These days, more and more students are appreciating the benefits of earning an online university degree. Marshall University is one such place where higher enrollment numbers in their online courses have been changing the way both students and teachers view online education overall. Previously, the Sloan Consortium Survey, a research body that tracks the advancement [...]
A majority of working college students say that they benefit from online universities and technology. According to a national survey, 70 percent of college students who hold full-time jobs feel that “more educational technology tools are needed” in college-level curriculum. But as students become increasingly tech savvy, teachers are hesitant to follow. The study results agree with previous research that identified a “widening gap between student and faculty technology preferences.”
Online education has expanded rapidly within the past few years and, despite predictions that enrollment would “begin to level off,” colleges across the nation have reported all-time enrollment highs in online programs in 2009. In fact, enrolment in online degree programs increased by 21% in last year, alone.
One online college has broken from tradition and taken a “traditionally” non-profit educational approach. Western Governors University, an online college based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, is the first and only non-profit online school. Online schools are, typically, for-profit institutions and are funded largely by the tuition their students pay. This tuition, in turn, often comes from federal aid awarded to students by the government. Recent criticism has focused primarily on this federal aid usage, unfavorable loan repayment rates and the recruiting tactics used by for-profits to enroll their students.