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Online vs. Traditional Learning
| Publish date | 2007-09-19 |
| Available Articles | Full articles without membership |
While considering PhD programs, you may want to look outside the “bricks and mortar” box to see if online options could meet your needs.
Online higher education—meaning, courses in which the majority of content is delivered online and there are little to no on-campus requirements—has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional face-to-face programs.
According to the Sloan Consortium, the number of students taking an online course has risen from 1.6 million in 2002, to 2.3 million in 2004, to 3.2 million in 2005. This trend toward online learning is expected to continue, especially as more traditional institutions add online components to their programs and offer their own distance-learning programs.
Online degrees from accredited institutions are also increasingly accepted by employers and academic leaders. In fact, the Sloan Consortium found that 62% of chief academic officers of U.S. higher education institutions believe that the learning outcomes in online education are the same as or superior to those in face-to-face education.
Benefits of Online Programs
The online format is especially well-suited to the needs of adult learners, who may have jobs and families that make regular on-campus attendance a difficult proposition. Gene Maeroff, author of A Classroom of One: How Online Learning Is Changing Our Schools and Colleges, noted at an event hosted by the Chronicle of Higher Education that “e-learning benefits people who are mature, self-motivated, and looking for classes that teach various aspects of career and professional development.”
But online learning offers benefits to everyone:
• Flexibility
- Participate in your classes from wherever you are
- Schedule coursework around other commitments, rather than being locked into a set class schedule
• Career
- Online programs often require or encourage you to apply new knowledge at work
- Fellow students often are working professionals, offering perspectives from life and work experience
- Networking opportunities across the country
• Learning
- Online courses often require participation from everyone
- Discussions aren't dominated by a few vocal students
- No one can “hide” in the back of the class
• Writing and critical-thinking skills get a boost when you have to put your opinion in writing for everyone to comment on
• Professors provide regular feedback on discussion boards and are often more available than during traditional office hours
However, succeeding in an online program often requires a higher level of discipline and motivation than does a traditional program, especially if you are also working full time and have family obligations.
You may have your heart set on a particular dissertation advisor at a traditional school or on teaching as a graduate student, or you may have other reasons for choosing a total-immersion, on-campus PhD program. However, if your circumstances preclude this kind of lifestyle, or your goal is to improve your professional credentials without putting a stop to your current career trajectory, then an online doctoral program could put a PhD within reach.
Source: DiscoverPhD.com
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