| Online education is expanding in leaps and bounds. U.S. | | | | interrupting their careers, both when they are stationed |
| News & World Report recently wrote that 25% of all | | | | overseas and when awaiting assignment at a |
| students are taking at least one course online in 2008. | | | | domestic base. |
| This was a 17% increase from 2007. Students have | | | | The Air Force has developed a special program to |
| discovered online classes from high school through | | | | handle its new recruits, as well as its outside |
| post-graduate school. The evidence is even stacking | | | | contractors. New civilian employees and contractors |
| up that students learn their lessons just as well through | | | | can take courses on how to conduct Air Force |
| online teaching as face-to-face class work, if not | | | | business through a series of seven online modules. It's |
| better. There's no reason to believe the number of | | | | becoming an incredible success with nearly 8,000 |
| students getting a degree on line will do anything but | | | | people using the system already. Likewise, the service |
| grow. | | | | requires the 4,000 new supervisors every year to |
| Also among the growing e-learning student body are | | | | complete a minimum of three virtual classes. |
| working professionals. Business and government | | | | One reason the online approach works so well for |
| leaders are now going online as a convenient and time | | | | employers is their personnel can work on their classes |
| efficient method to train their personnel. Employees of | | | | literally any time they are free, thus not having to take |
| all stripes have to constantly stay on top of the latest | | | | time off of work to go to a brick-and-mortar school. |
| changes and innovations in their profession, and not | | | | Some classes also allow webcams so they can |
| only can they do it quickly through going online, but | | | | communicate over live video links with their instructors |
| more cost effectively. They are talking about brushing | | | | and fellow classmates. |
| up on changing rules and regulations (such as Obama's | | | | So how rapidly is this form of education growing? It's |
| new health care policies) or the latest changes in | | | | become so popular some schools have to turn |
| federal income tax law or some sort of time | | | | students away from its projects, particularly when it |
| management innovation. It provides the employer a | | | | comes to a masters degree. The Air Force accepted |
| higher skilled level of personnel, while it helps the | | | | just 150 of the 600 applicants for its free classes in |
| employee climb the corporate ladder. | | | | military operational art and science. |
| The private sector isn't the only one capitalizing on this | | | | Other government agencies should be following the Air |
| trend. Online education has proven to be so effective | | | | Force's example. The country's Health and Human |
| the U.S. Air Force announced all its personnel | | | | Services Department is already offering e-learning for |
| orientation and supervisor training through e-learning | | | | its employees. Many soldiers stationed in Iraq and |
| through online colleges. The approach allows military | | | | Afghanistan are taking virtual classes when they aren't |
| students and workers to get online educations without | | | | on patrol, all on the Army's tab. |