Is online education worthless?
July 21, 2009 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Assessing the right candidate, In This Week's E-Newsletter
Online schools are becoming more common, but HR and hiring managers still prefer candidates with degrees from traditional institutions.
Resumes listing degrees obtained online are coming across the desks of HR managers more and more frequently. Just under half (49%) have come across applicants with online degrees, according to a Vault.com survey.
And it’s not necessarily a good thing. Among those who answered the survey:
- Only 19% have ever hired someone with just an online degree
- 63% said they always favor candidates with traditional degrees (strangely, 2% said they favor online degrees), and
- 18% said online degrees are “not credible and not acceptable,” while 59% said they aren’t as credible as traditional degrees.
What do you think? Have you seen a lot of candidates getting degrees from online schools? Have you hired any of them? Let us know by writing a comment below.
Tags: applications, education, online degrees, online schools, resumes, Vault.com
August 1st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I am impressed with on-line degrees obtained, most students cannot afford to go full-time through traditional college/university due to family and job obligations. If they can manage their job and family obligation, it shows me that they can go the extra mile to get the job done.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Peggy,
I agree with your post. It shows a much higher degree of dedication to hold down a full time job, handle parenting and work as a full time student. There is something to be said for which school they attend, obviously some are better than others. I lean towards giving more weight to the brick and mortar schools that also have an online program than a school that operates soley on line.
August 5th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I also agree…many of the programs that are available online are very good and I believe provide a great education experience. The fact is that we live in a different world today than we did even 5 years ago and we should be taking advantage of opportunities to use resources that provide the best benefit.
For anyone interested in pursuing the online degree, I would just caution them to look closely at the program and evaluate what is offered.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
My daughter took many on line courses to complete a degree, and I noticed, it was much harder than the traditional brick and mortar classes she was used to taking. You really do need to know the material to pass the tests. She sometimes counted on her personality to sway an instructor when she was taking traditional classes. With the on line classes she was studying harder and longer to learn it. I often saw her sending emails to the instructors for additional information. She said she prefered the classroom experience more because she did not have to work so hard.
I also noticed that it required more discipline to log on, and be ready to take the class. She was also able to keep a job while taking classes on line. Employers like employee that are flexible with their schedules. She did say it takes a special person to be able to be on a computer and concentrate to thte degree required with on line classes. Much more than traditional. After her experience I feel very comfortable hiring someone with an on line degree, I saw how hard it was and how much effort and discipline it required.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Online degrees are worth more than traditional degrees in my opionion as long as they are accredited. It is also the only way for someone working full-time to obtain one. In working on my own personal college education I used online programs and spent double the amount of time on the classes that I would have in a traditional classroom setting.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:37 am
I graduated with my MBA from an online school. My school does have physical locations, unfortunately I did not live in those states. When I attended the traditional college, I was able to breeze through my classes as long as the teacher saw I was making an effort. Whereas, in the online world, you are faceless and only your work will speak for you. Sure you can email your professors but they expect more from you because you are able to have more time, they don’t consider you have a family, work, a life! My degree was hard to get and I refuse to let anyone think it was just handed to me for logging on a computer. It took time, study, and lots of dedication!
August 8th, 2008 at 11:40 am
I have to agree with all the comments so far. I am an online student right now and I am a full time recruiter in city government. I have not seen any difference in my agency with the way our managers view the degrees. There are certain positions where online just isn’t seen yet and that is in our attorney office and the library. I don’t believe these are something that can be aquired online. I know first hand that it does require more self discipline to keep up with an online course. Students learn the same materials and how to apply it in the workplace.
I believe that this is something that will resolve over time. The degree ‘discrimination’ may resolve itself as younger generations become managers and recruiters. It may have something to do with generational differences.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I am currently completing an online degree.
Working solely online can be challenging. One must read and understand the assigned material to be able to complete assignments. Additionally, one may need to perform additional research to obtain information that is not contained in the assigned materials or textbook.
One has to think and one learns to be resourcefu,l in addition to completing the course material.
