| A study reveals that online education has proved | | | | students who want to be here, but still a lot of people |
| more flourishing and successful if all online programs | | | | are coming to get a University of Florida degree. |
| offering institutions offer entire degrees online than | | | | Florida University does not put a cap on enrollments in |
| those that offer only a scattering of courses. | | | | online courses. Full-time Florida professors teach the |
| The report was based on finding out what made an | | | | content, and part-time faculty members around the |
| online education program successful and to share the | | | | country field some of the questions from students. |
| information with other institutions. The organization | | | | Florida University has learned how to scale, and that |
| surveyed officials at different (21) colleges and | | | | what they do through an addition of faculty. |
| universities that it determined to be successful in online | | | | Another college the organization deemed successful in |
| education. Giving their response, these college officials | | | | online education is Westwood College, a for-profit |
| foregrounded the need for such general elements as | | | | institution that has campuses all over the country, in |
| high-quality courses and consistent technology. | | | | addition to its online degree programs. The university |
| At this instance the important point observed was that | | | | knows that some institutions may have trouble making |
| 89 percent of the institutions created online degree | | | | the transition to online education because higher |
| programs i.e. entire degrees instead of just individual | | | | education tends to be slow to change. |
| online courses. Online degree programs lead to | | | | How will this concept be introduced to an industry that |
| success, because they tend to highlight a college's | | | | is very mush steeped in tradition is a major question? |
| overall mission and translate into more institutional | | | | The answer may follow as one really has to relearn |
| support for the faculty members and students working | | | | how these instructions are delivered. |
| online. | | | | In this context the truth is undeniable that nonprofit |
| At this level it's easier to measure the progress at a | | | | institutions could learn a lot from for-profit ones when it |
| programmatic level; the programmatic approach also | | | | comes to teaching over the Internet. |
| gets institutions thinking about student-support services. | | | | The for-profit education industry is a much more |
| Of course, success is subjective, and what may be | | | | nimble industry and is much more able to change |
| deemed successful for one institution may not work at | | | | based on market demand and student need. And that |
| another. | | | | is because the technology in these institutions is |
| It was further discovered that some college officials | | | | updated very quickly. |
| believe online education has not lived up to their | | | | There is still such a strong demand for online education |
| expectations. It is assumed that some colleges will | | | | that many more institutions can find success with |
| learn from institutions that have succeeded online. | | | | online programs. But the fact is obvious that success |
| One of the institutions included in the report is the | | | | does not always come quickly, and sometimes it takes |
| University of Florida, which enrolls more than 6,000 | | | | several years to see positive results. |
| students in its online degree programs. It was reported | | | | These institutions have really achieved a lot, and |
| that Florida decided to move forward with a strong | | | | generally speaking when they started they really |
| online-education program because so many students | | | | weren't sure what was going to happen. Whatever |
| were demanding it. | | | | the changes may be but the online education mode is |
| We see an interesting edge which Florida enjoys and | | | | making it sound a lot easier than it actually is. |
| that's Florida doesn't have enough seats for the | | | | |