Online University Weblog

© ZapTheDingbat

Grand Valley State University in Michigan is offering its first online masters degree program in educational technology through the College of Education. The master's degree is designed for those living outside of Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties, and is also offered as a hybrid option for those who reside close to Grand Rapids.

The program is designed to enable teachers to access cutting-edge information and build ongoing learning communities and networks. Courses in the degree program will cover the educational application of technology, such as computers and the Internet, for professional and instructional purposes. When considering this or any online masters degree students should think carefully about whether it is the right fit for their learning style. While distance education is flexible and offers many benefits, it is best for people who can stay focused and disciplined in the face of many distractions.

© Wesley Fryer

Along with the advancements in technology, higher education has been restructured to reflect the demands of students and faculty, including shorter programs, online courses, and flexible degree completion schedules. After the 2008 financial crisis, enrollment increased among non-traditional students (over 25), which fueled the need for universities to consider the hectic lifestyles of its student demographic. Many of the newly enrolled students were juggling families, full-time jobs, and other responsibilities, which increased interest in online courses.
Online courses and programs were first offered by the University of Phoenix (uopx), the largest private university in the US, in 1989, however, stigma about the quality of education and legitimacy of the degree made the availability of online courses a low priority for university, as opposed to expanding brick-and-mortar installations. However, these feelings began to change as other large, accredited universities began to expand their online programs.
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, online enrollment increased 17 percent in 2008, in part because of increased unemployment rates from the economic downturn. This is while overall higher education for classroom education increased by only 1.2 percent.
Although, initially, universities focused on reevaluating their systems to compensate for budget cuts, the demand for online programming could not be ignored. Expansion of online programs also dealt with some of the issues plaguing university budgets, such as space shortages. Now one in four students have attended an online course and over 4 million students are only taking online course.
Despite the surge in enrollment, many private universities are hesitant to focus on the increased inclusion of online courses, since it would affect some areas of the college experience, such as professor-student interaction, student communities, course material, and class scheduling. However, many public universities have refocused attention on online programming as a long-term tactic to increase student enrollment. Universities, such as Indiana University, have begun to offer online MBA programs as an extension of continued education departments.
While some students and faculty may not be ready to make the plunge into online education, it is the educational frontier of the future. As online plays a larger role in the daily lives of everyday citizens, this role will manifest itself in many different areas, and universities must be willing to reshape their structures to meet student demand for convenient, educational programming.

© smemon87

There's no shame in working from home. In fact multiple internal studies performed by multiple companies across many fields over many years seem to all consistently indicate that most office work when done at home is performed with heightened productivity.

If you're taking online classes or at least thinking about it, then you probably already know this from personal experience. There's no doubt that the increase of online university enrollment over the last ten years has been as much a result of people feeling more productive in a familiar and comfortable environment as it is a result of the increase in personal computers and Internet access. Just like work, school demands attention, discipline, and consistent output, and people seem to know naturally that home is where they emit the most energy.

But are you thinking about that career after your online degree arrives in the mail? The majority of companies and institutions out there are still committed to the office routine, and your homegrown groove might easily be disrupted. If you know you work best from home you should be looking into a degree or certification that grants you access to job opportunities that allow you to work remotely. Medical billing or medical coding certification, computer science degrees, or an education focused on technical writing skills can easily net you employment from home, plus a big steady paycheck.

Don't set yourself up for failure by committing to a degree or certification orchestrated around the ability to work at home, only to find yourself overwhelmed and overstressed by the demands of office regimentation. Choosing an online education could very well be the best decision you ever made. Make sure it stays so by following up on a worthwhile career that doesn't wear you down before your benefits even kick in.

One day we may all be working from home – if businesses finally realize it's in their best interest. In the meantime calculate your academic endeavors and professional pursuits around the truth that office work isn't for you. If you start by being honest with yourself, maybe businesses will eventually be honest with themselves too.