in business, information technology, health care, education, and some liberal arts programs are by far the most widely available and sought after avenues of online study. But the variety of online programs is ever expanding, and degrees in fields such as graphic design, criminal justice, and the culinary arts are appearing in an increasing number of online course catalogs.

Who Can Benefit From Online Learning?
While available to anyone interested in pursuing a degree, the online student body is made up mostly of adult and nontraditional learners.

Adult Learners/Career Changers
There comes a point in all of our lives where we begin to question what our purpose is, and examine our skills and strengths in regards to an appropriate career path. The ultimate goal? Personal and financial fulfillment. For some, this self-examination occurs as children or teenagers, or even first- or second-year college students. For others, this happens later in life, after already being heavily immersed in a particular field or occupation.

Whether it was a desire to enhance skills and standing at a current job or to switch careers entirely, many adults had little choice for counteracting their career identity crises prior to the widespread availability of online degree programs. After all, switching job tracks can quickly become complicated with families, clients, and demanding bosses to worry about. However, such disenchanted professions can now easily pursue the career of their choosing via online education, which often leads to a more satisfying and financially rewarding workload. Not to mention, for those who want to advance in their current field, several employers at large and small corporations now offer tuition reimbursement programs for their educationally-inclined employees.

Stay-at-Home/Working Moms
While financial goals are always important, an adult seeking online education who also happens to be a mother--single or happily married--has other concerns and goals on her mind. Mainly, her children, and how a busy "online student" mommy will effectively raise competent and well-nurtured kids. Fortunately, as most stay at home moms who decide to pursue online degrees discover, making their personal and professional goals a priority has an extremely positive impact on their children.

"A back-to-school mom is being a living example, showing her children how to establish goals that extend out from the family," says Thomas Haller, MDiv, MSW, DST family therapist, and author of "The Ten Commitments: Parenting with Purpose" (Personal Power Press, 2005). "She shows her children how to structure time, set limits, and reach personal goals–lessons that her kids will carry with them the rest of their lives." With a little time management and careful communication, moms can achieve their educational pursuits and be head of the class at home.

Celebrities (and the like)
Even the rich and famous recognize the value of a quality education. Several actors, singers, and public figures have found online learning to be an excellent way to juggle a hectic professional life with a personally enriching educational one.

Actor and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the first to earn his bachelor's degree via a distance-learning program from the University of Wisconsin-Superior in 1979. NBA Superstar Shaquille O'Neal earned his MBA in criminal justice from the University of Phoenix Online, a leader in online education since 1976. Last but not least, Hilary Duff, 19-year-old fashion, film, television, and pop icon, has taken online classes via Harvard University's Extension School, which offers open enrollment for those interested in furthering their education from a distance. "

Can I Afford it?" and "Will It Be Worth It?"
Yes, and yes. Every case is different, but the response from those who have completed online degree programs is overwhelmingly positive. With general federal aid as well as federal money specifically designated for adult, nontraditional students, financial aid is available to online students of all ages and backgrounds. Additionally, a growing number of employers are willing to pay up to 100 percent of their employees' tuition costs when coursework is directly related to the profession.

Costs aside, the value of earning a degree online is priceless. Why would you pass up the chance to boost your self-confidence and improve your overall job satisfaction, personal happiness, and financial earnings? Take it from 45-year-old Sandra Hudson, who enrolled in Walden University's business degree program with a concentration in knowledge management while working on a strategic planning team at the Clerk and Comptroller's Office for Palm Beach County, Florida. "It helped me tremendously, and tied into what our committee was working on," she shares. Now the Web communication coordinator at the same office, Hudson also adds that her salary has gone up significantly since the completion of her degree.

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