Online Universities Weblog

From, The Business Standard …

It is natural that new-fangled techniques like the use of the internet for distance learning should be compared with the traditional learning method, the classroom and face-to-face interaction.

No video conference or on-line chatroom can match that. True. But surprisingly, intensive distance methods via the internet provide other things that teacher learning matches only imperfectly. Let us consider the oft-overlooked potential of the new methods.

Go here for the rest of the article.

A fascinating story from today's New York Times about how conservatives in the U.S., especially Christian conservatives who often have their children taught at home to shelter them from the 'evils and temptations' of the realities of public school life, are turning toward sending their kids to Patrick Henry College – the first college primarily for evangelical Christian homeschoolers. It says that seven of the 100 interns at the White House are from this school, which is interesting because the school only has about 240 students enrolled at any one time.

Here are some excerpts…
As one of 12 siblings taught at home by their parents in St. Croix Falls, Wis., Abram Olmstead knew he would fit right in at Patrick Henry College, the first college primarily for evangelical Christian home-schoolers. But what really sold him was the school's pipeline into conservative politics.

"I would definitely like to be active in the government of our country and stuff," Mr. Olmstead, 19, said as he sat in a Christian coffeehouse near the campus, looking up from a copy of Plato's "Republic." "I would love to be able to be a foreign ambassador, and I would really like to move into the Senate later in my career."I wonder what they think of online universities?

Here is a brief news item from PublicTechnology.com some of you on the European side may be interested in.

The European Union has announced it will provide euros 37.5 million funding to new public-private projects that offer public interest electronic services, as part of the EU eTEN programme.

This support shows how financial resources are being mobilised in support of the Union's eEurope action Plan. The proposals show how public-private partnerships can help drive the roll-out of new services, exploiting the potential offered by rapid take up of high speed Internet access across the Union.

I just got word of a few links of interest to rankings of Online MBAs. This from the OUBS Blog and another link from their page to a list of 20 top distance learning business programs, ranked by the Financial Times in 2003.

For a variety of items on distance learning and online MBA programs, you can visit the Financial Times page on the subject.

From the High Plains Journal …

A $450,000 grant to create a national online training program in crop biosecurity has been jointly awarded to Kansas State University Research and Extension, the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, and North Carolina State University. The training will be geared for first detectors – those people most likely to notice a problem first, such as crop advisors and county Extension Agents.

Women Undergraduate Enrollment in Computer Science Programs

Far fewer women than men enroll in Computer Science Programs, and according to some studies for every three men that enroll, only one woman does the same. Lack of suitable female role models, schools promulgating outmoded gender stereotypes, lack of access to computer equipment at school, lack of parental encouragement, playing of aggressive and violent computer games by their male peers and the outdated perception that women are not as good as men at math and logic all have been purported to fuel this. With all this baggage female engineer's self esteem is quashed, and these misconceptions continue to be propagated. With the right qualifications there is absolutely no reason why a computer literate female should not succeed in the world of Computer Science, Engineering or indeed get the top job.

While there are not a great number of role models, there are certainly a few from whom the prospective student can draw succor. The CEO of Hewlett Packard, Carly Fiorina, heads one of the largest computer companies in the world. The company has gone from strength to strength under her watchful eye. Starting out as an account executive she worked her way through the ranks by proving that she was the best person for the job. Another success story is Meg Whitman, CEO of e-Bay. Jill Barad, responsible for the success of ' Barbie' said, "If you're doing a good job and you're in an environment that's looking for good people, the opportunities will be there for us." The common theme amongst these success stories is that they had belief in themselves, they had the skills … and they were all ' the best man for the job'.

The folks at AskMen.com fires back, however … wondering if women are taking all the jobs.

Information Systems Security is a new field which many online universities with criminal justice programs are begining to offer. With all the personal data flying around on the web and in computer systems, there is a a ton of fraud and data theft going on. It's a fastly growing field, so employment after study — if you hit the curve now — should be easy to get. Here are a few I've found you may want to request more information from.

Colorado Technical University has programs in Information Systems Security.

ITT Technical Institute has programs in Information Systems Security.

Norwich University Online has an interesting looking Master of Science in Information Assurance IT Security.

A few good education blogs and other links today found today —

Internet Time Blog — with an interesting piece about social software and learning.

And here is something from Athabasca University about the Theory and Practice of Online Learning. (source – e-leaningpost.com)

This, from Explana, about how the Mind Makes e-learning, Part I. (source – schoolblogs.com)

This in from Educause …

LABOR COSTS PUSH TECH JOBS OVERSEAS

Executives from technology companies speaking at the Reuters Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Summit in New York last week said that although the tech sector is experiencing an upswing, labor costs will drive most new tech jobs overseas. An executive from Electronic Data Systems Corp., for example, said his company's pool of tech workers in countries such as India will likely rise from 9,000 today to 20,000 by 2006. Many companies at the event said they have no plans to increase their workforces. Several states are considering legislation that would require companies working on government
contracts to use employees inside the United States. Michael Turner of the Information Technology Institute suggested that federal laws that prohibit sending personal information abroad–such as exist in several European countries–might be a more effective means of fighting the trend of sending tech jobs overseas.Reuters, 27 February 2004.

Interesting end note there. I'm constantly amazed that we don't do more to protect our personal information in the U.S. as they do in Europe where the laws of disclosure for such information are a bit stricter … hence much of the wrangling over border agencies sharing information on airline passengers.

No wonder our tech boom went bust so fast. I knew a fellow from India when I lived in Brussels who works in the tech sector and after stints in Silicon Valley, London and Brussels, eventually went back to India. He followed the 'gold rush' and did pretty well. Considering this, another factor is that those who are willing to move around to find the tech jobs such as my friend come from a country where the standard of living is much lower than the U.S., so it is a bit easier for them to ride the waves and eventually settle back in their home country after grabbing their share of the pie. Not so easy for U.S. workers to leave a high standard of living and go to India to work (I don't know the policy on foreign workers there anyway, though I'm assuming it is more strict). Interesting to watch all this of course … but if I were advising any would-be techies out there, I'd say learn some languages along with your technical courses.

The news has been full of stories lately about the shortage of nurses in the United States, and the problems this looming crisis will create in health and medical fields.

Hospitals are looking for qualified workers to fill the gaps, but increasingly their searches are time consuming and futile.

This story, from Job Journal, focuses on the bright prognosis for health care workers entering the labor force.

There seems to be one problem however – costs of health care education in the U.S. have pushed many people to seeking other career choices. Especially for nurses who work long hours, are often underappreciated, and many times underpaid.

Here's an excerpt:

Thanks to the growing medical needs of aging baby boomers, virtually any career having to do with healthcare is expected to experience explosive job growth through 2010 and beyond. Topping the list are nurses – but countless other healthcare professionals are going to be in short supply as well.

Still, interested recruits in healthcare can face a daunting challenge. Since state budget cuts have reduced class offerings at both community and four-year public colleges, where can you find an affordable training program that isn't already overcrowded? Maybe right in your own backyard.One way to trim the costs would be to combine online education with further nurses training down the road. For example, one could get much of the background courses out of the way first through online universities and then later transfer to an institution which teaches the hands on aspects of the field. This also might be an especially intriguing option for students from overseas.
Below are a couple links where you can find more information in your nursing education search.

Jacksonville University Online Nursing.

University of Phoenix Online Bachelors in Nursing.

University of Phoenix Online Master's Programs in Nursing.