Employers should welcome resourceful thinkers.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:59 am
I am still completing an online degree from a state college (Ohio University). Having also attended our local community college, taking both traditional and online courses, it is much harder to complete the coursework for an online course. You don’t have face-to-face contact with your instructor or other students. You still have to know the material to complete the course and pass the exams AND because you don’t know the insturctor, you never know what is going to be on the exams. Additionally, online programs are much more expensive than traditional university programs (as if they are not bad enough). These points in themselve show a dedication and determination above that of a traditional college student.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I am very surprised to learn that in this survey 63% favor those candidates with a degree from an institution with a traditional format and that 59% feel online degrees aren’t as credible as a traditonal degree. Provided that the school has the appropriate regional accreditation, a degree earned using online courses should hold the equivalent merit.
I have taken both traditional and online classes and have found the online variety to be much more demanding. The working professional who has the ability to juggle job responsibilities, family life, and the rigors of online course work should be looked at as highly capable, not put at a disadvantage in the selection process.
Recruiters around the country are likely to see an increasing number of applicants with online degrees. I certainly hope these types of articles help to open up dialogue on the validity of accredited online degree programs so that these applicants are not judged prematurely based on a misconception.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:19 am
I have both a traditional Masters degree and an online MBA earned 20 years later, and which led to my present senior VP-level position. While there’s no question in my mind that something was lost in not having the give-and-take of the classroom and instructor, there’s also no question that the coursework was just as rigorous — and more challenging in that I was generally on my own in figuring out questions (statistics, econ, finance, etc). And the proctored exams were exactly the same that were given to the students in the classroom program. What it did do was give me a foundation and a framework for the experiential learning that takes place outside the degree program. This is what I look for when I hire people…it’s just one factor, along with experience, values, personality, etc. that has to be factored into the equation that is the total candidate.
August 11th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I agree with Toni Andrade, and several others. My daughter got her Master’s online and worked very hard – it wasn’t a breeze-through four or five months. It took 20 months and she did the regular classroom student teaching (no pay for that) for three months. She was on that computer nearly every day and there were a lot of special projects and papers to complete. She had to post items and keep in contact with her study group and instructors all the time. For nearly all that time she held a 40 hour job adminstering a preschool/daycare – so it’s not at all a snap. I would look at that effort as a sign of dedication, good time management, and good resourcefulness.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:42 am
So much social skill and adaption is learned in the interaction of a classroom and the opportunities the on-site academic world provides that I would likely regard more strongly the undergraduate degree, at a minimum, to be obtained in classrooms. I suspect the verbal “tightrope” supervisors and managers often have to walk in interaction is best served by myriad social experiences.
I do accept that much is thorough and well-learned through on-line courses and I do appreciate the need for this avenue. I would never dismiss the on-line credentials earned and have hired many with in-line degrees.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
One of the advantages to some of the on-line degree programs is that they seem to teach more “real world” application as opposed to simply imparting book knowledge. There seems to be more of a practical edge, to the coursework, perhaps because many such programs are geared more for adults who are already in the world of work. If the college is accredited, I don’t see any reason why it would matter whether the degree was obtained via traditional classroom experience or on-line learning. There are MANY ways to learn and not all of them involve a learning institution. The imparting of knowledge and skill is what matters.
August 14th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Karen…
You say you wouldn’t dismiss the on-line credentials buy you regard more strongly the undergraduate degree, at a minimum, to be obtained in classrooms. I don’t agree that social skill and adaption is learned in the interation of a classroom. That is one method, yes, but it can also be learned through work experience in the field and through other social activites in life. All people have different ways of learning, and many are able to learn more without the social interaction of a traditional univerisity.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:41 am
For a very short time I taught for an on-line university, I gave up the position becasue it was soooo demanding. From my experience, anyone who earns a degree on-line is, determined, dedicated and truly learns the subject matter. There is no way to sluff or slide when you earn a degree on-line. I would without hesitation hire an applicant who earned a degree on-line.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
I agree with many of the above posts. I recently graduated from Capella University. It is an accredited school with many great Ivy league professors. I found it to be more difficult than the traditional classroom setting due to the demands it put on my time. I was occupied with a full time job, helping to raise my family, and staying up late nights writing and reading.
I did not study nearly as hard when I received my Bachelors from a well known UT school. If I did not know the material I would receive immediate feedback from my professors telling me where I went wrong and what needing correcting. My professors also made sure to incorporate real life business situations, and helped me to apply what I was learning at my job.
I do think that it is a generational gap that is preventing on-line universities from gaining the respect they deserve. I know that the internet has popped up many diploma mills, but the same can be said for many brick and mortar party schools. I never partied once while attending my online school. I studied my tail off.
