Enroll Online: Education on Universal Level

The Internet has changed the world. It’s a piece of technology which has seeped into every nook and cranny of society, altered our daily lives, and enabled an infinite amount of opportunity and growth. Education is no exception.

Online education is legitimate and enrolling online is tearing through the world of academia like wildfire. A continual study conducted by the Sloan Consortium, a non-profit organization devoted to the promotion and integration of online education into the traditional world of higher academia, coupled with Babson College Survey Research Group, and the College Board, found that 2008 online enrollment had increased by 12 percent from 2007, with 3.94 million students enrolled in online courses. The study surveyed 2,500 colleges and universities and was the sixth annual installment of what has become the “leading barometer of online learning in the United States.”

Students who enroll online can elevate themselves above the traditional economic, physical and geographic hurdles higher education has imposed in the past. Enrolling online can also afford students the luxury of customizable schedules, which can be catered around work and other family obligations. The population of online students has been primarily those seeking certificate or associates programs, those lasting two years or less.

Of the available associates programs, psychology, social sciences, and liberal arts are the leading programs for those who enroll online, according to Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States 2008. Two year associate programs have experienced the highest growth rates in online education and account for over one half of all online students, according to Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning, the long term study conducted by the above mentioned groups. However, growth and support has been increasing among online institutions and instructors all across the board since higher learning took to the World Wide Web.

A study released by the Association of Public and Land grant Universities found that more than one third of public university faculty have taught online courses and more than half have advised students to enroll online in certain classes.

Online learning and enrollment is the future of education, offering the flexibility and access to knowledge that is the embodiment of life long learning. Employers are embracing online learning as well due to its fast and effective access to various certifications and degrees, along with its ability to be integrated into a working lifestyle. If the trends in online learning continue, the world of education will be one not dominated by bustling campuses but by digital endeavors.