Among those who have graduated in the past decade, the figure rises to 46%. Adults who have taken a course online have a somewhat more positive view of the value of this learning format: 39% say a course taken online provides the same educational value as one taken in person, a view shared by only 27% of those who have not taken an online course.

Traditional universities consider new approaches

With the continuing problems of rising costs and unsatisfactory graduation rates, innovative web-based approaches to higher education are being piloted around the state of Texas winning over students and even faculty and administrators.

Kristin Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the University of Texas at Arlington expressed her enthusiasm for online learning:

 “Online and blended learning is something that we have done very well. It’s particularly been successful in the nursing, education and health professional fields, where professionals pursuing advanced degrees creates a market demand.”

She noted that it’s not just tech-savvy students who are interested in online learning.

“We have many students who, because of course scheduling, might take most of their classes in a face-to-face environment, but they might take an art history class or a government class or a criminal justice course online,”

Ross Strader, the associate director of the Open Learning Initiative, has conducted research of online learning vs. traditional learning using a statistics textbook. Strader’s research has shown that students who do the course entirely online can achieve the same results as those who take a similar course in a traditional manner. However, those who combine his materials with classroom instruction — what’s known as “blended learning” — have higher rates of success.

Public perception of online learning

Surprisingly, the public appears to have a more skeptical view of online learning than the college presidents; although some surveyed had never taken an online course, those who had still believed that online learning was inferior to in-class instruction.

Here is a summary of key findings from the Pew Research Study:

• The Value of Online Learning. Only 29% of the public says online courses offer an equal value compared with courses taken in a classroom. Half (51%) of the college presidents surveyed say online courses provide the same value.
• The Prevalence of Online Courses. More than three-quarters of college presidents (77%) report that their institutions now offer online courses. These courses are more prevalent in some sectors of higher education than in others. While 89% of four-year public colleges and universities offer online classes, just 60% of four-year private schools offer them.
• Online Students. Roughly one-in-four college graduates (23%) report that they have taken a class online. However, the share doubles to 46% among those who have graduated in the past ten years. Among all adults who have taken a class online, 39% say the format’s educational value is equal to that of a course taken in a classroom.
• The Future of Online Learning. College presidents predict substantial growth in online learning: 15% say most of their current undergraduate students have taken a class online, and 50% predict that 10 years from now most of their students will take classes online.
• Digital Textbooks. Nearly two-thirds of college presidents (62%) anticipate that 10 years from now, more than half of the textbooks used by their undergraduate students will be entirely digital.

It’s clear that colleges and universities see the value in online learning. It appears that over the next decade they need to educate the public regarding its value as they incorporate more online learning with traditional learning. Blended learning using classroom instruction and online resources is clearly a valuable educational tool that colleges and universities can use to cut costs and attract more students.

Is this a freak of nature or the sign of things to come?

Turns out it’s the latter, according to a National School Boards Association survey. The survey poled students ages 9 through 17 and found that one of the top things kids talk about with each other online is (Are you ready for this?) their education. And no, they’re not complaining about school, but rather they’re asking each other for help with their course work.

The survey also showed that middle school and high school kids use social networking for college and career planning, doing research for assignments, and learning outside of school. In fact, only about 40 percent of their time on social networks was used for pure socializing.

So what does this have to do with college and online education? Turns out plenty.

Back in 2009 the SRI International for the Department of Education conducted a 93-page report on online education that spanned a 12-year period from 1996 to 2008. The report highlights a quantitative comparison of the same courses offered to students in both the classroom and online settings. The results were shocking to the highbrows in the world of higher ed in that the students who took the courses online did better academically than the students who took the same courses in a classroom setting. And yes, most of that data was collected at the college level, as opposed to K-12.

“The study’s major significance lies in demonstrating that online learning today is not just better than nothing—it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction,” said Barbara Means, the study’s lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International.

