Online University Weblog

© 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.

© San Jose Library

The university ranks system is a great way to help students compare the various universities in their country and in the world.

Before embarking on their tertiary studies, students need to get as much information as they can about the degrees and colleges that are available. University rankings such as those shown in the good university guide 2012 offer lists that may suggest to students which universities are better than others.

For students who are thinking of doing a distance education program, as opposed to a traditional brick and mortar degree, rankings become more significant. The popularity and availability of distance education degrees has grown in recent years. It has come about due to the rapid advances of information technology and communications, and it has enabled greater flexibility and life balance for students. As distance education is relatively new and continuously expanding, there is sometimes a lack of information about it. That is why the use of university guides and rankings can be particularly helpful for prospective students who are thinking of going the distance education route.