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Page 1:
The Internet’s Significant Impact
on Education
Page 2: Who is the Right Student for
Online Education?
Page 3: How Does a Student Select
an Online School?
Page 5:
Advantages
and Disadvantages of Online Learning: Is It the Right Choice for
You?
Typical
Goals of Online Students
Online education
requires a strong dedication, planning, and commitment from the
student. Because the routine offers flexibility, those who rely
on their peers to get them up and motivated may have a harder time
completing assignments and, therefore, online courses. What appears
to be a compelling motivator is a strong student goal.
Typical goals
that are strong motivators are:
- Monetary
gain / personal freedom. Students who have a clear vision
of improving their financial well-being or freeing up more personal
time via a white-collar job are likely to succeed in their online
course or degree pursuits. A high level of commitment combined
with a definable goal tends to keep online students on target,
providing the momentum to complete course requirements.
- Continuing
education. People looking for work or for a higher level job
see online education as a tool for influencing employers.
- Corporate
training. Certification in a skill area or an advanced degree
is seen as a means for promotion or, at the very least, protection
against being laid off.
- Advanced
degree. Still others find that the flexibility of online education
allows them to pursue the advanced degree essential to job advancement.
The online MBA, for example, attracts those who want to flex their
entrepreneurial skills and / or show their employers or future
employers their commitment to mastery of key business skills and
qualities.
- Post-secondary
education. Due to family commitments, schedules, and/or dedication
to their jobs, some students find online education as the best
means for learning after high school. Often these are single women
with children who number among the highest in online course enrollment.
The dream of earning a degree while foregoing the time required
to travel to and from classes is a steady draw for these students.
- Personal
development. For many, particularly those who have delayed
personal development until their children were raised, distance
learning offers a chance to explore their passions, to delve into
areas of study that are non-essential. Examples might be art classes
or medication or the study of literature. These students’
enthusiasm for achieving their personal goals provides its own
momentum.
- Courses
unavailable in student’s area. Taking a course from a
leading scholar is a draw for many who live in rural areas and
are unwilling to commit to living away from home long enough to
complete such a class. “If only…” excuses from
the past are eliminated as students can study with the experts
only dreamed of by previous generations. Even degrees unavailable
in the student’s region are easily available.
- Ease
of working from home. A secondary motivator is the ease of
taking an online class. Distance learners can be students who
can enroll in a course or program that would have been difficult
because of a physical handicap or a family member requiring frequent
attention.
Even so, not
everyone who enrolls in a online course or program completes it.
"If it doesn't lead to a particular position or help them do
a current job, it's not necessarily worthy of the time," said
University of Phoenix President Laura Palmer Noone. "The major
issue is not money, it's time. The biggest difficulties are when
life gets in the way." (Online schools clicking with students,
Greg Botelho, CNN, August 13, 2004)
Page 1:
The Internet’s Significant Impact
on Education
Page 2: Who is the Right Student for
Online Education?
Page 3: How Does a Student Select
an Online School?
Page 5:
Advantages
and Disadvantages of Online Learning: Is It the Right Choice for
You?
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