New Ideas for Online Classrooms

If you've avoided online learning because of its lack of interaction and overuse of the infamous "PowerPoint Lecture," now may be a good time to give it a second chance. Online colleges are learning from their mistakes and putting together online classrooms that rival the traditional learning experience. U.S. News and World Report explains:

"E-learning is getting an upgrade. Some professors and schools are redesigning their courses to take advantage of the Web's interactive and visual possibilities, adopting some bleeding-edge technologies such as gamelike simulations and digital avatars to make online courses more exciting and more effective than traditional classrooms. Many students even say that a good E-learning course inspires them to work harder."

Not convinced? Ask a potential online college for a run-through of a course. Many schools now provide sample courses for interested parties to explore.

To Enroll or Not to Enroll…That is the Question

Most of my peers shared a similar experience after graduating from college. They found what they thought was the perfect job and had big expectations. Then, after a few weeks (or days) at the office, they all came to the same realization: "This isn't quite what I had expected."

The same thing often happens when adult learners decide to enroll in an online college. They have grand expectations for completing a degree between jobs and children, a few minutes here and there. They become frustrated when an online degree program takes up too much of their time. Then, they get even more frustrated when they find they can't use their new degree in the way they had planned.

If you know what to expect and make the right choices, earning an online degree can have big benefits. But, make sure you know what you're getting into.

One of my About.com articles shares a few suggestions for making sure a virtual degree program is right for you:

"Before enrolling in an online graduate program, ask yourself two questions: "Why do I want to earn this degree?" and "Will earning the degree actually help be achieve that goal?" Do you want to earn the degree to make more money, qualify for a new job, or simply have the opportunity to learn? While undergraduate degrees are helpful in a majority of workplaces, not everyone's career can benefit from a graduate degree. Some positions require a specific master's degree or offer substantial monetary incentives for graduate degrees. Other positions do not consider graduate work a factor for granting promotions or increasing salaries. Earning an online master's degree requires a considerable investment of time and money – make sure that the payoff is worth it."

Don't be discouraged – just remember to have realistic expectations.

A Typical Day for an Ashford U Grad Student

Sometimes the best way to learn about an online college is to talk to its students. A grad student at Ashford University recently shared an overview of a day in his life. Here's a blurb from his eLearners blog post:

"You may notice that my day is almost completely filled with working. Either working out, working on school or just plain old being at work. It can be exhausting but the trick is, I do everything during my workweek so that on weekends, it's just me and my wife."

Life for an online grad student looks tiring. But, hopefully his hard work will pay off. Check out the post to read more of this student's typical schedule.

Online Professors Become YouTube "Rock Stars"

Sure, YouTube has a lot of drivel. But, online class lectures are becoming more popular on the video-sharing mega site. Here's what the Chronicle of Higher Education has to say about online lectures on YouTube:

"Even YouTube was surprised by how popular the colleges' content has been, according to Adam Hochman, a product manager at Berkeley's Learning Systems Group. Lectures are long, after all, while most popular YouTube videos run just a few minutes…Yet some lectures on Berkeley's channel scored 100,000 viewers each, and people were sitting through the whole talks. "Professors in a sense are rock stars," Mr. Hochman concludes. "We're getting as many hits as you would find with some of the big media players."

If you haven't explored YouTube's educational videos, take a look. It offers online lectures from colleges such as UC Berkeley, the University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt.

Online Learning Grows Up

Whenever a new technology is invented, it goes through a "growing period" – a time when its use is defined. Online learning has definitely experienced this phase; a lot of mistakes have been made and administrators have learned a lot about how to orchestrate virtual programs. A recent article from Training Zone describes some of the growing pains in online learning. Here's a blurb:

"E-learning has enjoyed a love-hate relationship with most learning and development departments since its advent, and has experienced a fair few teething problems along the way; yet more and more are falling under its spell."

We still have a lot to find out about learning online…so, these "Growing Pains" probably aren't over yet. However, over the past ten years a significant amount of progress has been made.

Will Earning an Online Doctorate Degree Improve Your Salary?

Earning a doctorate degree online is hard work, requiring a huge investment of time and money. Before you enroll in an online doctorate program, make sure the rewards will be worth it.

My About.com article, Earn a Doctorate Degree Online, walks you though the basics. Here's a blurb:

"Keep in mind that earning a doctorate degree online may not automatically improve your salary. Most jobs requiring a doctorate degree offer a decent salary and a certain amount of prestige. However, many academic jobs such as professorships may pay less than jobs in the non-academic sector. When contemplating earning a doctorate degree online, research your future employment options to determine whether a new degree in your field will be worth it."

Check out the article for more information on deciding whether or not an online doctoral program is the right choice for you.

Stay Healthy While Studying Online

When I have a larger workload, I tend to forget about health-promoting activities such as exercise and eating right. This year, I'm trying to improve my habits. An eLearners blog recently published a helpful article about helping online learners stay healthy. Here's a blurb:

"Evidence shows that many of the leading causes of death in the United States – such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, injuries, etc. – can be prevented by improving personal health habits. As distance learners, staying healthy is especially important since we don't receive the physical activity and interaction of a traditional campus.

Fortunately for us, staying fit is actually quite simple and affordable."

The article is worth a read-through – check it out for fourteen tips to staying healthy.

How to Choose an Online High School

Every month I receive several emails from students and parents wanting to know how to choose an Online High School. In response to this question, I've published a new article that reviews the most important questions to ask an online high school before enrolling. Here's a blurb:

"Choosing an online high school is a challenge. Parents need to find a virtual program that offers an accredited diploma and provides academic support for students, all without breaking the bank. Asking the right questions will help you find the online high school that best meets your needs."

Check out the full article for the list of questions.

Elite Colleges and Online Education

Philly.com recently published an informative article about the role of elite colleges in online education. Here's a blurb:

"…It hasn't been as clear what role , if any , elite universities would play in what experts call the "massification" of higher education. Their finances are based on prestige, which means turning students away, not enrolling more. How could they teach the masses without diminishing the value of their degree?

But MIT's 2001 debut of OpenCourseWare epitomized a key insight: Elite universities can separate their credential from their teaching , and give at least parts of their teaching away as a public service. They aren't diminishing their reputations at all. In fact, they are expanding their reach and reputation.

It turns out there is extraordinary demand for bits and pieces of the education places like MIT provide, even without the diploma."

I'm a big fan of opencourseware. Offering free non-credit course material is a great way for elite universities to share their knowledge without decreasing the value of their diplomas.

New Online Masters Program in Media Psychology and Social Change

UCLA Extension and Fielding Graduate University recently announced the launch of a new online master's degree program in media psychology and social change. Here's a blurb from their latest press release:

"To complete the program students will take four courses through UCLA Extension and six courses through Fielding Graduate University, leading to a master's degree to be awarded by Fielding. The courses focus on the critical social, educational, entertainment, health, and environmental issues impacting the world in the 21st century. Furthermore, participants will develop skills and learn processes for applying media to impact behavior and achieve solutions for significant global concerns."

To complete the degree, students must take ten five-week courses online. The new program starts this month.