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Distance education, more specifically online colleges and universities, has long been the source of ridicule. It has been believed that students are unable to effectively gain a structured education without having a student and an instructor in a traditional classroom setting. Online universities have even been the topic of contempt by prominent news magazines and periodicals. Despite this fact, public sentiment is changing, and online schools are growing in favor and acceptance. Why are online schools becoming more accepted? The source cannot be traced back to a single reason. From job competition and increased student enrollment, to accreditations and tuition assistance, online colleges and universities are beginning to gain the respect they have worked so hard to receive. Working adults make up a large percentage of enrollments at online universities. These are people who are often well into their career, but are in need of additional education to advance within the organization. Many of these enrollees have families who require their time, and with whom they would like to spend more time. It can be difficult and impractical for many of them to take courses at a traditional university. Many people in this population, finding traditional universities to be insensitive to their situation, turn to online colleges and universities for their education. These graduates then go out into the working world and prove the worth of their education. Accreditations are an important part of determining the legitimacy of any college or university. The organizations that grant accreditations visit, interview, and review all applying schools thoroughly to ensure they conform to the high standards of the accrediting body’s endorsement. Online colleges and universities make a great effort to receive the endorsements of these organizations, which now span both traditional and online universities. For instance, Granite State College and Champlain College Online are both accredited through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), as are the prestigious Harvard and Yale universities. Employers understand the great worth of a college degree and some of them even provide tuition assistance. Although tuition assistance and its benefits are nothing new, the corporate partnerships being formed between online schools and other organizations are. Many employers have found that there are benefits to collaborating with an online university and providing their employees with continued education. The employee is able to stay on the job while completing their degree and building their skill set. The employee’s work status should stay virtually unaffected during this time. In the end, the employer has gained a more experienced and dedicated employee. This gradual embrace of distance education by employers and working adults is reflected in the large increase seen in enrollment for online courses. The Sloan Consortium found a 40 percent increase in the number of students who have participated in an online course in 2005 when compared to 2004. This same study also found that 96 percent of institutions with more than 15,000 students already offer some kind of online curriculum. The public’s view of distance education as unconventional and illegitimate is slowly changing. Traditional universities are introducing more online courses, which are seeing increased student enrollment. Online schools are receiving endorsements from accreditation bodies, adding a level of credibility to the education they offer. Employers are beginning to embrace online institutions for the many benefits they offer. All these factors come together and increase the public’s exposure to the legitimacy of distance education. It is easy to see why distance learning is gaining the respect it deserves. For more information see: The Sloan Consortium: Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006: http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/index.asp Havard University: Is Harvard University accredited?: http://www.harvard.edu/siteguide/faqs/faq114.html Yale University: Yale Reaccreditation Web Site: http://www.yale.edu/accred/accred_report.html Granite State College: Accreditation: http://www.granite.edu/about/accreditation.htm Champlain College Online: Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.champlain.edu/coce/information/online_faq.php
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