| Now, more than ever, the economy is causing people | | | | more of a rarity. Today, though, many more people |
| to re-think their goals. With the possibility, even | | | | are working to attain an advanced degree so that |
| probability, of layoffs in nearly every sector, workers | | | | they can progress in their career. In addition to |
| are contemplating a return to school. Perhaps they are | | | | advanced degrees, many online schools offer |
| thinking of earning their degree in order to keep their | | | | certification programs for workers to move forward in |
| job by becoming more qualified, or perhaps they have | | | | their job and career prospects. |
| already been laid off and need a degree in order to | | | | In order to meet the rising demand for these types of |
| enter a new field of work. | | | | programs, online schools have greatly increased the |
| Quite a large number of these returning students are | | | | kinds of classes and programs they offer. In fact, |
| choosing to participate on online education. Rather than | | | | online schools may actually have more course |
| enrolling in a regular university program, many of these | | | | offerings than a traditional university. One of the |
| students desire to have more flexibility and control | | | | reasons that these nontraditional colleges can offer |
| over the educational process. The low cost is also a | | | | many more choices to students is that there is no |
| contributing factor driving the trend, as well as the high | | | | requirement for teachers and students to be in a |
| quality that online schools can offer these types of | | | | physical place at a particular time. |
| students. | | | | What distance colleges can provide is a classroom |
| The economy has created a critical situation for many | | | | that exists in the online world and that is much more |
| people. There are far fewer jobs available than there | | | | flexible than a standard classroom. The necessity for |
| are applicants who are looking for employment. | | | | face-to-face communication is eliminated; students and |
| Employment counselors are seeing that employees | | | | professors can communicate in a variety of ways, |
| are returning to get advanced degrees from online | | | | including text messaging, discussion boards, and |
| schools in order to get a job immediately, rather than | | | | voice-over-internet-Protocol (VoIP) programs like |
| waiting on unemployment for months on end. | | | | Skype. Some of these technologies can even record |
| It used to be that an associates or undergraduate | | | | transcripts of a class that is held at a particular time |
| degree was all that was necessary for success in the | | | | and make it available to online students at their |
| job market. Attaining a graduate or PhD degree was | | | | convenience. |