-Marc in Dallas
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:31 am
I’m not following all the praise for online degrees. My entire University experience was based on team project work. Almost none of my curriculum involved independent study…that’s what high school was for. University is supposed to team you how to work with others under demanding timelines with new material/subject matters… that’s what happens in the real world. Sorry but if I were a recruiter and I had to choose between to equal candidates but one had the online degree and the other had the traditional – i’d pick the traditional. Online degrees are here to stay – yes, but so are traditional universities.
November 26th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Gary…as an individual who attended both a university setting and finished with an online degree, I don’t agree with your statement. During my university experience I rarely had classes that had group activities, with the exception of labs. In my online experience there was at least one group project for every class that I was in, and like the traditional university system, class participation depended on the level of desire of the student to get a good grade. In some classes, participation was high, but in others I was the only person to submit the assignment for the whole group, which was no different froma traditional university setting. I do strongly feel that online classes provides the flexiblity most of us need in today’s busy environment, as many of us are already parents and work a full-time job. I feel both types of education should be looked upon as equals and to say differently is biased.
December 1st, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I wrote earlier about my daughter. As I said, her online master’s took as much time as a traditional university degree would have. She now has her Arizona and California teaching credentials and has a split first and second grade class. She did her classes with a study group (team) all the way through. I think the two types of degrees should be looked at as equals.
February 1st, 2009 at 2:04 pm
A lot of these postings seem like fake testimonials submitted by online schools.
February 7th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
It’s probably because of diploma mills that hiring managers ignore and look down upon degrees online than degrees earned from being on campus at traditional brick and mortar colleges. But I have a bachelor’s degree from a college that had most of its courses online and I can say that those courses are exactly the same as when I attended my community college to get my associate’s. With exams, group projects, and term papers – it’s the same, but at a more advanced level. What I don’t get, is how companies still praise master’s degrees. My cousin, the only one in my family with a master’s, says that his courses were pointless. He said they were training was perfect for the pointless, boring meetings that happen at companies every day, all day. And then, he became a manager for Intel immediately after graduation with over $60,000 for a salary. I just don’t get it.
March 20th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I have attended both traditional and online courses. I completed my Bachelor and Master degrees as a traditional student and decided to pursue my PhD online in order to be able to work full time while going to school. I have not worked worked so hard before as I am working in my classes now. I used to spend maybe 4 hours a week on all my school work in my traditional schools. On average I spend 10 to 12 hours per course per week for my online work. It’s very intense, you have to read, post discussion questions (many professors expect these posts to be mini papers as well), answer discussion questions, and write papers. Prior to entering my online courses I was skeptical and I didn’t know what to expect but now I see that anyone that goes to one of the accreditated online universities deserves just as much credit as one who went to a traditional school. I especially like the comment someone made earlier that there are some diploma mills on the Internet but there are some party colleges that are basically diploma mills in the traditional setting as well.
March 26th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I’m retired military and earned some credits while in the military at some traditional schools. I decided to earn a bachelor’s degree through Capella University because of my work schedule. Capella was very challenging, lots of postings and self-study, instructors were there to help but I was not spoon-fed. However, I kept reading about the stigma that online colleges face and that many recruiters consider all of them to be diploma mills. Therefore, for my senior year I’ve decided to attend a local university that offers online courses. I’ve taken courses from this university both online and on campus. I certainly preferred the courses taken on campus because of the real time interaction and communication with other students, I felt more refreshed. But I do believe that both mediums offer a great education if it comes from a great school. The online courses seemed to be more difficult because I noticed instructors asking for certain requirements such as APA formatting and citations for discussion posts which would not be required in a live setting, being nitpicky about things that distract from some of the learning experience. Certainly, self-discipline and time management is key, but you should practice it whether online or not. I’ll be graduating in a couple of months with a diploma from a university that has a good reputation, not known for it being primarily an online school although it offers some online courses. I feel it is a good balance. Unfortunately there are still are too many old school HR folks still around that dislike online colleges, so I had to go to this great length to “cover up my tracks”. If I was an HR person and an applicant with an online degree’s resume came across my desk, I would spend a little time to do the research on the school before passing judgment.
