I am doing research on online education for a class.

Is online education just as good as attending a real institution??

maybe

Here's a link that might provide some useful information:

http://nosignificantdifference.org

Good luck,

-=Steve=-

In my own experience as both an online and in house college student, I find that the classes online are just as good, if not better. Being an online student forces the person to be better disciplined. Without self motivation the learner will fail. In the real world, a successful employee or CEO will be self motivated, disciplined and knows how to seize opportunities for success. You will find that online distance learning is just the key that you need to learn how to be successful after college.

Best of luck!

Thank you all for your responses.

 I am still currently researching the online education. What do you think are the major benefits of online education over sitting in a classroom setting??

convenience and total cost

I've been to both and the major benefits of online are: the ability to fast track your degree, the convenience of logging on at anytime that works for your lifestyle, and finally the benefit of not having to drive to school, find parking, find your class, and then sit through a class with a bunch of 18 year olds that have no idea what a privilege it is to go to college. 

• An overwhelming majority of employers (86%) are willing to hire a job applicant who has an online degree.
• 85% of employers representing a variety of industries across the U.S. feel that online degrees are more acceptable today than they were five years ago.

Want more? See What the research says about online education.

According to About.com:

If you want a degree that’ll look good on resumes and be accepted without question, try the following when selecting an online school:

1. Make sure the school has the proper regional accreditation.
2. Choose a school without “distance learning” or “online” in its name. 
3. Try to find a school that has an active physical campus.
4. Investigate the school’s track record. 

Long story short, an Online Degree offers the same benefits as a 'traditional degree'. Just make sure you do your research first!

Hello, my name is Sammia.

I have been reading your comments, I am curious too, I would like to know what other advantages online education has?
 

Well, there is opportunity cost to consider.  For example if you earn $50,000 a year and quit work to go to school for 2 years, you have essentially realized and opportunity cost of $100,000 in addition to your tuition, books, etc.  So not having to leave work is a huge plus.  Not only that you will have 2 additional years of work experience to list.

Well, I don't think that it can be classified as "better" or "worse" - I think it some ways it is better, and in some ways it not.

I've been doing online college for 7 months, and for me the pros far outweigh the cons, but that does not mean there aren't drawbacks, believe me, there are. It really depends on the student, and their circumstances. Just like anything in life, usually there are positives and negatives to anything. 

For me personally here are the pros and cons (again, I think it really differs from person to person)

PROS

• It's much more flexible - I can go to class at any time of the day or night
• It's more convienent
• It's easier to fully contribute to class discussions and communicate without censorship or feeling anxiety/self conscious/doubt
• It's easier for me to concentrate when I can make my own surrounding (I struggle with an LD & adult ADD)
• I can go to class/do my homework in my PJ's if I want
• I can take as many breaks as I want, I can eat/drink, etc.
• I have every additional resource I could possibly need at my fingertips (at the click of the mouse)
• I have one-on-one contact on a regular basis with my academic advisor and my graduation team
• I can call my instructors any time during business hours, and I can email anyone at any time
• I have options to do the same things as face to face colleges (FAFSA, Scholarships, Clep, ADA acommodations, Tuition Re-imbursement,  etc.)
• I can call technical support 24/7 if there is any issue at all with the server or my class forums, etc.
• It's fast track - each class is 9 weeks long which is great for someone like me who is older and doesn't have the attention span/patience or time for traditional school 
• Tuition can be deferred until after graduation
• It is moviating, encouraging, and empowering to be more self-directed and see evidence that it can be done and done well
• You can take a 2 week break between every 9 week block (if you choose to)
• You only take 2 classes per 2 week block (you can take more if you choose to, but 2 classes is considered full time)

CONS

• It is very expensive
• There is no actual face to face contact with staff or students, which can prove tedious at times
• Assignments are due when they are due, and while instructors will work with you on this to a point, if there is technical difficulties with getting to class, or on the computer (for instance, bad weather causing the computer to go out, etc.) that could pose a problem
• The attendence rules are very strict - while you can attend at any time during a 24 hour period, you have to check in for attendence atleast twice a week,  if not you can be dropped.  Attendence is taken electronically and is completely seperate from participation. So you also have to meet participation requirements - which can make or break the grades you get.
• There is not traditional "holidays" like at regular schools (they are shorter and fewer in between)
• It can be difficult to work around school/due dates (i.e., planning vacations requires knowing your schedule and working ahead to make homework deadlines)
• My school's state does not have daylight savings time, which is not too inconvienent but can get confusing

Hope this helps you

Jessica,

What a great summary!  Talk about joining the forum with a bang!

-=Steve=- 

Thank you very much for your insights!!!

Good job Jessica.  Much appreciated.

Hi!

All that Jessica coment was very helpfull with my doughts, now I am looking for someone to answer an interview, to complete my perspective!! Would any one of you like to help me?

Thanks