Written and submitted by Dr. Stan Parker

In Growing by Degrees: On-line Education in the United States, 2005, the Sloan Foundation (2005) found that roughly 605 of the chief academic officers in the U.S. forecast that online education will be a part of their strategic plans for the future (Section 1:2, p.7).  A year later and in a report called, Making the Grade: On-line Education in the United States, 2006, the Sloan Foundation (2006) reported that over two thirds of the largest institutions in the U.S. already had fully online programs up and going (p.7).  In May 2007, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) and the Sloan Foundation supported a study, Online Learning as a Strategic Asset, in which they surveyed over 200 presidents and chancellors on their views of online learning.  The results revealed that an increasing number of higher education leaders feel that online education is critical to the long-term strategy of the institutions they serve.  Almost half said that online education is already a tool they use to engage student populations.  Supporting student access was the primary reason most gave for their current involvement in online education.  Bottom line: Higher education sees the value and utility of distance and online education, and the medium is being embraced by ever-growing numbers of colleges and universities.

While online education is not the dominant mode of higher education, it is a viable option on the higher education landscape, and private, for-profit and public institutions are offering more and more quality courses and degrees.  Students who want to study online are no longer limited to certain innovative institutions because of this increasing embrace of distance education.

The literature clearly shows that adult students are returning to college in record numbers to enter, change or advance a career.  Such students tend to prefer the online education format.  These students have a variety of questions that administrators must prove apt at answering if they are to move inquiries to enrollees. 

While not an exhaustive list, likely questions include: “Are the courses high quality?”  “Will the teacher’s expertise equal that of a teacher in a traditional classroom?”  “Should I take a course or two, or should I take a block of classes that aims toward a particular degree?”  “Will I need to be online at a specific time in order to join the class or cohort?”  “Can I view lectures or eBooks at anytime?”  “What are some benefits of online learning?”  “How will I get the information for the courses?”  “Will I receive appropriate training to successfully navigate the learning management software?”  “Who will I contact should I have problems during my course?”  “What courses or degree programs are available at your institution?”  “Why should I choose this degree program?”

With college education is foundational both to individual opportunity and to a nation’s prosperity, attention from all institutions of higher education should turn to the expansion of student access and the balancing of costs.  This and much more can happen through effective distance education and online education programs. 

One company putting a growing and impressive client list on the edge of eLearning is The Learning House, Inc. — a total online education solutions company based out of Louisville, Ky.    The professional expertise of the staff of Learning House can set your institution on a trajectory for success in online education. Learn more about The Learning House, Inc.