University of Phoenix, Walden University, and Capella Education Company Sued

Digital-Vending Services recently filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against the university of phoenix, Walden University, and the Capella Education Company. The lawsuit charges that these online colleges are using patented online course delivery structures. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports:

"Digital-Vending Services, based in Washington, accuses the online institutions of inflicting "irreparable harm" on its business. The company is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction barring the institutions from "further infringement," according to the suit.

Digital-Vending was established in 2003 to protect educational-software patents held by members of the Community Learning and Information Network, a nonprofit group that develops distance-learning applications. Members affiliated with Digital-Vending have ties to the education, defense, software, and aerospace industries."

The lawsuit has been filed in Texas, where course management giant Blackboard recently won a similar suit.

Colorado State University to Open New Online College

Colorado State University is planning a new online college aimed at helping non-traditional students and college drop outs complete their degrees. The Denver Post reports:

"CSU president Larry Penley said he envisions the online school reaching those people who have been working or raising families and can't easily attend a traditional college.

"The rates for younger people to go to college are not as high as they are for people my age," Penley said. "There is a need to turn this around. . . . And we don't have the money across the country to provide the kind of bricks-and-mortar institutions to deal with all these people."

CSU Global Campus will have its own faculty who will tailor work to individual students. What makes the school unique is its emphasis on reaching at-risk populations. Courses will be timed, and tests scheduled. Degrees will be created based on the marketplace demand – like a master's in online learning."

The new online public school is planned to offer lower tuition rates than many private programs. It will primarily serve adult learners who did not attend college after high school or who dropped out before completing a degree.

Are Diploma Mill Degrees Illegal?

Diploma mills are unaccredited institutions that award degrees in exchange for money. Sometimes these fake schools offer a limited and inferior education. Other times they simply mail out a degree in exchange for a check.

Although the "something for nothing" promises made by diploma mills can be alluring, fake degrees are never worth it. Listing a diploma mill degree on a resume often leads to firing and professional humiliation years down the road. In some places (such as the entire state of Texas) using a diploma mill degree is illegal and could lead to charges.

Wikipedia explores the diploma mill legality issue in more depth:

"Even if issuing or receiving a diploma mill qualification is legal, passing it off as an accredited one for personal gain is a crime in many jurisdictions. In some cases the diploma mill may itself be guilty of an offense, if it knew or ought to have known that the qualifications it issues are used for fraudulent purposes. Diploma mills could also be guilty of fraud if they mislead customers into believing that the qualifications they issue are accredited or recognized, or make false claims that they will lead to career advancement, and accept money on the basis of these claims.

Some unaccredited institutions include disclaimers in respect of accreditation in the small print of their contracts.

Fake degrees are risky for buyers and consumers, says John Bear, a distance learning and diploma mills expert. "It is like putting a time bomb in your resum̩. It could go off at any time, with dire consequences. The people who sell fake degrees will probably never suffer at all, but the people who buy them often suffer mightily. And Рparticularly if their "degree" is health-related Рtheir clients may be seriously harmed."

Earning a degree from an accredited school takes time and effort, but the investment is worth it.

Online High Schools Offer New Options for Teens

Traditional schooling isn't the right choice for every teenager. Online classes offer flexibility as well as guidance to teen learners. Many online programs are regionally accredited and can help students prepare for college or the job market. My recently updated About.com article, Get Your High School Diploma Online, explores the options open to high schoolers. Here's a blurb:

"A growing number of teenagers are earning their high school diplomas through the internet…Finding an Online High School can be a challenge; many schools make big claims but few live up to their promises. Parents generally have two options for their children: private online schools or public online schools. Private online schools function much like traditional private schools, while public schools must follow national and state regulations."

Check out the full article for advice on choosing an online high school program for yourself or a teenage child.

Will Online Colleges Make the Grade?

Several weeks ago, I reported on Transparency By Design – a new movement seeking to publicize online college data. A handful of popular online colleges have joined the effort and major media outlets are taking notice. US News and World Report summarizes:

"Transparency by Design schools hope to change that with a template called a "Learning Outcomes Report," which calls for each participating school to report demographics and student information, program-level learning outcomes, student satisfaction or student engagement results, and alumni satisfaction, as well as explanations of the methodologies that were used.

The schools currently participating are Capella University; Charter Oak State College; excelsior College; Franklin University; Kaplan University; Regis University; Rio Salado College; Western Governors University; Union Institute & University; Fielding Graduate University; and Southwestern College."

