Online Enterprises Gain Foothold as Path to a College Degree

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/education/25future.html?hp&gwh=4C11308CEE6C6F4B4D73B53C5F0812C8





While this article focuses more on for profit universities or for profit programs that help piecemeal together a degree, as a student in an online program, I still found it of interest.


There is a definite bias towards any sort of online learning- that it's easier, you don't have to work as hard, it is inferior to "regular" learning. I'll admit- I still have those biases lurking around. As a grad student- I'm doing well. Sometimes I think too well. But it is different than undergrad- you are studying something you're fully interested/invested in. And as most can attest- I'm not always the best student (examples include: weekly trivia, multiple concerts, etc.)...I have this bad habit of choosing fun over sleep. So sometimes I wonder if grad school is easier for me because it's online- but then I think that I have scheduled my life out quite well so that I do a lot of reading on the bus, get a lot of posting done at work (because you all know how hard I work-ha!) and always leave Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays open for school stuff.

But I am biased towards online undergraduate degrees. I think students miss out on socialization, learning how to be around and work with all different kinds of people. The times are changing- many students have to work while getting their degree, and online programs offer much more flexibility so they can finish more quickly. Plus, online education eliminates any housing/board fees. So maybe instead of turning our collective noses up against online learning- dare we embrace it and try to regulate it to make it better and more respected?

I'm somewhat nostalgic and think there's something to be said about the old way of education- 4 years on campus, etc etc. But that doesn't work for everyone- and I feel like many who are attending online and/or for profit colleges and universities are getting the short end of the stick. There needs to be WAY more regulation for them so that the degrees that are awarded are respected. But on the other hand, it's also a cultural thing. There are many who are quite elitist (as the article mentions) who pass over these sorts of degrees. Job applicants who may be otherwise very qualified aren't given the second look because of where they got their degree.

But whenever I get a weird look when I tell people I'm getting my Master's online, I'm always quick to remind them- Minnesota only has one school that offers an MLIS program. Why didn't I apply there? Because at the time, they'd lost their ALA accredidation and couldn't 100% say they'd get it back (they did). Nice, private, well respected school- but doesn't that seem fishy? I'll take my online degree through a ranked program at a public university any day, thanks.