Online Education Learning

Researcher Finds Not Everyone Can Successfully Learn Through Online Courses, Despite Their Popularity

Since the 1990s, online courses have provided an opportunity for busy adults to continue their education by completing courses in the comfort of their own homes. However, this may not be the best solution for everyone. A researcher at the University of Missouri has found some students may find success in these types of courses more easily than others.

Shawna L. Strickland, clinical assistant professor in the MU School of Health Professions, studied the demographics and personality types of distance learners.

“Correlations between learning styles and success in distance education have shown to be inconclusive,” Strickland said. “However, one common theme reappears: the successful traits of a distance learner are similar to the successful traits of an adult learner in traditional educational settings.”

With a mere 30 percent of distance learners actually completing their courses, learning more about the characteristics of these students would help educators structure online courses to be as beneficial as possible. Considering the lack of institutional support and isolation involved in the nature of online courses, success in these courses requires a person that is determined and responsible, Strickland said.

“The success of distance learning is dependent on communication among the learner, his or her peers and the instructor,” Strickland said. “To encourage success in distance learning, it is necessary to evaluate each individual’s needs on a case-by-case basis.”

One trait that aids in distance learning is related to personality type. Strickland found those with quiet, introverted personalities are more likely to feel comfortable with online learning courses. Shy individuals have a tendency to be uninvolved in the typical classroom setting. Online courses allow them to complete work on their own with a degree of anonymity.

“Distance learning allows the learner to overcome traditional barriers to learning such as location, disabilities, time constraints and familial obligations,” Strickland said. “However, not every learner will be successful in a distance learning environment.”

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98721.php

Professional looking websites stating that you can earn a diploma or degree online through their distance learning courses scam many students each year. Eager students who are looking for the best way to obtain an education are swayed by the fancy websites spewing statistics and testimonials. Many of these legitimate looking websites are merely covers for diploma or degree mills. A diploma or degree from a mill or other unaccredited institution will not get you far when you try to transfer credits or find a professional job. Avoid distance learning scams by knowing what to look for in a distance learning program before you apply.

Decent distance learning courses should be accredited. There are six regional accreditation agencies recognized by the Department of Education. Schools not accredited by these agencies may claim to have state recognition or accreditation. This is not the same as being accredited by a Department of Education approved agency. These schools are recognized as being educational businesses, and distance learning courses they offer probably are not transferable. When researching distance learning courses, call the school and verify that they are accredited by an agency approved by the Department of Education.

Watch out for websites that claim to offer online degrees through a small number of distance learning courses. A true degree or diploma requires at least a year of work. These organizations offer a handful of courses, charge you a bunch of money, and send you a degree or diploma after a few months. These are useless in the real world because you have purchased a degree or diploma and not earned it. It is also illegal to use a diploma from most of these mills because they are not accredited and you did not complete appropriate course work to earn them. Even if you innocently use these for future employment or advanced education, they can get you into trouble. Just remember that anything that seems too good to be true probably is.

Pay attention to which sites flood you with spam emails. Many websites require you to register before you can access certain information about distance learning courses. Then you start receiving spam email encouraging you to enroll. This a red flag for a diploma or degree mill. Reputable colleges and universities do not need to beg students to enroll; they are turning students away. You also need to double check any university that has a name similar or just like an accredited, reputable university. Scammers know how eager students are to receive degrees from well-known universities and will name play when naming their fake distance learning school. When applying for distance learning courses, do your homework before you send any personal information or money.

Watch out for schools that claim to be international. Many times these schools have no permanent address or phone number making them hard to contact if you have problems. They also don’t offer accredited degrees worth anything in the workplace. When searching distance learning courses, it is always best to choose a school located in the country you reside. Most distance learning schools will be legitimate and offer a good education, but do not jump feet-first into the distance learning pool without a little research.

GetEducated.com, LLC, America’s consumer-oriented, online degree clearinghouse, has released the results of their biennial nationwide survey of tuition costs at accredited, distance-learning and online MBA degree programs.

The survey included 168 distance MBA options: 62 of these offered by graduate business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Today, consumers are being offered unparalleled access to degrees from what most consider the elite of the business school world.
GetEducated’s survey of 62 AACSB options revealed online learners in the United States should be prepared to pay as little as $7,848 or as much as $106,400 for an AACSB accredited distance grad degree in business administration (MBA).

Premiering at the number one ranked “most affordable” spot this year is East Carolina University (North Carolina), a public institution with a modest cost of $7,848 for an online MBA degree for state residents. Out-of-staters will pay significantly more ($26,064) for the same degree. Duke University, a private institution also located in North Carolina, topped the price chart at an estimated price of $106,400 nationwide for tuition and fees their Global MBA option.

The average cost for an AACSB accredited distance MBA: $32,200.

Every school on GetEducated’s list of Top 30 Ranked Best Buys in Online MBAs – AACSB Accredited costs $25,000 or less.

GetEducated.com’s Top 30 Ranked Best Buys in Online MBAs -
AACSB Accredited is archived online at:
http://www.geteducated.com/rankings/best_mbaaacsb.asp

Trends in Online MBAs: Quality of Online Degrees Escalates

The number of AACSB-accredited B-Schools offering online graduate degrees continues to escalate. GetEducated’s 2006 survey profiled 46 AACSB options. The 2008 survey features 62 programs. 31% of the online graduate business school programs surveyed by GetEducated claimed coveted AACSB accreditation. This ratio mirrors the national average for brick and mortar B-Schools: about 30% of traditional B-Schools are AACSB-accredited.

