News Channel 4 Florida January 29, 2013  News Channel 4 in Florida turns to Get Educated founder Vicky Phillips for insights on what is driving the growth of online colleges in Florida.
What can consumers expect if their choose to earn their degrees online? What's driving the trend to get degrees online rather than on-campus? Below is an excerpt on the pros and cons of online learning, a trend that continues to grow at double digit growth with large public universities, such as Florida State and the University System of Georgia, offering scores of affordable degrees online.
Annabelle Loudon's dorm room is also a classroom. Although she attends a traditional university, she's also taking some of her courses online. "We'd have a reading assignment and then every week you'd have a quiz or a test. So you could work on your own time during the week, which was great for me," she said. Online Learning Critical to Future Online education is fast becoming the norm across the United States, with 35 percent of students now taking at least one course online. And, 65 percent of colleges consider online learning as a critical part of their future. "In the last three to five years, the number of schools that are offering online degrees has exploded," explained Vicky Phillips, founder of GetEducated.com. Phillips says the institutions that offer them may surprise you. “Eighty-five percent of all online degrees are offered by traditional, residential schools. This includes state universities, large public brand names, ivy league schools,” she said. Advantages of Online Learning Experts say online classes have distinct advantages including flexibility, more choices of courses and teachers, and, of course, affordability. "There's a crisis right now in being able to afford even a first primary college degree. Online learning is a tremendous help to consumers in that regard," said Phillips. Read the full article. |
