Online Degree Programs for Adults

adult learning, correspondence learning, distance education, distance learning, online degree, online degree programs, online education, online study, traditional learning, virtual university

Many adults today are looking for ways to finish their studies or add a second degree to their qualifications without disrupting their family and work schedules.  The traditional way of studying severely limits the learning opportunities of adults in this kind of situation.  Fortunately, there are now other options available to them such as the online degree programs.

Traditional Course of Study

The traditional way of obtaining degrees is to go through the different phases of education which includes the primary,secondary, and tertiary levels.  This is done by attending brick-and-mortar educational institutions.  Physical presence in classes is absolutely required and all schools require a minimum number of days for attendance or risk being dropped for a particular school year. Generally, all school works, assignments, and projects are to be done in school or at least submitted personally in school.  Examinations and tests are taken inside the classroom.  The time for each subject is set by a prescribed schedule which is expected to be followed  by each and every student.  Graduations are marked by ceremonies that are likewise held inside the campus or some other designated areas deemed proper by the school authorities.

Distance Learning

Distance Learning, also known as Distance Education, was known to have existed as early as 1728.  However, it actually took off sometime in the 1840s via correspondence learning.  Great Britain was the first country known to have used the postal services in offering learning courses.  The University of London is said to be the first university to offer distance learning degrees in 1858. Sometime in the 1960s, America promoted more modern communication technologies for use in distance learning.  The so-called open universities started offering courses through radio and television broadcasts.  The 1970s saw the advent of telecourses and computer-assisted instruction.  Before the 1990s ended, there were several fully online universities in the US accredited to offer online degree programs to the public.

Online Learning

Online learning gave rise to what is known as virtual universities.  These can either be brick-and-mortar educational institutions who decided to include online degree programs in their curriculum or institutions which offer only online study programs without any physical campus and is usually represented physically by an office where transactions that cannot be done online are entertained.  There are actually online schools that offer neither a physical campus or a physical office and thus may be risky in the matter of acceptability of completed credits. Online degree programs are usually offered for the purpose of completing a college degree although there are already several being offered for high school diplomas and obtaining non-degree certificates.  The main advantage of taking online degree programs is the convenience it offers through flexible schedules and the absence of the need to be physically present in traditional campuses.  Online students are advised to choose only officially-accredited online schools so as to avoid transacting with diploma mills issuing fake degrees.

Who Benefits from Online Degree Programs

Online education seeks to address the educational needs of people with disabilities who may find it difficult to commute to and fro in a traditional university; full-time employees who have no time to attend to regular degree programs in campus; soldiers who are on duty or whose official assignments prevent them from staying put in a single location for a fixed period of time; and stay-at-home parents whose domestic responsibilities prevent them from pursuing traditional degree programs.  Online schools are now able to offer completion of associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.  An Internet-connected computer is the main tool for study in the online environment.

Challenges of Online Study

Given the advantages of online study, it is worth knowing that there are downsides and challenges to be hurdled for successful completion.  The home atmosphere may not be exactly conducive to learning because of the existing domestic responsibilities.  Online study requires students to exert more effort in understanding the course of study independently as there are no instructors physically present while taking the program.  Unreliable technology is also a great obstacle in online learning. Public perception is likewise a major challenge to overcome.  Many employers still do not put the same weight for online degrees as compared to traditional degrees.  Online degree programs are not necessarily cheaper than traditional degree programs although there is substantial savings in transportation, learning materials, and living quarters.  The wide availability of online degree programs has also produced a unique phenomena of hyper-competitive individuals whose desire for additional educational qualifications border on the insatiable.

My Say

Online degree programs are quite common in progressive countries such as the US and the UK.  The level of acceptability of online degrees is increasing.  More countries are expected to follow suit as the delivery of online programs are improved and the results of such are guaranteed and acceptable to employers.