Over time, the population of the U.S. and the rest of the world exploded, technology advanced, and competition in the workplace became increasingly fierce. Combining all of these factors, the demand for higher education has increased with each generation. Once upon a time, one could get a well paying job and live comfortably with only a high school diploma. Today’s job market requires some form of higher education for meaningful employment and upward mobility. Although community colleges and traditional 4-year universities have fulfilled some of this demand, many others’ education needs are still left unmet.
Busy schedules make attending traditional schools very difficult for many people. Today’s work schedules make it nearly impossible for prospective students to set aside time to attend classes under a traditional setting. In addition, familial obligations consume much of the day not devoted to work. There are also cases where traditional schools are not an option for people who have difficulty with the admissions process, including minorities and those who have a questionable academic history. The current state of the economy has not helped matters either with regards to traditional post-secondary education. Many states are currently experiencing budget shortfalls, creating a situation that has led to instructor layoffs and student overcrowding, making it difficult for students to register for classes in their desired programs. Because of these situations, there needed to exist a more convenient method for people to take classes towards earning a degree.
The creation of online universities has given people another option to pursue post-secondary education while tending to their obligations. One of the appealing factors of taking online courses is flexibility. Because of the structure of online courses, students can log in at any time of the day. Emily C., a student in the Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) program at Walden University, can attest. She is a devoted wife, mother of a two-year old daughter, and full-time elementary school teacher. When asked about why she’s pursuing an online education, she said “Because of the flexibility. Teaching full-time and raising my young daughter doesn’t allow me to pursue a M.S.Ed. at a local university. I needed a program where I could take classes from home, which would allow me to complete a Master’s and be there for my daughter at the same time.” There are no set times where a student is required to be sitting in front of a computer because all the necessary class materials can be accessed online, and students are only required to be signed in once every few days.
The traditional classroom setting doesn’t appeal to everyone. Many students do not particularly enjoy attending primary education because of the routine of sitting in class, listening to teachers lecture for an hour and having to worry about tests, quizzes, and homework assignments on a daily basis. Online universities have strayed from this model because they understand that people learn in different ways. Besides flexibility, online courses are set up so that students can learn at their own pace. Heath W., a student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting through the University of Phoenix, never felt comfortable in a classroom setting in high school. Besides the uneasiness of being in a crowded classroom, he felt overwhelmed because of the daily pressures of the traditional setting. Upon graduation, he enrolled in community college but it was not a good fit, so Heath decided to take a job at the local mill. Because of the pay, he never felt compelled to pursue higher education. Eventually, the mill laid off many of its employees, including Heath. Having only a high school diploma, Heath found it very difficult to find a job that paid as well as his previous position. This revelation led him to research online universities, and the intrigue of the unconventional learning structure eventually led him to enroll at the University of Phoenix. Heath says, “I felt that I could never fulfill my educational and professional goals under the traditional model. After taking several courses through Phoenix, not only did I feel better about myself, I also felt like I’ve learned a lot and can better apply what I’ve learned to the real world.”
Unlike schools on a traditional term system, online universities have a unique schedule. Should a prospective student decide to enroll at a traditional institution, he/she may have to wait months for the current term to be completed before the next one begins. With online universities, classes typically start once every five weeks, year round. If a student is admitted to an online university right after classes have started, he/she would only have to wait a few weeks before the next session. Also, because classes start every five weeks, students don’t have to stress about classes being unavailable due to full capacity. Online universities offer many duplicate courses, and full capacity is rare. However, should this happen, the next session is mere weeks away.
Because of constant change in the world, courses regularly have to be updated and added as well, in order to current to ensure the success of their students and institutions. Traditional schools can take months or years to add courses vital to today’s needs while the flexibility of online universities allows for courses to be updated in a matter of days or weeks. Mark DeFusco, a former Director of the University of Phoenix, jokingly said, “We would put a group of faculty members in a hotel room for a weekend and not let them until they came up with new curriculum.” Ultimately, students benefit from up-to-date curricula and course offerings.
Go to Part 2 - History of Online Education
Go to Part 4 - Issues with Online Schools
