Emerging Distance Ed Trends

This is a topic I am just learning about and find quite fascinating! My personal perceptions of what distance education entails and why students would prefer it are changing as I continue to read up on the subject and talk to more students.

I first remember hearing about it in high school. I was sixteen and desperately seeking ways to enhance my college resume. There was a mediocre program in place at my high school that allowed students to take college credits from the nearby community college. However, it had to be in addition to a student’s high school courses and not interfere with the school day! Talk about next to impossible… I got a job so I could save up for a car just so I could -get- to these classes (the campus was about20 miles away). I remember researching distance education to see if there was any way I could add to my already considerable stack of homework and obtain some college credit that way.

Unfortunately, either I didn’t ask the right questions or ask the right person and I never found a way to take correspondence or online courses. The world of distance education is still complicated! I spend at least two hours every day fielding questions for students interested in taking courses with us at CDE. Often, the referral process is complicated. Course selection and registration aren’t necessarily straight-forward either. I keenly remember my frustration at being a interested learner who couldn’t find the path to achieve my goals.

Now, getting back to the actual topic at hand of emerging trends…

How many high school students have I talked to in the three months that I have been the academic advisor here? One. I’ve possibly spoken to more without realizing it considering the number of quick chats and phone calls I receive. The far higher proportion of students I speak to on a daily basis are either military students, military dependents, and displaced or re-locating adult workers.

This seems to fit the pattern of what I’m reading about in online journals, newsletters, and blogs. The Distance Daily recently published an article titled “Online Education Upgrades Becoming a Recession Trend” which can be found at http://www.getdegrees.com/distancedaily/online-education/online-education-upgrades-becoming-a-recession-trend/ .  It regards the recent sharp rise in distance education enrollment a mainstream option for adults to finish or pursue higher education. However, it doesn’t point to a nontraditional population as the only people using this approach. The article points to several schools that are showing an increased proportion of students enrolled simultaneously in online courses. Distance education is affordable and flexible– something it seems like students are looking for in the current troubled economy.

So perhaps the rising popularity is due to a combination of factors. Adults who went directly into the workforce after high school, or attended college but did not attain a degree, are now seeing the limitations placed on their careers. With the large unemployment rates over the last year or so, this has caused concern for some workers who may feel their resume is weak or their skills lacking. However, for most people, this probably doesn’t mean they can up and quit their jobs to pursue education. Distance education fills the niche by providing independent learning from anywhere in the world.

Many students I talk to use phrases like, “I just wasn’t serious about college back then” or “I’m really ready and motivated now to get a degree.” This seems to point to a large difference in the perception and value of education by the age populations of students.  This isn’t to say, of course, that young students can’t be motivated and achieve the goal of obtaining a degree. I think it points to a shift in cultural perspective; it seems to me that our society as a whole places a greater and greater value on education. Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean anyone is willing to take a tax increase to help pay for it. But that’s another can of worms for another blog post.

I would postulate that a combination of economic and social factors have lead to this increase in adult students seeking higher education, and specifically distance education. I look forward to reading more and continuing to watch these trends as they change and grow!