- MENU
- HOME
- SEARCH
- WORLD
- MAIN
- AFRICA
- ASIA
- BALKANS
- EUROPE
- LATIN AMERICA
- MIDDLE EAST
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Benelux
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Poland
- Russia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- USA
- BUSINESS
- WEALTH
- STOCKS
- TECH
- HEALTH
- LIFESTYLE
- ENTERTAINMENT
- SPORTS
- RSS
by Rebecca Kern
How to choose a program wisely and succeed at earning a degree in cyberspace
With a slowly recovering economy and high unemployment, more people are using online educational programs to learn new skills in order to transfer into new careers or advance in their current fields. Approximately one fourth of the 19 million students enrolled in higher education were registeredenrolled in at least one online course during the fall of 2008. This was a 17 percent increase from the previous year, according to a 2009 report by
Online education experts weigh in on how to find the right online program and how to successfully complete a degree or certificate program online:
Accredited. First and foremost, make sure the program is regionally or nationally accredited by an established accrediting agency. The online degree and certificate programs should meet the same standards as traditional brick-and-mortar higher education institutions. The standards are determined by six regional accrediting agencies recognized by the
Accreditation affects a student's ability to transfer credits to another institution. If a student attends a nationally accredited school and wants to transfer to a regionally accredited school, it may be difficult to transfer credits, says Scott Traylor, the director of admissions for online education at
Access to a physical campus is another factor to consider when choosing an online program. Some universities, such as
The quality of the faculty is also a key consideration in selecting a program, says Kenneth Hartman, the academic director for
Online students are likely to face the same tuition and fees as students on campus, according to
Motivated. One of the strongest indicators of success in an online program is a student's level of self-motivation. "If you're looking at adults going back to school online, the most successful are those that are highly motivated. They also are engaged in the process and where it's leading to and understand that it is a career steppingstone," says Lisa Gualtieri, the editor-in-chief of eLearn Magazine, a publication by the
Students have to be technologically capable in order to perform well in an online course. Students must have access to an up-to-date computer with Internet capability and basic technology proficiency to navigate the learning management system that the school uses to run the online course. In addition to being adept at E-mail messaging and typing, they must be competent at creating pdfs and combining video, text, and chat features within an online presentation, Gansler says.
Online courses are typically delivered asynchronistically, allowing students to watch recorded course lectures on their own time schedules. The other course format is synchronistic, in which students attend virtual live course lectures at scheduled times. Under both formats, students can view recorded lectures, talking PowerPoint slides, readings, and videos online. Chat rooms and discussion boards are often used for students to discuss homework or coordinate group projects. "For asynchronistic courses, because you don't have to be there for the live lectures, it makes it more important that you are self-disciplined," Gansler says. "Students also need a support structure from their friends and family to ensure success."
Other keys to success: Students have to set a weekly time commitment to do well in an online course. Maria Andersen, the higher education editor for eLearn Magazine, suggests allotting at least eight to 10 hours a week for a three- to four-credit class. And check college E-mail, as essentially all communications are via E-mail, Andersen advises.
A major factor is being involved in online class discussions. "The beauty of taking courses online is that you can't hide online. A good instructor is going to monitor and evaluate you on the degree that you participate," says Hartman with
Students are finding that the skills they learn position them well in the job market. "With employers, online schooling wasn't a problem," says Nicole Stephens, who earned her bachelor's in business administration online through
Education: Maximizing an Online Education | Zach Miners
© U.S. News & World Report