Online Learning: Higher Education for the Way We Work and Live Today

By Wendy Lalli

Once upon a time, about 20 years ago, the only people who needed to learn something new after graduating from college were physicians and academic professionals. In that seemingly magical time, the major you studied in college was probably the same field you worked in throughout your career. Indeed, many, if not most, college graduates considered it likely that they would retire from the same company they started with after leaving school. (Now, doesn’t that sound like a fairy tale?)

Today, of course, college students and recent graduates live and work in a very different professional realm than their parents did. A major reason for this change can be summed up in two words: Internet technology. Fortunately, the Internet has not only revolutionized the way we work and communicate, it also offers an option for coping with these developments: online learning.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, “[T]here were more than 2,800 distance education college degree programs in 2001. (Most of these programs were online programs.) And those programs had more than 3 million enrollments.” These findings are reflected in a survey of 1,100 universities and colleges cited by the Sloan Consortium: “Online enrollments far exceed the overall rate of growth for the entire higher education student population….The expected average growth for online students for 2004 is 24.8%.” When you consider that online education solves many of the problems ambitious professionals face in our highly complex, ever-changing and increasingly challenging world, this phenomenal growth rate makes perfect sense.

Now you can go back to school—even if you work full time.
If you’re a full-time employee, taking time off to get a degree—even at the boss’ suggestion—can present some serious conflicts. Let’s say you’re called into an emergency meeting at 5 p.m. on the day you have a 5:30 class. Participating in the meeting could give you a chance to demonstrate your leadership and problem-solving skills. Even more, not doing so, might undercut your reputation as a hard-working professional. Yet, being late to class could impede your ability to learn and, with some professors, even lower your grade. This conundrum is one often faced by employees who go back to school.

But as an online student, you can attend lectures, do research and work on homework at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All you need is Internet access and a desire to learn. You decide when and where the next lecture will be: in your den on Sunday morning, at your work station on your lunch hour or even during a business trip. So you can be a top performer on the job and still go to the head of the class in school.

Online students learn in ways that are especially suitable for them.
Traditionally, educational opportunities are as limited as your local college’s curriculum. But online students have an incredibly wide choice of degree programs including Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s and even PhDs—in the broadest possible range of subjects, from accounting to visual communications. Even in a small town, you have access to the same level of education as New Yorkers or someone based in an international capital like London.

Plus, online programs typically offer schedules that are more flexible than traditional universities, where students can begin a program only two or three times a year, at the beginning of a semester. Instead, many online programs offer multiple start dates throughout year, which means students seldom have to wait more than a month to begin a degree program.

Learning online lets you get up close and personal with classmates and professors.
Most online programs allow you to correspond and converse with your professor and fellow students throughout the course. In many cases, your interaction with your professors can actually be more intense than in a face-to-face setting. Traditionally, instructors teach dozens, even hundreds of students in a lecture hall and only have time to take questions from a lucky few. Shy or introverted types rarely have an opportunity to be heard. But online learning allows less aggressive students, who might normally hesitate to express themselves in a crowded classroom, feel very comfortable asking and responding to questions with a professor via e-mail.

As Kevin Himmel, Director of Performance Consulting for Regis Learning Solutions, points out, “Most online classes make extensive use of asynchronous discussion boards where both instructors and students interact in an online forum. By definition, asynchronous learning has no timing requirements; therefore, communication and instruction are completed at the student’s discretion.” You can go to class at 10 p.m., view the professor’s lecture, read your fellow students’ comments on it, then post your own thoughts the next morning. Convenient and flexible, this system allows you to digest material at your own pace so you can absorb it more effectively.

And unlike a conventional brick-and-mortar campus, where your classmates are all people who live nearby, online classes draw students from around the world. This fact in itself can be a uniquely broadening educational experience.

With online learning, life is less stressful and more productive.
One other lifestyle advantage you’ll enjoy as an online student, whether you’re working full time, home with the kids or living in a remote area: your class is as close as your computer. There’s no traffic, parking or transportation to pay for. Nor do you have to find a babysitter, take your lunch or worry about getting something to eat before an evening lecture. Plus, you always have a front row seat in every class you attend no matter when you “arrive.” Sitting in your favorite chair, enjoying a snack, you can structure the lectures to go as fast or as slow as you like. Talk about a laid-back learning environment! So in a world that seems to get more stressful every day, online learning may make life a little easier. All in all, it’s a great beginning to a very happy ending.

Wendy Lalli is a career counselor who writes frequently for the Chicago Tribune and business publications. Her advice column, “Dear Lalli” is a regular feature in the Daily Southtown and Star newspapers in Chicago. Before making a transition to a career coach three years ago, Wendy was a business-to-business copywriter for more than 15 years

Bibliography

Sloan Consortium Resources. (2004, Dec 1). Entering the Mainstream: The Quality and Extent of Online Education in the United States, 2003 and 2004. Retrieved on January 14, 2005. Available: http://www.sloan-c.org/resources/survey.asp

Cleary, D. (2004, June 30). Advantages of Online Schools vs. Campus-based Schools. Online Degrees & Online Education Information Center. Retrieved on January 15, 2005. Available: http://www.online-degree-education.net/online_education_versus_campus_education.htm