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College @ Home - Brief Article

Better Homes & Gardens - October 1, 1999

New technologies bring college classes--and degrees--to your living room.

Joan Crittenden was convinced she needed a master's degree to remain competitive with other Department of Defense employees at her job near Washington D.C. rib get started on the degree, she enrolled in a program at the University of Maryland that required her to attend classes for several hours on Fridays and all day on Saturdays for nine consecutive weeks.

"It was brutal trying to make time for everything," says Joan, an occupational safety and health manager, providing safety information for the U.S. Navy.

She was ready to wave the white flag, but then she heard about a new master's program at a "cyber university," where she could complete a degree at home using a computer and the Internet. No more driving back and forth to class and spending hours away from her family.

The administrators at Jones International University (JIU), based in Englewood, Colorado, had designed a master's degree in business communication that would accept her work from Maryland and allow her to finish within 18 months.

"I'll be honest. At first I thought I was getting into a mail-order college or something," she says, recalling how she wondered if JIU was some kind of scare or "diploma mill," an unaccredited school that takes peoples' money and gives little in return. "But, in fact, it was a very rigorous program." There was lots of interaction on the Web with her fellow students. Using a personal computer, Joan located her coursework on the Internet, posted her work via e-mail, and received feedback from classmates and instructors.

"I tried that first course--it was a lot of work--and fell in love with the concept," Joan says. She also says her degree led to increased job security and satisfaction. In fact, her training prompted Joan to create a Web site for her department, thus improving communication.

Unlike Joan, Ginger Church, of Roseburg, Oregon, didn't enjoy her "virtual college" experience. Ginger participated in distance education using satellite and television technology through Southern Oregon University in Ashland, where she pursued a master's of science in education to further her career.

The university, beamed classes to the local community college five minutes from her home. "But it's just not the same as being in the classroom," Ginger says. "It's not the same kind of freedom people have when seated right in front of each other."

Costs are comparable to on-campus instruction. Ginger Church spent about $9,000 in her quest for her master's degree, probably $2,000 less than taking classes on campus at other Oregon state universities, she says. Joan and the typical master's student at JIU spend around $10,500 to get through the two-year program, about average when compared to state-supported schools. "It's not a price break, it's a time break and a convenience break," says Pam Dixon, author of Virtual College (1996).

Find the right program. Before enrolling in a distance-learning course, it is important to make certain that the college or university is regionally accredited, says Kay Kohl, executive director of the University Continuing Education Association. "Accreditation by one of the six regional accrediting associations is an assurance of quality in terms of the curriculum and instruction a student receives."

Most of the schools you have heard of will be accredited. But accreditation is not to be confused with certification. If you're upgrading your status within a profession with a master's degree, you need a program that meets the requirements of the relevant professional body.

When you've located a program you're interested in, follow these tips:

* Call the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (202/955-6126) or the U.S. Department of Education (800/872-5327) to see if the school is accredited. Take it as a red flag if a program claims only to be "licensed" or "registered."

* Determine in advance how much clout your degree will have with a prospective, employer or another school to which you plan to transfer credit hours. This is where in some, but not all instances, "name-brand" schools have an edge over emerging cyber universities.

* Get some answers about the student/teacher ratio and the amount of teacher interaction. Will you be able to communicate with the professor or a facilitator, or just be referred to a standing set of questions and answers?

* Find out about graduation rates and job placement--and make sure that graduates got jobs in their fields. Ask to speak to some students or graduates.

* Learn about the faculty. Do they have appropriate degrees?

* Will the school and program give access to library services? How quickly will the school fill your research requests?

* Will you have access to other services such as tutoring, guidance counseling, or technical support? Are there any residency requirements or can you pursue the entire degree from a distance?

* Will you be subject to any sequencing rules--can you drop out for a term without penalty? Will you be penalized financially for withdrawing?

* What are the technical requirements (computer and modem speeds) for online courses? Do you need audio/video capabilities, a sound card, certain plug-ins, or a CD-ROM? Is a specific browser recommended?

* How long does a course or entire program take to complete? What is the course completion rate?

Finally, as distance-education opportunities evolve, so do the prospects for financial aid. Be sure to find out if any forms of aid are offered.

TO GET STARTED

Learn more about distance education with these resources.

* Peterson's Guide to Distance Learning Programs. This book lists schools and programs offering virtual classes.

* www.lifelonglearning.com. The site includes a comprehensive, searchable online database of accredited distance-learning courses.

* alt.education.distance. Discuss education topics in this Usenet Newsgroup.

* www.degree.net/distance-learning/ home.html. Opinions on the topic, with links to other distance-education resources.

* www.nucea.edu. Resources from an institutional viewpoint, as well as links to schools offering distance education.

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