Online Education Offers Access and Affordability

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Online classes allow me to obtain a degree I would not have had the chance to receive otherwise. I think it does force the students to think more on their own. I also feel a barrier is removed in online classes that would normally be expected in a traditional classroom course. People are not afraid to speak their opinions or ideas in an online setting.

Sue of MI 10:16PM April 09, 2012

I really enjoy online learning.

Necole George of CO 1:18AM February 12, 2012

I think that online courses are a step further than the typical class room setting because you have to teach yourself time managenent and self discipline.

Lakeisha Johnson of LA 4:19PM February 07, 2012

the cost of education today is alot of money and i think that online courses is a very good way to learn if the person knows how to use a computor well.

Brian of IL 7:52PM January 12, 2012

I found joinig the military and getting the G.I. Bill helps alot pyaing for college

frank roberson of IN 9:32PM November 09, 2011

I find to be very instreating on what coast compared to the olders days.

Matthew Obradovich of IN 8:21PM September 05, 2011

I feel that the coast to learn is to much. To get an education is like trying to get a loan from the bank. The online course are okay but 1500 for one class thats still exspensive. If being in a recession makes the cost of schooling go up why put your self in a bad position even worst.

Clinton of IN 8:16AM August 24, 2011

I gained my MBA through an online university in Canada. As with all universities in Canada whether non or for profit groups they must be accredited by the province and are reviewed every four years to the standard. As someone who received their bachelor at a bricks and mortar university (York in Toronto) I was quite surprised to note that two of my professors were from York and thought in the evening through Fredericton.
Each course was provided it's own homepage with scheduled online live class lectures every week (participation was part of your grade), reading assignments whether text or case studies were laid out for the duration as well as when assignments, presentations and tests were due.
Your assignments were judged on format (APA was mandatory), content, significance and references, this was the same for group assignments. Presentation were scheduled as well and you were graded on your presentation layout, your communication skills and as well how you handled the Q&A from the professor and other students.
The only area that I was surprised on was testing. Testing would open to the class to log in on a Friday at 6pm and close on Sunday at midnight, now once you logged into a test a timer started and you had to complete the test in a given time frame (usually three hours). This maintained a idea that you must maintain the knowledge but I was surprised that you were not forced to go to a locally testing center to ensure that you were the only one taking the test. I think this is now a requirement to shore up the last bit of issues.
I found that this way also very good for people that must get used to working in a global economy as you were using web meeting for both in class and group work. As well you had to work in teams with people you may never meet face to face and be both a follower and a leader. The process was part of the learning as much as the content was. The learning is also something that you the student must choose what you will take from the material. Will I read my text and case studies and complete the assignments to my full degree or will I do the minimum to pass.
I though the experience was great and the frustrations I did have were very similar to my first university experience. I had good professors, I had bad. I had good group members and bad as well as some courses were amazing and some were less beneficial but overall I am more knowledgeable and better off.
I am not sure if the forcing of accreditation and verification process make the Canadian schools provide a higher level of eduction or not, but I will say my experience was positive and I would recommend it to anyone who was looking to broaden the horizons.

Lorne P 10:03AM June 22, 2011

I agree with the comment left by Michelle Pacansky-Brock; as an employee of a university working in a deparment that administers 3 online programs, all I can say is that online college degrees translate into easy profits for most schools. This can be both a curse and a blessing. On one hand, online learning is taken for granted. Everyone is hoping on the bandwagon (like those online mall stores of the late 1990s) and it is hard for the student (or should we say 'consumer') to properly evaluate the quality of the learning experience and the eventual degree. However, I think that this will improve as more and more people utilize online learning and then in turn use their online degrees to accomplish great things.
I have taken online coursework at 3 different colleges; and like I mentioned before, I work for a 4th. I've never enrolled at a for-profit school, but the absolute worst online course that I've taken was at a community college. The professor basically scanned pdf files of handouts and had us read them, and then we would take a timed test online. No teaching, no interaction...just read and test. I could have gotten the same education at Barnes & Noble for MUCH less money! Some of the best online courses I had were at West Virginia University; a school that is not really known for "online education". But the professors did some really amazing things; like uploading a Flash presentation of how to work through statistics problem (don't you wish you had a 'pause' button sometimes for YOUR lecturer?).
I am currently pursuing an MBA online with Florida Gulf Coast University. The coursework is definitely challenging (and I have a lot say in response to the naysayers that remark that online MBAs are worthless). I also feel that I am becoming more proficient in my subjects via the online format vs. the face to face format, because a lot of the distractions are removed from the equation (I remember while in a face to face class as an undergraduate, I couldn't believe how much texting, dosing and talking was going on during the lecture!). My main complaint with being an online student, especially at the graduate level, is the feeling of being "out of sight, out of mind". The schools resources and various units, like the library, career services center, student activities, etc. make no effort to reach out to online students. Outside of the courses, there is little chance to network with others and build a sense of community. Perhaps this is because I am not in a cohort-based program. But those present their own sets of problems. I guess in a nutshell, I would like to see the college do more for their online students than cash their tuition checks and print out a degree. They need to cater to our needs more; recognize us as a viable part of the campus community....albeit a "virtual" one!

Rishona Campbell of PA 4:22PM January 04, 2011

It's been quite a while since my husband and I were interviewed for this article (I am Rosie and my husband is the Tim Scott mentioned), but I felt compelled to post an update. Just this past Sunday my husband finished his last class and now has the Associate's degree he was working toward. He works third shift for seven days on, seven days off, and the online school ensured that he could always make class--since it doesn't matter what time you get there.
I am happy for him, but my many problems with the school compelled me to report certain actions of theirs to the Attorney General of Arizona as well as Rip Off Report's consumer website. Because of attending the University of Cincinnati before trying out the University of Phoenix, I have a "brick and mortar" school to compare Phoenix to, and there was no comparison. The curriculum at Phoenix was below my own high school level curriculum, whereas UC was a challenge and required an accepted score from either the SAT or the ACT to attend. As a real estate business owner, if I ever had a need to hire someone with a degree, I might consider a UoP graduate, but it is unlikely that they were held to the same standards as other schools; thus, it is far more likely, in my opinion, that a graduate of another school is qualified for any given position.
I can see the enticement factor of these online schools--I fell for it once myself. You can go to class at any time of the day, you have no hourly deadlines and instead have daily deadlines, and yes, the college courses are as easy as high school classes, so if you are looking to breeze through a degree, online is the way to go (not that I'm encouraging that). Personally, I had a horrible experience. The article left much out--there were classmates I had that could barely speak English, and I consistently tried to help them figure out the language so they could focus on the subject matter--but you have to wonder why they were put directly into a class if they have little knowledge of the language. They have little chance of succeeding, and no doubt they are discouraged from the experience. I also had an instructor whom didn't answer emails or log into class for a full two weeks, and I turned in an assignment after sending multiple emails and leaving multiple messages asking him a simple question of clarification (which I never received). I'll never forget the instructor who simply changed the rules of the syllabus as class went along. After documenting email exchanges and the syllabus material and showing them to my academic counselor, I was told there was little they could do, even though my grades were what was at stake. Once I was in algebra, I began to take over the role of instructor since he was no where to be found, and after calling him he told me that he had "little time for things outside his other job."
Best of luck to anyone who tries these schools. Perhaps someday online education will be a good idea; so far, it's not evolving well.

Rosie Scott of OH 1:59AM December 22, 2010