Online Higher Education News | Provided by Reuters and Laureate Online Education

Downturn ups stakes for MBA applicants 2008-08-21

The US economy may not yet be officially in recession, but it’s fair to say that things aren’t looking good. Along with a drop off in business for bespoke tailors near financial centres, rising MBA applications are an anecdotal early sign of economic woe. True to form, more people are seeking refuge in an MBA.
full article

First students graduate from online ‘green’ MBA 2008-08-12

Green Mountain College is celebrating its first class of graduates from the online masters degree programme in sustainable business. The Vermont school’s MBA was the first accredited distance education programme in the US to have the concept of sustainable business at its heart. full article

Online inclusion for remote Philippines communities 2008-08-06

One of the oldest universities in Asia is to continue using distance learning to improve access to higher education among remote indigenous peoples. The University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines has announced it will carry on with a pilot project that began in 1999 to give students from the Aetas community a chance to improve their lives through learning. full article

Think tank calls for wider online learning 2008-08-04

An influential UK think tank has called for more universities to provide access to course materials through distance learning. In a paper written for the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), educational researcher Leo Pollack says Britain’s universities should be doing more to provide degree-level programmes online, to a wider audience. full article

Insight

What makes a successful online learner? 2008-08-18

An academic study has given a valuable insight into the traits that make for a successful distance learner. Shawna Strickland, clinical assistant professor at the University of Missouri Columbia School of Health Professions, studied the demographics and personality types of distance learners. full article

How online learners can cut costs 2008-08-07

Many adults in full-time work, as well as mothers who wish to return to employment, are drawn to online education by the fact that is generally works out to be less expensive than taking a full-time programme. full article

Demand still high for MBA graduates 2008-07-31

Every passing week brings more gloom for the US economy. But the latest snapshot of application trends from business schools finds that the demand for MBAs is still bullish. The latest Corporate Recruiters Survey from the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) found that 70 percent of recruiters worldwide are looking for new recruits with an MBA, compared with 64 percent last year. full article

Discipline ‘biggest obstacle to success’ 2008-04-07

When it comes to studying, the solitary nature of taking a degree online requires discipline almost as much as academic capability. The importance of self-motivation has been highlighted by the recent report into online learning from The Sloan Foundation. full article

InFocus

Online sports management degree launched 2008-08-11

Sport and business have never been more connected. In the US, baseball and football have long been professional concerns, and in recent years soccer and rugby in Europe and Asia have followed suit.
full article

Course profile: Science and the public, University of Buffalo 2008-08-07

Scientific breakthroughs come thick and fast these days. As new developments across the scientific spectrum from medical research to climatology are made, ethical issues arise and public debate begins. full article

Course profile: Master of Music, Boston University 2008-08-01

Music education is a subject that seems strangely well suited to distance learning, given the often solitary nature of learning an instrument. One of the most prestigious online degrees in the field is offered by Boston University School of Music. full article

Course profile: Diploma and MSc Forensic Computing and Cybercrime Investigation, University College Dublin. 2008-07-28

Cybercrime is on the rise across the globe. In the US last year fraud conducted via the internet rose by 20 per cent, according to the Federal Internet Crime Complaint Center. Last year there were almost 80,000 cases of reported identity fraud in the UK, according to figures compiled by Cifas, a national fraud prevention service. full article

Career

Distance Learning nurses walk into jobs 2008-08-09

Almost all of The Open University’s first nursing graduates in Northern Ireland have gone straight into employment as registered nurses.
full article

How an online degree can impress recruiters 2008-01-08

MBA graduates in the US are entering the most competitive talent pool for years, according to research from the Graduate Management Admissions Council. full article

Protecting your online profile 2007-09-20

Stacy Snyder couldn’t have foreseen the consequences of dressing up as a pirate. But, in an increasingly digitised world, where people are more willing than ever to share details of their personal life on the internet, her story is an object lesson in how important it is to carefully manage how others view your online persona. full article

Google tops graduate employer wish-list 2007-08-16

It’s the most popular starting point when searching for anything on the internet, Now Google is the most popular end result of management graduates’ search for employment. According to a new survey of students, the US search engine company has eclipsed McKinsey as the most desirable company to work for. full article

Business & Technology

New students go mobile 2008-08-22

A US university says it will be the first school in the country to give iPhones and iPods to all new students. The 900 students who will start at the private Abilene Christian University in Texas later this year will be given the choice of an iPhone or an iPod Touch which can connect to the internet via wireless networks but does not function as a cellphone. full article

Online learning helps entrepreneurs in developing countries 2008-08-14

Wharton University has launched a distance learning initiative to help women entrepreneurs in developing countries. The school’s Aresty Institute for Executive Education has developed the programme as part of the ‘10,000 Women’ initiative from Goldman Sachs.
full article

Massey aims for Asia learning top spot 2008-08-05

A New Zealand university aims to become the foremost provider of distance learning in the Asia Pacific region. Massey University has appointed Associate Professor Mark Brown as its new distance learning director. full article

University pioneers online science experiments 2008-07-25

The Open University has developed an innovative way of enabling distance learners to participate in scientific experiments remotely. Interactive screen experiments (ISEs) use Flash technology to allow students to carry out a real experiment using a standard home computer and web browser. full article