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49% of public colleges and universities and 34% of all higher education institutions offer complete online degree programs.
SOURCE: The Sloan Consortium |
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After starts and stops, an adult learner hits her stride
Eloisa King knows what it's like to nibble away at a college education
over many years. That's why she turned to a steady diet of distance
education.
After graduating from a Maryland high school in 1990, King
attended Wesley College in Dover, Del., for a year — only to learn that
she wasn't quite ready for full time school away from home. Next, she
tried community colleges.
"I tried taking courses at [Prince George's Community College]
and [Northern Virginia Community College] and worked various jobs," she
says. "I continued to do the community college courses off and on for
about six years, decided to try again, but then got bored and stopped."
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Then King began college yet again, determined to complete a full year
of coursework at the University of Maryland at College Park "just to
get it done," she says. "I completed the year and just couldn't go
back."
Finding Another Path
In 2001, King seemed to hit a fork in her life's road. Not only
did she join PBS as an administrative assistant that year, but her
boyfriend and future husband convinced her to register at the
University of Maryland University College (UMUC), the adult education
arm of the University System of Maryland.
"I've been at UMUC ever since, but I did take a semester off
for the wedding preparations," she says. "I've only been taking one
class a semester, but this time I'm going all the way to the degree
line. I can really appreciate what an education and degree mean in the
business world after having worked many miscellaneous jobs and still
being at the bottom of the totem pole."
She married in January 2005 and is now mapping out how
children could fit into her life. "We are both in search of new jobs,
and I want to complete more courses before starting a family," she
says. "Also, the idea is that more courses and soon a degree will help
my job search."
The Distance Education Formula
Still, squeezed by a lack of time, the thought of sitting in a
classroom for a three-or-four hour class each week hardly appealed to
King. But she learned that it didn't have to be that way at UMUC.
"With the online classes, I choose when to check into class
and when to participate in the discussion boards," she says. "I can sit
in my pajamas early before work or late at night before bedtime. I can
even pop in during my lunch hour at work and check on postings from
other classmates."
King began to really appreciate the online discussions. "I
enjoy being able to just jump on the discussion boards and post a note,
question, or comment at anytime that I want or have available," she
says. "Also, contrary to what some might think, it helps me stay on
schedule since I have to submit assignments biweekly. I also have a
study group where we have online chats to prepare for a group project."
Distance Education Challenges
Although she enjoys the online discussion boards, King notes
their limits. "Sometimes folks read your postings and don't respond
right away, like when you ask a question in a classroom and get an
answer right away," she says.
Nonverbal communication also gets lost in the virtual
classroom. "You have to be careful how you write comments," she says,
"because if they don't know you, then the tone of the posting may be
taken wrong."
But would she try to discourage someone from plunging into
distance education? "Try it because it is really worth it," she urges.
"And, keep up with the readings."
Closing in on the Destination
Along the way, King finds time here and there for puzzles, crafts, gardening, and even I Love Lucy
reruns. But now her eyes are focused on the end of the path, which
draws constantly nearer: a bachelor's degree in business management.
She hopes to complete the degree within the next two years.
"I am hoping to get a better job with a better salary and
closer to home," she says. "Then the next year [I'll] start planning a
family."
Despite her economic goals, a degree means far more than more
money to King. "I haven't been taken seriously in the past because of
not having a degree," she says. "I also think it will really help my
confidence level so that I try new things in life."
Article written by Greg Rosenthal
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