" Growing by Degrees: A Report on Online Education in the United States, 2005,'' a recent study of online learning technology and trends at more than 1,000 universities and colleges, has revealed its results.
Among the findings: online education opportunities are growing immensely, ' traditional' institutions are finally opening up to the idea of distance learning, and perhaps most important, that students have a ' harder' time passing an online course than a ' classroom' course.
Though online education offers terrific opportunities, there are drawbacks that students need to be aware of. As a professor, this is the weakness I see most often in my online courses: students not realizing that more discipline and motivation will be needed to succeed in an online course, compared to the same course taught in a traditional classroom setting.
The Kalamazoo Gazette reports:
Taking an online course, educators say, usually requires a student to be more disciplined than an on-campus class might require.
“I warn the students at the very beginning they are going to do more,'' said Ashlyn Kuersten, associate professor of political science at Western, who teaches an online course to non-majors.
“They're going to have to be consistent and self-motivated. I'm not going to motivate them,'' she said.
“I would say 30 percent of a class will just stop participating. … That's why I think the best students are the nontraditional students,'' she said.
For this reason, some universities offer online tests to help students assess whether they are good candidates for learning online.
Top Online Colleges
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University of Phoenix - Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, & Doctoral Degrees. University of Phoenix shows each student how easy and convenient it is to earn your college degree through their distance learning program. Students can choose to learn at home or from a campus location near you.
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Kaplan University - Associate's, Bachelor's, & Master's Degrees. Kaplan University is a dynamic institution that offers accredited, online degrees to students seeking to jump start a new career. Kaplan University makes it easy for students to get the college degree that they want.
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American InterContinental University Online - Associate's, Bachelor's, & Master's Degrees. At American InterContinental University, every individual has an opporunity to receive an excellent college degree and the ability to maximize their human potential. American InterContinental University allows you to pick a time and place that fits your schedule.
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Ashford University - Associate's, Bachelor's, & Master's Degrees. Ashford University has a rich tradition of online educational excellence. This excellence is shown in the quality of each class that every student receives.
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Grand Canyon University - Bachelor's, & Master's Degrees. Offering graduate and undergraduate degrees, Grand Canyon University is ideal for any individual, first-time students or working professionals, to pursue a degree toward their career of interest. Their excellence in online education has brought many students to attend the university.
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Liberty University - Associate's, Bachelor's, & Master's Degrees. At Liberty University, students educational goals and needs are met by an outstanding faculty and support staff. Any adult learner looking to go back to school will be pleased with the course offerings available at Liberty University.
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DeVry University - Associate's, Bachelor's, & Master's Degrees. Students who attend DeVry University are welcomed with an outstanding faculty who put each students needs and dreams first. DeVry University is an accredited university that offers affordable degrees.
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Colorado Technical University - Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's & Doctoral Degrees. As a well-known, accredited online university, Colorado Technical University is committed to developing great leaders. They teach students the latest techniques, methods, skills and experience needed to succeed in the fast-paced economy.
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Everest University - Associate's, Bachelor's, & Master's Degrees. Everest University is committed to the on-going commitment of providing each student with a high-quality, low-cost online education. Everest University has a well rounded faculty with real world experience.
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Strayer University - Associate's & Bachelor's Degrees. Westwood College uses a student-centric approach to its educational curriculum and each student benefits from this ideal. Westwood College is an accredited university with degrees in high-growth industries.
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