April 24th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
i would have to agree with Gary’s comments. As an HR manager I view college not so much as a way to gain new knowledge but to interact with very different people towards a common goal. I can assume that a traditional college graduate with descent grades not only has the intelligence but social skills to succeed in the workplace. Students with an online degree, i find,are much more difficult to analyze personality wise. I am not saying these students work any less than traditional students. But to succeed in the work environment you must be able to work and communicate with all kinds of people. Not just research and memorize bits of information.
April 28th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
To Zack: I think the largest number of people who take their degrees online are those who already are in the work environment and have been for years. Therefore, they’ve learned to work and communicate with all kinds of people. IF you look at the above comments you’ll see these courses are quite demanding, not just “research and memorize bits of information.” In the teaching example of my daughter, there is classroom experience full time for three or four months, in addition to a number of required “observations” in other classrooms, on which written reports are expected. Again, it depends on the school – not all online schools are some easy way out.
May 9th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
I am currently an online student going for my Bachelor’s in accounting. I finished my associate’s in accounting all online a few months ago. I have no background in the accounting field and from reading everyon’e comments, there are a lot of mixed feelings regarding online degrees. I chose online because I have three children and to be able to go to a traditional school was just not possible when one has children who get sick and have to be taken care of. My husband works full time and we have no family or friends that we can depend on if needed (such as a child getting sick and me having to go to a brick and mortar school). Why pay out all that money if one knows you will miss classes that give vital information to pass the class? Each class I have taken requires one to discuss with other classmates. Does classes in a brick & mortar school require this? No. Most classes in a brick & mortar school goes like this: show up, listen to the professor, do the work, and turn it in. My online classes goes like this for one week: read four to five chapters, articles that are provided, answer at least two discussion questions at least 200-300 words in length, post at least two posts for four days responding to other classmates at least 200-300 words in length, and a paper that is anywhere from 500-1500 words in length for the weekly assignment. For the school I am with we also do team projects, some classes require you to discuss with the team in so many posts (in addition to one’s regular work) and then you have a team assignment where you are graded together as a team. Does a brick and mortar school require you to work with other individuals? No. This gives classmates insight into experience from all fields and from people who have worked many years in many different positions. We are taught by professionals with master’s and Ph.D’s and wroking online takes dedication. You have a time limit and if you do not turn it in on time you lose points, sometime’s you do not get points if your three days late. Formatting is also graded as a part of assignments so one has to pay strict attention to what you are creating. Does a brick & mortar school do this? No.
Online school is a whole lot harder than traditional school because it requires one to actually think about the subject not just do.
And yes, I have went to a traditional school before, it is so much easier, but then I didn’t have a family I had to take care of then.
May 11th, 2009 at 11:52 am
dear judy, the post below shows an adult student attempting to get her bachelor’s degree therefore your point is incorrect. but i do agree with you on it being the school that counts. Some are worthless while others are not. But still i believe a degree from a traditional university will get you farther in your career goals
May 11th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I attended an accredited on-line college for my AAS in Paralegal Studies. Similar to Cynthia’s experience, I had assigned reading from the textbooks as well as additional reading from relevant additional sources, journals, articles, legal cases, etc., much of which involved research to actually find relevant cases or case law. We interacted with our classmates and instructors via a discussion board. Our original posts to each class’ board had to be something substantial (100 words, minimum). Since it’s hard to get a lot into 100 words, many posts were a “mini-paper” all by themselves. Responding to classmates also had to be substantial (minimum 100 words), not simply “I agree” or “I disagree”, and had to add a relevant point to the thread of the discussion.
Some classes required group projects and peer-review of assignments.
Each class had a weekly assignment that generally involved additional research and the writing of a paper, essay, legal brief, memo, etc. These were a minimunm of five to seven pages for each class. Additionally, more substantive work was required for Mid-Term or Final Papers, plus exams.
If work was not submitted on time, points were deducted.
On-line schools are not for everyone, but for someone who works full time and/or does not have a college in their area that even offers one’s desired course of study, they can be off genuine benefit.
Before you decide to enroll in an on-line college, check to see if they are accredited; get feed-back from current students or alumni, etc. In other words, do your homework.
I graduated with honors and am a member of two honor societies.
It is NOT easy or a “gimme”, and anyone who thinks it is has not attended an on-line school.
Unfortunately, with a sagging economy and lots of unemployment, I am still not working in my field. If you need a legal assistant with excellent communications skills (verbal and written), I’m your woman!
