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Why
sit in a classroom when you can boot up your PC in the comfort of your
home and participate in anything from a single course to a full
degree-bound academic program?
Michael Fortier will attest to that. Fortier, 38, has been enrolled in
online degree programs since 1999 via Champlain College's Online
Program. The Burlington, VT-based college has been offering online
courses since 1993.
By
day, Fortier is a sales/cost-estimating manager at Meriden
Manufacturing, a jet engine parts manufacturer in
Connecticut.
But nights and weekends, he's hunched over his computer working toward
his second online associate's degree. Fortier puts in 20-40 hours a
week working for his degree.
Is it
worth the effort? "You bet it is," says Fortier. He doesn't have the
time or financial resources to take a full curriculum at a traditional
brick-and-mortar school. With a demanding job, he needs the
flexibility to set his own learning schedule.
Invisibly Educated
Fortier is part of a growing body of students enrolled in online
degree programs. According to the United States Distance Learning
Association, 2.2 million students are taking online courses now
compared to 1 million five years ago. And, the number of online
learning institutions has jumped from 800 to 1,700 in the same period.
At Champlain College alone, the number of students enrolled in online
courses catapulted from 15 to 3,500 this year. Meanwhile, blue chip
schools like Columbia, Stanford, the University of Chicago, New York
University, and Temple are among those offering online degree
programs.
Online courses' delivery methods continue to improve. Initially, an
online degree program consisted of a series of CD-ROM discs. Students
downloaded lectures and notes and e-mailed tests and reports back to
the instructor.
The
Dog Deleted My Homework
The newest technology is more interactive and lectures are even
presented in real time. Students log into the class and watch and hear
teachers deliver lectures. "Each online program works differently,"
says Fortier. Champlain's program varies from day to day. "Some time
is spent in chat and other times in 'live' forums," Fortier explains.
"Occasionally, a professor gives a class and we interact with him via
phone or e-mail. Other times, assignments or lectures are posted. We
do the assignment and post our thoughts to the discussion forum, reply
to others' comments, and upload homework by the assigned due date and
time. When distance education first became popular a decade ago, many
employers had doubts about hiring candidates with online degrees. Many
institutions were not accredited, teachers were barely qualified, the
quality of teaching was second rate, and often anyone who could pay
for the program could get a degree. There were also online diploma
mills that sold degrees as fast as they could print them.
But
that's changed. Although some shady operations still exist, most
online degrees are being offered by reputable institutions. And, most
employers see no difference between a virtual degree program and a
traditional one.
Bob
Lambert, managing director of technology and new ventures practice at
executive search firm Christian & Timbers in Irvine, CA, says he'd be
more impressed with a candidate with an online degree than a candidate
with a traditional degree. "Most of the people I've met who are
working toward an online degree are working at full-time jobs, which
tells me the candidates are highly motivated, resourceful and
determined," he says. "These are all highly desirable traits."
On
the other hand, Franklin Loew, president of Becker College in Wooster,
MA, and former dean at Tufts University in Boston, has concerns about
the lack of human contact in online degree programs. He would have
concerns about hiring someone with an online degree. "I know that's
unfair, but I question the quality of the educational experience," he
says. Other educators also agree with Loew, but they're in the
minority.
Is
Online Education for You?
Nonetheless, online education is here to stay. More educational
institutions will be launching new programs, which makes the selection
process harder. Before you pick a program, get answers to these
questions:
-
What is the reputation of the institution, especially a lesser-known
school?
-
How
will your skills and knowledge be evaluated? The testing process
should be as rigorous as that of a traditional college.
-
What are faculty members' credentials?
-
Is
the school accredited by one of the accepted accrediting
associations (Middle
States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern and
Western)?
Finally, ask yourself if you have the personality and work habits to
study online. The answers to the following questions will tell you
whether you're a good fit.
If
the answers to all of the above questions are not affirmative, I'd
think twice about enrolling in an online degree program.
Bob
Weinstein
writes the "Tech Watch" column, the first weekly career column to
cover the exploding technology marketplace. He built a national
reputation covering the career marketplace for more than 20 years and
has written a number of books, including 140 High-Tech Careers, How
To Get a Job in Hard Times, and I Hate My Boss! His
articles have appeared in The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The
Washington Post, Newsday, New York Daily News, Business Week's Career
Guide, and Reader's Digest, just to name a few.
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