Online Colleges: The Challenge of Going Back to School

Many adults dream of going to college and getting that degree they didn't get when they were younger. They may have skipped college in favor of getting a job right out of high school or dropped out of college before graduating. They may even have gotten a degree but not the one they wanted. Whatever the reason, they still dream of going back to school to obtain their goal.

Challenge #1: A Busy Schedule

For many, their lives are much more hectic today than they were when they graduated high school.

• They have full-time jobs, sometimes more than one.
• They often have families, including kids who need their attention.
• It can be difficult to think about fitting homework and classes into that tight schedule.

This is why online classes become such a valuable resource for studying. Many times, you can study when it fits into your schedule, even if that is in the middle of the night. Often, you can take longer than a traditional semester to complete a class or you can take one class at a time. You also don't have to worry about commuting, which is time that can be spent on other responsibilities.

Challenge #2: Paying for School

Another issue that faces adults who want to go back to school is the ability to pay for it.

• They often don't qualify for the scholarships they would have right out of high school.
• They also may not know about other scholarships and grants and often don't have the time to spend researching.

By choosing from the many online colleges available, they can usually find a program that is affordable and fits in their budget.

Studying online also reduces some of the other expenses associated with attending college. For instance, the cost of driving to class and parking fees can add up very quickly. With online classes, there isn't any room or board to pay since you'll be living at home and telecommuting. These are expenses that can add up over time. You are also not limited to attending a college in your area, but can shop around for one that fits in your price range.

Going back to school as an adult can be a challenge, but the benefits far outweigh the challenges for many. Looking at online colleges gives you more options to choose from and allows you to continue living the rest of your life while getting that important degree.

The Tendencies in the college professors staff as more degrees are earned online

The revolution in education that has produced the plethora of online colleges continues unabated. Although largely driven by financial considerations as tuition costs continue to rise dramatically, shutting many poor and even middle-class students out of the traditional college experience, the college online experience is growing in reputation and desirability as new software innovations combined with growing support within colleges and universities themselves creates a workable environment for earning an accredited degree without ever physically attending a single class.

Online courses are cheap to produce and conduct for colleges, and thus are an easy source of revenue for them.

Still there are significant cocerns among academics who are worried that the 'college online' movement will result in the unexpected extinction of a fixture of the academic world: The tenured professor - or perhaps all professors, entirely.

Professors Importance in Online Colleges

Whereas when physically attending courses students often place a great deal of importance on the professor conducting classes based on their reputations, experience, and real-world achievements, there is much less focus on this when it comes to online classes. And where it does exist it tends to focus on the 'rock star' status of some professors conducting 'MOOCs' - massive online open courses. For everyday courses taken in pursuit of a degree, there is much less focus on who is planning and teaching the course.

And colleges like it that way, because it cuts costs and gives them leverage:

• In 1969, 78% of courses were taught by tenure-track professors. In 2013 that number has dropped to 33%.
• The bulk of courses are today taught by Adjuncts, who are basically freelancers and earn about $3000 per class.

The move to adjunct professors is exacerbated by the move to college online, which can be taught by any qualified individual.

Virtual Educators and College Online

Another concern is that even the 'rock star' professors that people will pay extra to learn from may find themselves teaching from beyond the grave. As online colleges are already reliant upon pre-recorded materials and lectures, the expectation is that someday a famed professor with excellent course materials may simply be continuously sold to new students, with no need to find a replacement professor unless significant changes and breakthroughs in the field make the existing course material useless or deprecated.

While the end of professors may be considered to be a melodramatic concept or perhaps even nothing of much concern, it does herald an upheaval in how we educate and learn - and therefore cannot be ignored.

College and University Search Options

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