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I would have to agree with 90% of those posted here. I got my Masters from a “traditional” school but many of my classes where online and they were more difficult than my classroom classes. I have to agree that in person classes have the in person advantage but like most of you have indicated already a great majority of those taking online classes are at minimum part time workers so they get their social interaction and skills that way. As an HR manager I check the schools to ensure accrediation and legitimacy other than that I don’t care if you got it online or in person an accrediated degree is an accrediated degree in my opinion.
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I’m sure University snobs would beg to differ but it shows a lot of determination for someone to be self disciplined enough to do the work and take tests on their own. I find this much more impressive than the majority of college students I have witnessed who don’t attend classes, stay up and party all night and barely skate through tests.
I proctor tests for an employee here who is doing online advanced accounting classes. I had to be approved by the school before hand to be a test proctor and they are very rigid on what is allowed during a test. I have to watch her while she takes the test. they specify what materials are allowed in the room. no cell phones are allowed and any scratch paper has to be mailed to the instructor with the test. I have seen the questions she has to answer, and believe me, they are not easy!
By the way, she works 30 hours per week, has a husband who is a police officer and has three children that she is devoted to, the youngest one is 8mo’s old.
I would take an employee like this any day!
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I’m sure University snobs would beg to differ but it shows a lot of determination for someone to be self disciplined enough to do the work and take tests on their own. I find this much more impressive than the majority of college students I have witnessed who don’t attend classes, who stay up and party all night and barely skate through tests.
I proctor tests for an employee here who is doing online advanced accounting classes. I had to be approved by the school before hand to be a test proctor and they are very rigid on what is allowed during a test. I have to watch her while she takes the test. they specify what materials are allowed in the room. no cell phones are allowed and any scratch paper has to be mailed to the instructor with the test. I have seen the questions she has to answer, and believe me, they are not easy!
By the way, she works 30 hours per week, has a husband who is a police officer and has three children that she is devoted to, the youngest one is 8mo’s old.
I would take an employee like this any day!
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I agree with the majority of the posts. I don’t see anything different, quality wise, between a traditional degree and an online degree. There is an advantage to pursuing an online degree in that the student is able to work a full time job and is also able to apply the material being taught to real life situations. I am able to absorb the material better if I am able to apply it to my work. Those who are taught in traditional settings and not able to work while attending school, won’t fully grasp the concepts until they are able to practice them in a job setting.
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I believe that online degrees are great! My daughter served 6-1/2 years in the United States Air Force, and was taking traditional classes, but kept getting deployed. She took online classes when she returned from the Middle East, and while she was in South Korea for a year attended the school that was on her base. She has earned 2 Bachelor’s degrees (One in Psychology and One in Criminal Justice). She graduated in May of this year, and walked for both of her degrees at the campus closest to us (about 200 miles away). She worked so hard everynight to do her homework, and take exams, and research papers. Attending a traditional Univeristy could not have been any harder. She is now attending a traditional university to obtain her Masters in Psychology. If not for the online classes most of our military would be unable to obtain degrees.
July 23rd, 2009 at 8:49 am
I have a Bachlor’s degree from Baylor University, a top school by anyone’s measure right? I also completed my Masters in Human Resources Management and Developement through Baylor and guess what? I only had two classes that I went to the campus for. The others were all online, even the test finals. I could have gotten the same degree online through Kaplan, Phoenix etc. all good online schools for less than half the price I paid at Baylor. Online is challenging, frustrating and it takes determination NOT to give up! I understand the degree mills are really bring down the credibility but just like email and posts like this, everyone needs to adapt their thinking to new technology and ways of learning. I also think a GED is often worth more than a diploma. At least I know they had to take an intensive test to pass it instead of being pushed along by teachers who liked them or did not want to deal with them.
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:28 am
I am currently working towards obtaining an MBA through the University of Maryland University College, an on-line program. I can assure you that the classes are MUCH more difficult and time consuing than any “traditional” class I have ever taken. I am also learning much more than I learned in traditional classes as writing lengthy papers requires more time and effort than multiple choice or short essay exams.
July 24th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Okay – congratulations to all who have worked on online degrees. But, here is some honest feedback from those majority employers. There ARE issues with online education.
