5 Reasons Online College Classes Have Gained in Popularity

The classroom has certainly changed with the advent of the home computer, the Internet and even wireless networks. Even the uncertain and tough times the global economy seems to find itself in have changed how we learn and get an education. Recently, online college classes and courses have become more than just a viable option for undergraduate students or graduates looking to score a master’s degree. A recent study by the Sloan Consortium titled “Class Differences: Online Education in the United States, 2010” showed that more than two-thirds of for-profit colleges and higher learning institutions have implemented online learning as a major part of their long term strategy. Demand is growing for online learning and here’s just some of the reasons why…

1. High gas prices

Transportation may not have been an issue when you were in college because you could walk from your dorm room to your class on campus. Now that college campuses are growing and most students are juggling a career and college, getting from point A to point B can become expensive.

It also doesn’t help that gasoline prices are at astronomical highs, hitting a national average of well above $3.50 per gallon and that’s even as demand has dropped as more drivers are depending less on their vehicles for economic and environmental factors or have switched to more fuel-efficient modes of transportation such as hybrid vehicles or public transportation. Taking an online class, of course, can also save you more at the pump as you chase your degree since you don’t have to drive to a physical classroom to earn a course credit.

2. Easier to fit into schedules

Whether you’re an undergraduate chasing a dream with a degree or a graduate looking to change careers or getting a more advanced diploma, going to school can be very time consuming. These days, going back to school can be a daunting task in such uncertain economic times and can often feel as though we’re being forced to choose between giving up our careers to go back to class or stay with a career that doesn’t challenge us intellectually or help us grow economically.

Online classes and courses seem to offer a viable solution for the student with the very busy schedule. Courses can be structured and scheduled around a person’s schedule much easier than a course that requires students to be in class and on time. This freedom also allows the student to learn at their own pace by developing a schedule that fits their busy and demanding lifestyle.

3. Rising college costs

The cost of college as a whole is also on the rise and it’s not just the cost of tuition, which has achieved some noticeable spikes. Prices for textbooks are so high that some students have decided not to buy them to help them pay for college. Even cutbacks in federal spending and stimulus money to encourage college enrollment have forced some students to make some serious cutbacks in their college finances.

Some students and even major colleges including Stanford and Yale have taken advantage of the online classroom revolution by not only moving their classes online, but also by offering free college courses with full or partial accreditation. These courses not only allow students to receive a cost-effective education that doesn’t sacrifice instruction for economic concerns, but it also allows the colleges to give their campuses a more “international presence” by moving the classroom to the World Wide Web.

4. More people are looking for a career change

Going back to school can sound like a daunting task but if you’re struggling to make ends meeting in one career or find yourself without a job in another, making a career change isn’t just a possibility. It’s a necessity.

In fact, more than half of those who found themselves unemployed found new jobs by switching their careers. More colleges have started offering online courses to meet the growing demand of those who are unemployed and looking to get back into the job market by changing their career paths.

5. Offers a better opportunity for learning

When most people think of an online class or college course, they probably picture some lazy, shiftless student sitting at their computer in their pajamas, assuming that they’ve bothered to get out of bed in the first place. That may be true in some cases but they may actually be getting a better education than those who showed up for an actual class.

A study by the U.S. Department of Education found that “on average,” students who took an online course performed better than those who received “face-to-face instruction.”

The online classroom, of course, will never replace the traditional desk and chalkboard but it explains its recent rise in popularity among schools and colleges and proves it can provide a more personally tailored educational experience to students who are “learning by doing” as opposed to just reading, listening and recalling the material.