But if you think about it, finding out that students do better when taking courses online shouldn’t be any big surprise. In the 12-year time frame over which the study took place the Internet and e-mail went mainstream, Friendster, eUniverse, Napster, MySpace, and Facebook were all introduced, video conferencing and Skype replaced face-to-face meetings, YouTube replaced TV, iTunes replaced radio and CDs, smartphones took off, and books went online with e-readers. The kids now between the ages of 15 and 25 actually spend more time social networking than they do watching TV or talking on the phone.

It’s only natural that the generation that grew up at the dawn of social networking is going to use it as a tool to get ahead in life. So if we want to keep up with the demanding expectations of a generation that is used to getting whatever it wants with the click of a mouse button, then formal education will have to lead the way in terms of teaching these kids (and the generations after them) in the manner in which they’re accustomed to receiving information.

Fortunately, that shouldn’t be a problem. Prior to social networking and high-speed Internet, online courses meant reading some material and then taking an online multiple-choice test, with virtually no human interaction. But now with colleges as prestigious as Stanford offering online coursework through the use of their own social networks, students can develop relationships with their instructors and classmates, just as easily as if they were all sitting in a classroom together. Plus, it lets students learn on their own terms, allowing them to review material as many times as they want and log on to study at times of the day when they’re most receptive.

That’s not to say that classrooms will go away completely. There are some subjects that will always require hands-on interaction with a real live mentor (learning how to perform surgery, for example, comes to mind). However, the SRI International for the Department of Education report shows that online college is not a second-class substitute for brick-and-mortar college. It is the real deal as far as learning goes.

Which means that online education is not only here to stay, it will continue to grow and get better, especially in the areas of higher and continuing education. Social networking and the kids who swear by it are pushing us into the next phase of how we formally learn. So the next time you go to kick your kid off Facebook, you might want to pull up a chair instead and observe. Could be he’s doing a calculus assignment with his classmates or trying to figure what he needs to do to get into Harvard. Either way it beats watching the latest reality show on TV.

Western Governors University is known for it’s outstanding Teacher College with NCATE Accreditation and “recognized and accepted programs.”  Here is a brief list of programs you can expect to see at WGU:

Online Teaching and Master’s Programs

• B.A Interdisciplinary Studies (K-8)
• B.A Early Childhood Education
• Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Prep (K-8)
• M.A Teaching (K-8)
• M.S Curriculum Instruction
• Endorsement Preparation Program

You can check out a complete list of online teaching programs on wgu.edu.

What sets WGU apart from other online universities is they have a very appealing tuition plan.  Instead of paying a fee per credit hour, WGU charges tuition at a flat rate every six months.  Wow, right?  So basically as they say it, ” you are paying for the time and not the credit hours.” The tuition is just $2,890 per six-month term.  How can an online university such as WGU keep tuition rates as low as this?  This is a good question and one that I researched very quickly.  Here is what I found out: ”WGU is a non-profit university who doesn’t need to benefit from shareholders.” WGU truly cares about their students so keeping tuition costs low is of utmost importance.  Because WGU is strictly online, they don’t have any other concerns such as on-campus learning etc.  What do you think of this?  Sounds awesome and definitely worth looking into.

Though WGU’s tuition is low they still offer scholarship and financial aid programs to help you achieve your goals and dreams of getting a teaching degree.  They even offer corporate reimbursement plans.  It’s not a bad idea to check out if your current place of employment is using this program to help further your education.

Admissions Process

Before you decide on Western Governors University, here are a few things you need to consider before going forward with the admissions process:

• Talk with an Enrollment Counselor
• Look at your college experience if any and your work experience
• Your Readiness Assessment results from WGU
• How much time you commit to your studies in order to obtain a teaching degree

Here is what you need for admissions to Western Governors University:

• Must have a high school diploma or GED
• Submit any official transcripts from other colleges or universities you may have attended in the past.
• You must meet the minimum age requirement of 16
• Must be able to meet “program-specific” requirements
• Must have an interview with Enrollment Counselor

Graduate programs may have slightly different requirements for admissions so checking out those requirements on the website may be of interest to you.

What do you think of WGU?  Would you consider obtaining your teaching degree from Western Governors University now that you know how set apart they are from all the rest?  We would love to hear from you.

*If you are interested in more information about online education, check out our list of online schools here on classesandcareers.com.