The number one issue is the vast variety of online “opportunities”. There are diploma mills out there that basically sell degrees. Anyone can start this business and operate it from their basement. There are also “accrediting agencies” out that have great official sounding names but are operated the same way as the diploma mill. That is why employers still prefer brick and mortar schools or online programs from those schools. Another issue is that it is too easy to receive assistance with work or basically get someone else to do the work and tests for you. We have experienced this with employees who were approved to pursue online degrees. We’ve seen assignments passed around via e-mail and two or three people huddled around a computer at test time. Employers don’t have time to research and police all of this. Sure, people ‘cheat’ in traditional schools as well. But, most universities are quite good at policing this sort of thing after many many years of experience. So, employers don’t have to. With online, how can employers know that you personally earned that degree?
Yes, some people are clearly able to get a true education from online programs. But others are just buying the diploma. This is why employers will often select brick and mortar candidates over online.
July 24th, 2009 at 10:38 am
To me whether an online degree is acceptable or not depends on the position and the degree involved.
If I’m hiring an attorney for our legal department (I am an attorney), I’d probably require not only going to require a traditional brick institution, but also that the school be first tier. There are always exceptions, but I do think there’s some value associated with an individual who’s been able to sustain a high level of achievement for a long period of time (which would often be the case with such a candidate).
If I’m hiring for more of a technical position I think an online degree is probably fine. Let’s be honest, a two year associate degree from a reputable online school is probably going to be of more value than a 4 year BA for a tech or paralegal. There’s still value in having a traditional degree (both for job reasons and general personal growth), but I think technical job skills for those kinds of positions can be gleaned from an online program just fine.
For sales, it’s all about achievement in the real world. For most of those positions I care about drive, intelligence and ability to do the job – I could care less if the person has a degree (online or otherwise).
July 24th, 2009 at 11:27 am
I started taking courses after high school, but just couldn’t get into it. There are so many distractions. Many years later, I found University of Phoenix and completed by Bachelor’s degree online. I am currently enrolled in a Master’s program, which I am doing on-line, although I do have the option of taking classes.
On-line courses take a lot of discipline, and I feel give a student an advantage. Anyone can memorize information and pass a multiple choice test. On-line courses involve a lot of writing, both responding to classmates’ and teacher posts, and writing assignments. In order to pass, you need to be able to research a topic and produce a well written paper. I think this better prepares people for a position in the workforce. Whether your position is dealing with people and/or writing correspondence and reports, you’ve been well prepared with all the writing from the online courses.
July 24th, 2009 at 11:54 am
It is my opinion that those who look down on an online degree are confusing those with a diploma mill. From personal experience I can tell you that many online degrees are very difficult and time consuming. I disagree with Zack who said,
“As an HR manager I view college not so much as a way to gain new knowledge but to interact with very different people towards a common goal. I can assume that a traditional college graduate with descent grades not only has the intelligence but social skills to succeed in the workplace. Students with an online degree, i find,are much more difficult to analyze personality wise. I am not saying these students work any less than traditional students. But to succeed in the work environment you must be able to work and communicate with all kinds of people. Not just research and memorize bits of information.”
Most people taking online classes are holding down full-time jobs and raising families – is that not being able to work and communicate with others? As an online student, I frankly resent the implication of the statement saying that all that is involved is research and memorizing bits of information – that seems a bit condescending to me. Many online colleges are quite rigorous and the students work very hard to complete the many assignments, including team based work, and often are able to apply their classwork to their current jobs. Many of the schools are accredited; the one I attend has both the traditional “brick and mortar” campus as well as online classes. Those of us taking online classes are sacrificing a great deal of time and money to complete our degrees or gain graduate degrees, and these degrees are just as valid and useful as any “traditional” degree would be. Perhaps we just need to realize we’re in the 21st century now – things are changing!
July 24th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Hi,
I have to agree with the majority of those who have posted comments. I received my Bachelor’s degree and I am now working on my MBA online, all the while working 40+ hours a week as a HR Manager for a manufacturing company, taking care of my home and family as well. The online learning environment is not easy. You have to be disciplined and committed. There are strict requirements and it is expensive but it is worth the cost if you work fulltime and have a family to care for. I could never have achieved what I have achieved if not for the online environment. I do not have time to drive to school. That time I can use to study. Individual assignments, discussion questions, responses to other students posts, team assignments, lots of reading and internet research is required. If you cannot commit to such a disciplined environment than you had better stay in the brick and mortar. I would not hesitate to hire a candidate that earned aan online degree as long as the school was accredited. I know how hard it is and waht it takes to achieve success in the online environment. It is a total commitment!
