An Online Education Growth Chart - Moms Back at School

Become an A+ Mom

An Online Education Growth Chart

My, how you've grown! Online education has certainly come a long way since its inception. In fact, according to a recent report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), two-thirds of higher education institutions offered distance education courses in the 2006-2007 academic year. Take a look at some other figures on the latest NCES online education "growth chart."

Getting credit for online education
If you're going to spend time taking a course, you want it to count for something. In 2006-2007, the majority of institutions that offered distance learning (65 percent) offered these courses for credit. Not only that, but of the 11,200 online-only programs, 66 percent were degree-granting and 34 percent were certificate-granting. Online education isn't just for fun; it gets you where you need to go.

Anywhere Education
Online education sounds convenient until you find out you have to commute to campus for exams and a meet-and-greet. For those who just can't make that kind of location-specific commitment, there's good news: 32 percent of institutions reported offering degree or certificate programs that were designed to be completed totally through distance education. No gas, tolls, or parking permits required.

Anytime Education
Sometimes your schedule is so scattered that you can't even commit to schooling at the same time every day, online or otherwise. You're not the only one who needs the flexibility. Asynchronous (not simultaneous or real-time) Internet-based technologies were cited as the most widely used technologies for the delivery of distance education courses - they were used to a large extent in 75 percent and to a moderate extent in 17 percent of the institutions offering distance education. When your course is asynchronous, you can log on at 12 p.m., 12 a.m., or anytime in between.

The Best of Both Worlds
If you're not quite ready to sever all ties with the physical classroom, that's understandable, too. After all, you spent a good 12 years of your life in brick-and-mortar schools. Here's some news for lovers of face time: 35 percent of institutions reported offering hybrid/blended online courses, where students spend the majority of their time online while still spending some time in a physical classroom.

By meeting student demand for flexible schedules and providing access to college for students who would otherwise not have access, online education has become an essential component of the higher education landscape. And it just keeps growing....

by Robyn Tellefsen

Get Matched With a School for You

	* = required fields
Career of Interest:	*
Desired Career Path:	*
Preferred Method of Study:	*
First Name:	*
Last Name:	*
Phone Number:	*
E-mail Address:	*
Zip / Postal Code:	*