Online learning programs like The College Network® have considerably changed our system of education and made learning accessible to more people than ever before. With the growing acceptance and presence of remote education, adults have ample opportunities to achieve their scholastic goals from home. That increase in educational accessibility comes at just the right time. Job markets are growing increasingly competitive and many adults find they need to further develop their education to accomplish their career goals and support a family.
Convenience and flexibility are the primary concerns of adult learners seeking to pursue education, and these are the flagship traits of online learning institutions. Adult students frequently juggle full-time work schedules or struggle living on a restricted budget after losing a job. They may be caring for children and want to pursue a long-term career goal, but they still have to make a paycheck in the meantime. This makes for an overwhelming schedule that is not akin to a traditional school setting.
Online courses through The College Network and other programs have been the answer for many students in this situation and have made it possible for them to achieve their career ambitions without sacrificing their current professions or personal lives. In fact, experts say that getting an education is easier now than ever before because students are no longer face geographic or time constraints. About 75 percent of colleges and universities have some sort of online education program. Following that trend, statistics suggest that more than 4 million students perform remote coursework at U.S. colleges and universities. That’s quite a big number when you consider that there were about 15.7 million total undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in 2003.
Online learning programs are often multifaceted, providing students with tools for learning that go beyond the basic coursework and focus on the overall educational success of the student.
For example, The College Network offers an online learning center (Resource Center™) with live chat, a discussion forum, completed course objectives, key terms, end-of-lesson review questions, and practice exams for learning materials, giving learners the resources to become accomplished scholars.
“Our online program is more than just coursework. We provide resources to help individuals become better learners, allowing them to learn more, learn better, and learn faster,” said Cory Eyler, Chief Officer of Marketing and Technology at The College Network, where many students are seeking to earn degrees in fields like nursing, healthcare, business, law and criminal justice, among others.
These remote education programs are responsive to demands in the current job market and to the needs of their students. For example, The College Network specializes in nursing degrees as these positions are in particularly high demand. It makes its nursing programs convenient for students by eliminating wait lists to get started and making coursework and testing flexible. Many nursing students may already be working at a hospital but want to pursue a higher position in the field without the constraints of a traditional program. One student, Mahaley Campbell, was already working as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) but decided she wanted to be a Registered Nurse (RN). The programs at The College Network gave her the coursework and testing she needed to bridge the gap in a cost-efficient and flexible way.
In recent years, more and more adults face economic issues that drive their need to pursue higher education. As the economy recovers from the recession and Americans struggle with the growing cost of living, adults find they must pursue a higher degree so they can earn a better income and compete in the job market. According to the Babson Survey Research Institute’s report on class differences in online learning, 75 percent of institutions claim that the economic downturn has increased demand for online courses. For others, death or illness in the family forces adults to reconfigure their earning capacity. Whatever the cause of financial constraint, internet-based learning provides students with the accessibility and flexibility they need to earn a living, care for a family and achieve career success.
As online learning has grown in prevalence, it has also become increasingly acceptable as a legitimate and reputable pathway to a college degree. Education was slow to adopt technology initially, but it is quickly catching up and already becoming essential to most college courses. In fact, the Babson Survey reveals that 66 percent of educational leaders now believe that online courses provide the same or better learning experience as face-to-face learning. That number has increased from the 53 percent who agreed with the claim back in 2003.
Online enrollment in educational courses has grown substantially, and studies are showing that these learning environments are becoming increasingly critical to our education system. These vital education systems have revolutionized the path to higher education and opened the doors of opportunity to students in all social and economic positions. Through innovative learning programs like The College Network, education is now an effortless and rewarding pursuit for millions of adult learners.