March 2002 — Editorial
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Online Learning
Thousands of colleges, universities and corporations around the world offer online courses and degrees. Education is available anywhere, anytime. It is predicted that by 2005, 90 percent of American universities will offer at least one course online. While course content leans toward business and technology, other areas are growing, such as education and psychology. An interesting survey of online programs in education, among other disciplines, was reported in the Oct. 15, 2001, issue of U.S. News & World Report. It lists 43 regionally accredited colleges and universities that provide graduate programs in education online, including courses in special education, curriculum instruction, educational leadership, etc. The information presented includes number of degrees offered, year the program began, on-campus visits, required hours of technical help, maximum number of students, learning technologies used, access speed required, and per credit charge. Please click here to view the list of schools. Note: You must have Adobe Acorbat Reader installed on your computer to view this file.
The number of online high school courses has also increased. Most offer those courses to supplement the available high school program. Online high schools are being considered or are operating in a number of states, including Massachusetts, Kentucky, Illinois, Nebraska and Michigan. The Florida Virtual School is one of the better known high schools. In its fifth year, the state-funded school enrolls approximately 3,500 students in regular, honors and Advanced Placement courses. The school's motto is "Any time, any place, any path, any pace."
The Worldwide Expansion of E-Learning
E-learning is expanding worldwide. It is estimated that corporate training will grow from $2.2 billion to $18.5 billion by 2005. Due to shrinking budgets and decreased interest in travel, meetings and training sessions, which depend on airplane flights, hotel reservations and time away from home, are being replaced by e-learning. Since Sept. 11, use of video and Web-based classroom conferencing have greatly increased. For example:
- Cisco Systems uses e-learning to work with its sales force. At the recent Comdex meeting, Cisco's CEO, John Chambers, stated "e-learning is the next killer application."
- McDonald's trainers logon to Hamburger University for additional training and updated information.
- Circuit City, with its 600 stores and approximately 50,000 employees, uses customized courses that they say are "short, fun, flexible, interactive and instantly applicable on the job."
More collaboratives are being formed between business and academia to use e-learning for specialized graduate-level courses for employees seeking advanced degrees. For example, Microsoft is working with Oregon Health and Science University's OGI School of Science and Engineering so employees can obtain a master's in software and technology management. In addition, IBM and the University of Texas offer a master's in technology commercialization.
