Are Online Degrees a Joke?
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Question:
This may sound stupid, but I keep hearing jokes on TV about how online degrees are worthless, or that people who earn them couldn’t get into a “real” school. I’m thinking about enrolling in an online program, but I’m afraid that my education wouldn’t be taken seriously. What do you think? Thanks–Stewart
Answer:
Hi Stewart,
You’re right–jokes about online colleges are prevalent, and are unfortunately rooted in some truths. So-called diploma mills abound, promising that with just five days and a few hundred bucks, you can get yourself a diploma to hang on your wall and tout in your resume. There are even websites that sell fake diplomas. No wonder people make jokes about that.
A Fresh Dose of Perspective
Bear in mind that many of society’s greatest innovations were disregarded as fads at first.
– Many people called the television an invention for stupid people, and even its inventor didn’t understand how it could ever be financially feasible.
– A Western Union memo written in the late 1800s remarked that the telephone had too many shortcomings to ever be taken seriously.
– In 1977, Ken Olsen, the chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. said, “There is no reason why anyone would want a computer in their home.”
Not only were all these people wrong, but the technologies they spoke of radically improved over time. Online education is no different.
Times Are Changing–And So Are Online Degrees
Online programs are now ubiquitous in public and private colleges throughout the United States, and with many cash-poor public colleges facing enrollment caps, more students than ever are turning to online programs to find the classes they want and need.
As for America’s perceptions of online degrees, consider the following:
– In 2005, Vault.com conducted a survey of human resources managers that found that a full 81 percent of hiring managers had better perceptions of online degrees than they did five years previous, with 41 percent believing the quality of online degrees to be equal to traditional ones. Then, in 2008, Vault.com repeated the study, and found that 83 percent looked upon online degrees more favorably than they had five years previous. This shows slow–but steady–improvement in employer perceptions.
– A 2008 Sloan Consortium Report on Online Learning found that in fall of that year, about 4.6 million students were taking at least one online course, which was up 17 percent over the previous year, and experts project that by 2014, the majority of college students will be taking at least one class online.
– A recent U.S. Department of Education study found that “students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.”
– The requirements for becoming an online teacher at a reputable online school are the same as they are at a traditional school, so you certainly can get a top quality education online.
Of course, you still have to watch out for the signs of diploma mills, and make sure that any online college you’re interested in has formal accreditation. And online programs aren’t for everybody–they require a considerable amount of self-motivation, a comfort level with technology and self-directed learning, and a compatible subject area (for example, professions like cosmetology, auto repair, and nursing require hands-on training in a classroom or lab setting).
But as tough as the jokes are to hear, remember that online learning is here to stay, and that its positives outweigh its negatives. Perceptions will catch up to reality, just like they have with all those other “fads”!
Hope this puts your mind at ease!
Tags: accreditation, class online, diploma mills, online degrees, online education, online learning, online programs, online school, perceptions of online degrees
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