The Future of Online Education
If you are thinking about investing in Online education, your choice of Online programs is now wider than ever thanks to recent changes in the law. An increasing number of schools, colleges and universities are offering their courses Online, with more expected in the future.
Legal Changes Encourage E-learning
Until recently, any school, college or university that wanted to qualify for federal student aid was required to offer at least fifty percent of its courses face-to-face. This requirement was dropped in March 2006, resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of educational institutions offering their services over the Internet.
Pushing Up Online Standards
Many long established and prestigious schools - with real-live campuses – are now getting in on the Online act. In many cases the same faculty operates both the Online and on-campus programs, with students covering exactly the same material and being judged by the same standards. As a result, Online students can be in no doubt that they are receiving exactly the same quality of tuition and final qualification as their campus-based peers.
More Opportunities for Online Students
The involvement of more and more schools, colleges and universities in Online education has had several positive effects for Online students:
- A wider range of courses and programs to
- Quality of what is on offer has improved
- Employers beginning to get used to the idea of qualifications earned Online
With Online enrolment up from 1.98 million in 2003 to 2.35 million in 2004, and researchers predicting that by 2008 approximately 1 in 10 college students will be studying Online, the future of Online education is looking rosy.
Source: Washington Post
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