ONLINE ENROLLMENT

Advantages of Online Enrollment to Universities and the Problems That Can Affect Them

Richard Allen

Capella University

Advantages of Online Enrollment to Universities and the Problems Which Can Affect Them

The online method of education is a highly effective alternative method of education for self-disciplined, mature, self-motivated and dedicated students with excellent time management and organization skills. However, the environment in online method of education is not conducive for learning of dependent learners who might face difficulties in assuming the level of responsibility and dedication required by online degree programs (Allen & Seaman, 2007).

The online education system has been adopted on a large scale by universities and business schools. Nine state colleges in Massachusetts and 15 community colleges including a number of universities have taken their degree programs online by means of a program called Massachusetts Colleges Online. MIT made waves in 2001 when it started offering the study materials at no charge on the Internet through a program called OpenCourseWare for nearly all its courses.

Thesis Statement

Online education can positively impact the enrollment in universities and increase the number of college and university graduates.

Discussion & Analysis

Benefits

Online learning is swiftly becoming an increasingly preferable option for people who are contemplating a change in their careers, seeking a college degree and brushing up on a skill-set, with the growing popularity of distance education. According Needham-based Sloan Consortium's 2008 report about Online Education in the United States more than 20 percent — 3.9 million — of all college students were taking at least one course online in the fall of 2007, and the numbers continue to grow. The following text explores the benefits of online education system:

Convenience & Flexibility

Students with career commitments or adult students with families, also known as non-traditional students, are more inclined to enroll in online degree programs since it is easier for them to balance their career, family and education commitments. Contrary to the traditional educational system, it is possible to attend a class and study whenever convenient for students through the online instructional system. Also to be noted is the fact that many online programs do not require log-in times and allow students to work on their own pace (Allen & Seaman, 2007).

Affordability

Students are saving thousands of dollars on their bachelor's degree and paying approximately $12,000 less than the national average for a master's degree by taking advantage of the online education system according to GetEducated.com, a national consumer advocacy group that researches, rates, ranks and verifies the credibility of online college and distance learning degree programs.

Validity

Though questions have been raised on the effectiveness of online degree programs, with various groups asserting that the online education system is enabling students to “just buy a degree”, however, a practical approach to distance learning system verifies that it the difficulty level of this system is the same as the traditional system if not more because of the exceptional time management skills and dedication required to excel in this system. A study undertaken by the Department of Education in 2009 indicated that the performance ...