It will certainly be interesting to see how this effort plays out. Hopefully, the data will help online colleges improve their programs and encourage the broad acceptance of online degrees.

University Greed Creates Disadvantages to Online Learning

A recent editorial in the UM-St. Louis Current charges that many of the reasons universities start online classes are harmful to student learners. Instead of starting online courses for student convenience or as a viable learning alternative, some universities do it because they can save money on facilities and can squeeze 200+ students into a single class. Here's a blurb from the editorial:

"An online class can hold up to about 200 students, where as an average sized-classroom (not lecture halls) can only seat about 25. However, for the students to get the most out of a professor, a good student-to-teacher ratio needs to be about 15-to-1.

Instead of providing a quality education, professors are now shoveling students through each class just so they can meet their requirements. It is very cost-efficient.

The bottom line is that online classes require fewer professors, less space, and most of all, less money, meaning less money to pay for faculty salaries and lower costs to maintain a classroom.

That last part about money is ironic in that students, particularly in the communications department, pay supplemental fees for distance learning to cover the costs for all of the technology and software needed to run an online class."

It's unfortunate that many colleges still see online learning as a money-making venture rather than focusing on student needs. Hopefully, as online learning becomes more mainstream, schools will change their focus.

Using an Online Class Syllabus

Learning how to interpret and use an online class syllabus is an especially important skill for online learners. Online professors don't always remind students about assignment deadlines and test dates – students are expected to keep track of these events themselves.

My latest About.com article shows how you can make the most of your online class syllabus. Here's a blurb:

"Almost all online professors provide students with a syllabus that includes course information such as a list of required textbooks, necessary prerequisite courses, assignment due dates, and other expectations.

Without in-person interaction with teachers and classmates, it's especially easy for online learners to forget an assignment or a test. By taking an inventory of your syllabus at the beginning of the course and reviewing it regularly, you can stay on top of your work – even if your professor doesn't provide regular reminders."

Check out the full article for six effective ways to use your online class syllabus.

Top Facebook Applications for Online Students

Facebook is more popular than ever and many college professors are using the social networking site to help them teach. I'm not completely comfortable with students mixing their social lives and their studies (especially considering cases such as the student who was denied a degree due to a MySpace photo of her drinking alcohol). However, I can't deny that some very useful facebook applications have been developed in the past few months. The CollegeDegree blog recently published a list of the 25 best applications for students. Here's a blurb:

"With so many students, teachers, and librarians on Facebook these days, the social media site has become somewhat of a platform, offering developers a way to create and share applications for education. This, of course, is great news for online education, as it provides all sorts of great tools designed to make learning and administration easier. Check out these applications that represent some of the ideal tools Facebook has to offer for online education."

Take a look at the article for applications such as a notetaking system, a quiz maker, and an academic calendar.

New Resource: Microsoft Live Workspace

Microsoft is currently beta testing a website that may be very helpful to online learners. Microsoft Live Workspace will let students store over 1,000 Microsoft files (such as Word or PowerPoint documents) on a secure page. Students can they access their files from wherever they are or share them with others. Here are a few of the included features:

Access documents when away from your desk
* Save documents and access them from any computer
* Stay productive at home, an Internet café, library, airport, etc.

share documents with others
* Gather feedback on a document, report, or presentation
* Share with people who can't access your corporate network

Organize a study group
* Work together on assignments and share notes from class
* Keep a shared schedule and task list for your group

Keep track of important school information
* Manage schedules from sports to registration deadlines
* Track your GPA and progress toward degree requirements

Microsoft Live Workspace is free. Although the website is still technically in beta testing, anyone can sign up and start saving their files online.

Research: Distance Learning Not for Everyone

Recent research from a University of Missouri study shows that not everyone is cut out for online learning. Students with certain qualities such as responsibility and determination are more likely to be successful when learning online. Here's what the study found:

"Correlations between learning styles and success in distance education have shown to be inconclusive," Strickland said. "However, one common theme reappears: the successful traits of a distance learner are similar to the successful traits of an adult learner in traditional educational settings."

With a mere 30 percent of distance learners actually completing their courses, learning more about the characteristics of these students would help educators structure online courses to be as beneficial as possible. Considering the lack of institutional support and isolation involved in the nature of online courses, success in these courses requires a person that is determined and responsible, Strickland said."

Obviously, online schools can improve their retention rates by designing courses to be more interactive and offering ample support. However, there is no panacea. Many students thrive in online classes, some never will.