online degree programs are on the move

Training & Development, Sep 2007

As the expanding legion of online learners continues its astonishing march through colleges and universities in the United States, the relevant measurements just keep getting more impressive. They include the estimate from research and consulting firm Eduventures that 1.5 million students were receiving 100 percent of their education online at the end of 2006-a figure that has tripled in four years. Some 3.2 million students took at least one course online during a recent sampling by the Sloan Consortium, which is up from 2.3 million the previous year.

It's not hard to understand why. The convenience and flexibility of online learning, and the ubiquitous presence of computers throughout society, are enticing record numbers of busy professionals to pursue degrees and certificates that were previously beyond reach. Meanwhile, large and small institutions have found online education to be an obvious way to increase enrollments and expand their reach.

Through synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities, people can not only finesse their studies around their careers and family obligations, but they also can deepen their educational experience through diverse collaborative learning teams.

Just ask Mary Nokes, an Alexandria, Virginia, businesswoman who decided to earn her MBA at a western U.S. university while holding down a demanding job. "It was a terrific experience," says the 45-year-old Nokes. "Not only did I learn a tremendous amount in the course, but my work schedule would never have allowed me to attend classes."

She says one of the most enjoyable aspects of the two-year online learning experience was totally unexpected-the occasional simulated learning assignments in which Nokes and a small team of classmates would tackle "real world" marketing and management challenges. She says the experience was extremely relevant and instructive, thanks in part to the seasoned perspectives of her professional teammates. "You learn so much from the other members of the team," she says.

Richard Garrett, program director for Edventures' Online Higher Education Learning Collaborative, says successful completion and retention of course material by students is not a function of delivery. It's about the individual, and includes factors such as maturity and motivation.

That's why higher percentages of adult learners like Nokes I complete their courses and degree programs than younger students, ' regardless of whether the learning is ingested via live instructor on campus or a computer miles away. He says it's a myth that the delivery mode is important to student performance and satisfaction, and that the findings remove an important barrier to even greater adoption of online learning.

Garrett predicts that future research by Eduventures and others will alter common online learning perceptions such as those concerning the relationship between online higher education and geography. They will explore how institutions can turn a local market base into a national one.

Compatible findings by Sloan Consortium indicate that 62 percent of academic leaders rate online education to be the same or superior to face-to-face learning-a small but significant increase from its previous study. Sloan also reports a steady increase in the percentage of chief academic officers who view online learning as crucial to the long-term strategy of their institution.

Improved quality

As gratifying as the increased quantity of online learning course and degree offerings from institutions might be, it's the steady rise in quality of offerings that excites other members of the profession.

"I have been extremely impressed with the quality movement in university online learning programs," says Greg Eisenbarth, executive director of the Online University Consortium. "It's growing consistently, and it's sustainable," he says.

Indeed, the sumptuous smorgasbord of online education choices can present a formidable challenge for adult learners and corporations to determine the most suitable institutions. Fortunately, the Online UC is there to help.

The six-year-old consortium, based in Salt Lake City, was established as the qualifying third-party filter for businesses and employees concerning online learning and degree programs, explains Eisenbarth. He says the organization employs a rigorous quality assurance program of exacting criteria to approve only the most reputable institutions. It has qualified several hundred online degree programs from dozens of providersand has rejected hundreds more.

Last year, Online UC rejected about 41 percent of the programs that applied, meaning it accepted 59 percent. The rejection rate has dropped to about 17 percent this year, enabling Eisenbarth to report between a 20 and 25 percent growth in the quality of online degree programs.

Recognition by the consortium gives institutions the credibility they need, says Eisenbarth. "Providers of online degree programs do business based on their reputation. Individual institutions have a difficult time promoting that fact," he says. The consortium often assists companies in establishing a preferred providers list. It works with businesses and learners without charge.