July 24th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I agree that the online classes are much more difficult than the brick and mortar classroom. I took a mixture of classes.
The difference is that after 3-4 hours in the classroom you are finished with that class for the week, not so with the Online class, you have post your own response, respond to at least three students, complete a quiz and submit before mid-night on Sunday. Like one individual posted -online class ensure that you have no life ?
Another reason that online classes should be given more recognition- is the group project.
Have anyone tried having a group project when members of the group are from different parts of the USA and sometimes from around the World.
I was a member of a team that did a business course and it was a nightmare, the students with the least ideas were the most negative ones. No one was able to tell the person it was not about ‘ME” and it was about the group. The individuals were on the conference call just to be marked present and have their names listed on the course document without doing any work.
Good thing it was only a single course.
July 24th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I am a 43 year old human resource professional who has a bachelor’s degree from a traditional university and a master’s from an online school. I worked hard to receive both degrees. Why did I choose the online format for my master’s? I am a full-time working mom with two active children, my own outside interests, and a husband who travels heavily for his job. It was the only option for me to further my education. My online education was just a challenging to complete as was my traditional campus education, but for very different reasons. As an HR person, I do not believe it is good practice to make assumptions about people based on what you see written on a piece of paper. If a candidate meets the requirements for the position (regardless of where the degree came from) then they should be seriously considered – you really cannot make assessments about people until you have met them in person.
July 28th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Speaking from first hand experience, I can tell you to sucessfully obtain an online degree requires a more mature individual with a greater view of education, a deeper sense of time management and planning. I have completed classes on the ground as well as online so I can compare and contrast both. First and foremost, I do believe most four year degrees tend to be about problem solving and thought process and finally communicating those activities in some way, shape or form to convey understanding and in somecases, application. Just because someone has a particular degree, it does not mean they have the skills and ability to take off in a particular position, rather it usually means they may have a strong foundation to work off of which may mean a higher probability of success in the specific role.
I encourage people who are skeptical of an online degree to look into the requirements of the degree a little further and gain a better understanding of the class environment. My classes were rather fast paced, a new class beginning every five weeks. Required participation of four days a week but those of us who wanted to do well and not fall behind, usually participated every day, consuming three to five hours each day during the week and usually consumed the entire weekend from Friday night until Sunday night. The text book was more important online than in the classroom, usually requiring the student to read 200-400 pages per week. We are talking about serious time management. My particular university was big into the team work which also required significant planning as class members were located around the globe. If someone on the team fell down, the remaining team members filled in the gaps sometimes with notice, often without, therefore requiring a lot of prep and quick thinking on your feet. Just as in a ground class, there is no “the dog ate my paper”. Planning is required on the student’s part incase there is a problem with internet connectivity, pc malfunction, even the classroom server going down for weeks on end. Classes do not end, deadlines do not extend, rules are enforced and individuals are graded accordingly.
Online school is not for the noncommital, or those that require a lot of direction. While it is conveinent, it requires so much more from the student than to be a warm body at some institution.
Like everything, those who want to judge and dismiss, usually are those who lack an understanding of the specifics involved. Unfortunate, but reality.
July 28th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Zack,
Your social and communication skills are developed throughout your childhood and adolescence, then fine tuned as an adult. If you’re relying on 4 years of “traditional” college to develope your social and communication skills and to teach you how to interact with “different” people, good luck to you.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Personally, I’ve obtained a degree through the old brick and mortar style institutions, and now I’m attending a school the mixes both on-campus and online instruction.
What I’ve noticed while branching out through several regional and nationally accredited institutions is that a majority of online classes are simple reading textbooks, posting on discussion boards, and your occasional report/exam performed online.
Institutions that mix on-campus and online classes also depend on the presence of professors who teach online courses which are proposed of students who are in the same vacinity as the campuses. This allows necessary interaction between students and their professors if any advice or a face-to-face meeting is necessary. It definitely is not enjoyable being taught by a professor who is 800 miles away, in my opinion.
Also, from my own words, the only difficulties that online courses provide is self-discipline. You’re basically teaching yourself via virtual responses and textbook information. There’s no interaction between a knowledgable professor and the student.
Imho, worthless to pay for if you don’t have necessary interaction.
Mind you, I also work 40-50 hours a week along with a family, while taking a minimum of 12 credit hours per quarter/semester. So I’m not one of those students who has plenty of time to focus on school.