“In 1989 when we began our distance learning surveys, no AACSB-accredited B-School offered a distance MBA. If you’d have asked them if they intended to offer such a distance degree to the public in the near future the answer would have been a resounding no,” comments Vicky Phillips, Chief Education Analyst at GetEducated. “Today, consumers are being offered unparalleled access to degrees from what most consider the elite of the business school world.”

AACSB accreditation is widely considered the gold standard of business school accreditation. The fact that escalating numbers of these schools are delivering through distance learning helps confirm elearning as a respectable choice for learners across America.

Elite B-Schools on GetEducated’s list of distance MBAs include Babson College’s F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business, Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and Thunderbird Graduate School’s
Garvin School of International Management.

Trends in Online MBAs: Public Universities Provide Exceptional Buys

Brand name, brick and mortar, public universities dominate GetEducated.com’s list of highly ranked values in online learning. “Ten years ago most distance degrees came from universities few people had heard of. Today, the best online degrees are being granted by universities that have been helping people get educated for a hundred years or more,” comments Phillips.

GetEducated’s list of top ranked values in distance MBAs includes names that have earned the trust of consumers and employers alike. Most are publicly-supported universities that port their degrees nationwide using online delivery.

Many publicly-supported institutions offer the same low tuition they offer state residents to learners everywhere. A distance MBA from the University of Wisconsin, for example, costs between $18,000-$19,800 for all learners regardless of their state of residency.

“$18,000-$19,000 may sound like a lot of money,” says Phillips, “but in truth an AACSB-accredited MBA that costs $18,000 costs $14,000 less than the national average. Consumers need to know that a quality MBA need not cost an arm and a leg.”

“Shopping around for a MBA can result in tens of thousands of dollars of savings,” advises Phillips. “GetEducated publishes Best Buy rankings in an effort to help consumers get educated about some of the great deals available to them if they choose the distance learning route.”

GetEducated’s top ranked values in distance AACSB-MBA schools include, among others, the University of Houston Victoria, Mississippi State University, State University of New York (SUNY), University of Texas, University of Georgia System, Florida State University, University of Wisconsin, Colorado State University, and the University of Massachusetts.

Free Guidebook to Distance MBAs

Consumers can explore all their online B-School options by downloading a free copy of the clearinghouse’s 2008 guidebook to accredited online universities, GetEducated.com’s Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools, Business, Management and Online MBAs, available at http://www.geteducated.com/guidebooks/bdlgs_bm.asp

About: Founded in 1989, GetEducated.com, LLC is the safest place in cyberspace to shop for an online degree ™. In a nationwide effort to help consumers get educated about quality online learning the clearinghouse publishes FREE independent ratings and rankings of online universities. The clearinghouse operates the Diploma Mill Police, (SM), a FREE online degree accreditation verification service designed to help protect online learners from educational fraud, and publishes a series of 100% FREE ebooks to online colleges.

Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/2/prweb722443.htm

VideoJug: College Admissions Basics

Grace College and Theological Seminary, a Christian liberal arts college and theological seminary in the Winona Lake, Indiana, for years has had a vision for developing a state-of-the-art online campus. Now, only months from its launch, Grace is finalizing the last details of its online education initiative with The Learning House, Inc., a total online education solutions provider located in Louisville, KY.

In January 2008, Grace began offering online courses toward degrees in Ministry and Intercultural Studies. Dubbed Grace Online TM, the new online campus aims to meet a larger number of students’ concerns. The new online courses provide an ideal way for Grace students to maximize their time and experience personal growth without driving to campus. Each of the online programs is designed to enhance students’ development and passion for lifelong learning while building on the critical thinking and communication skills that are vital to their professions and communities.

As part of its virtual campus, the college will offer a total of four graduate degrees online. The first two graduate-level degree programs, a M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership and M.S. in Instructional Leadership, were developed to appeal to educators and corporate training professionals. The remaining two online degree programs, a M.A. in Local Church Studies and M.A. in Ministry Studies, are designed for church leaders and ministry professionals from Grace Theological Seminary.

Located just 36 miles west of Fort Wayne, Grace Seminary is in its 71st year of educating future pastors and ministry leaders. Grace College, established in 1948, offers more than 50 academic majors in numerous career fields, including art, behavioral science, business, education, mathematics, music, science, counseling, and others. The college maintains a 16 to 1 student to faculty ratio. Grace Theological Seminary offers seven degree programs designed to train pastors and ministry leaders. Grace is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Aiding Grace College and Seminary in its distance education endeavors is Learning House. Learning House has a strong reputation for building online campuses and designing online courses for small colleges and universities throughout the country with no upfront costs. Each of Learning House’s clients has access to an array of eServices, including customized course content design, the leasing and hosting of learning management systems, 24/7/365 Tech Support, faculty and registrar training options, and audio and video capabilities.

The new online degree programs intend to continue and expand on the time-honored tradition of excellence in education at Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary.

For more information, check out Grace College at http://www.elearnportal.com/grace.