The Hiring of Online Grads
Rochelle Siegel
Issue date: 9/9/05 Section: Life & Times
The times are changing rapidly, and as our world becomes more technologically advanced more and more college students are logging into virtual classrooms rather than attending an actual classroom, interacting with other students, and listening to a professor lecture.
From the years 1995 to 1998 the number of students who were enrolled in online courses doubled and is still expected to continue to grow at a phenomenal rate. According to a 2004 report, more than 2.6 million people had logged on to at least one online class during the fall of 2004.
Distance learning nothing new actually. For years schools have been offering students the opportunity to attend lectures by closed-circuit TV's or by video and then mailing course material to their professors. The new thing is being able to receive a degree by taking only online courses.
Why has the amount of students logging into a virtual classrooms grown so much? It is because it is convenient for almost everyone. Whether you have a family to support or you are a college student with a part-time job, online classes give you the opportunity to do your schoolwork and studying based around your own schedule.
Who would hire someone who received their degree online? Many companies, including Wal-Mart, Intel, and Southwest Airlines, said that they would employ anyone with an online degree as long as they attended a well-known and accredited university program. The spam that pops up on your computer offering you the chance to earn your bachelors degree in 30 days is probably a scam and would not get you very far in the work field.
Vault, a job-search service and publisher, surveyed about 300 managers who were hiring and seventy-seven percent of the managers said that online degrees that were earned from well-known schools were in fact more valuable than those from online-only institutions. Job seekers in the technological field, the government, and the military are offering many resources to online learning, and possible employees with experience in online learning are very highly looked upon.
Evan Jacobs of Columbia University believes that as the number of online students increases, employers will become more and more welcoming to those with online degrees. There are many people highly qualified for certain jobs who have received degrees online and job seekers are not going to turn away those who are qualified even if they did not attend a traditional college environment.
Also if students attend a school that offers both campus-based and online courses the diploma they receive will not even distinguish whether they were sitting in front of a computer taking a class or listening to a professor lecture for an hour, due to the fact that most online course are identical to courses taken on a college campus. The content of the class is what is important and they are both the same. But it is also important to remember that job employment truly comes down to the individual.
The lack of face-to-face time makes online learning impersonal.
Answer:
While this may have been true in correspondence courses, this is not the typical response for online learning. Many learners experience a type of intimacy that is unique to the online environment.
As Brown states (p. 3, 1998), "I believe this intimacy results from a sense of shared control and responsibility, commitment to collaboration and dialogue, and increased willingness to take risks in communications with others online".
In addition, the amount of communications in the online environment via email and bulletin boards offers more opportunities for students to learn more about each other than one would experience in a time-limited lecture course. (Brown, B., Digital Classrooms: Some myths about developing new educational programs using the Internet. T.H.E. Journal, 26, 56-60).
Online learning is de-motivating.
Answer:
While some may share this point of view, I believe Clark summed it up best by saying "we only learn when we want to" (Clark, 2002, p. 600). It is true that online learning is not for everyone, but if one is not driven to learn, the format of the course nor the environment it is offered in will change that fact.
As Clark points out, autonomy and the degree of control the learner has is often a motivating fact as well. Examples of such control would include self-paced courses and individual choice of media (2002). Finally, teachers in the online environment need to take on a supportive role for the learners and "may best serve the needs of the learners by motivating them rather than delivering repetitive stand-up training" (Clark, 2002, p. 600). (Clark, D., Psychological myths in e-learning. Medical Teacher, 24, 598-604).
Online education is not as credible as traditional education.
Answer:
Increasing numbers of older students are participating in online courses or seeking full degree programs online. These programs are an attractive alternative as they help busy adults balance hectic schedules. As the numbers of interested students steadily increase, the number of colleges and universities providing these online programs also continue to rise.
According to recent statistics, over 90 percent of traditional institutions provide or plan to provide some kind of program through distance learning. Despite concerns, acceptance of online degree programs is on the rise. Many corporations are hiring applicants with online degrees, or providing tuition reimbursement.
As more traditional and quality institutions begin to offer these programs, they will become more common and widely accepted. (Retrieved Oct 2, 2003, from http://www.back2college.com/onlinedegrees.htm).
From the years 1995 to 1998 the number of students who were enrolled in online courses doubled and is still expected to continue to grow at a phenomenal rate. According to a 2004 report, more than 2.6 million people had logged on to at least one online class during the fall of 2004.
Distance learning nothing new actually. For years schools have been offering students the opportunity to attend lectures by closed-circuit TV's or by video and then mailing course material to their professors. The new thing is being able to receive a degree by taking only online courses.
Why has the amount of students logging into a virtual classrooms grown so much? It is because it is convenient for almost everyone. Whether you have a family to support or you are a college student with a part-time job, online classes give you the opportunity to do your schoolwork and studying based around your own schedule.
Who would hire someone who received their degree online? Many companies, including Wal-Mart, Intel, and Southwest Airlines, said that they would employ anyone with an online degree as long as they attended a well-known and accredited university program. The spam that pops up on your computer offering you the chance to earn your bachelors degree in 30 days is probably a scam and would not get you very far in the work field.
Vault, a job-search service and publisher, surveyed about 300 managers who were hiring and seventy-seven percent of the managers said that online degrees that were earned from well-known schools were in fact more valuable than those from online-only institutions. Job seekers in the technological field, the government, and the military are offering many resources to online learning, and possible employees with experience in online learning are very highly looked upon.
Evan Jacobs of Columbia University believes that as the number of online students increases, employers will become more and more welcoming to those with online degrees. There are many people highly qualified for certain jobs who have received degrees online and job seekers are not going to turn away those who are qualified even if they did not attend a traditional college environment.
Also if students attend a school that offers both campus-based and online courses the diploma they receive will not even distinguish whether they were sitting in front of a computer taking a class or listening to a professor lecture for an hour, due to the fact that most online course are identical to courses taken on a college campus. The content of the class is what is important and they are both the same. But it is also important to remember that job employment truly comes down to the individual.
Online Graduate Myths
Answer:
While this may have been true in correspondence courses, this is not the typical response for online learning. Many learners experience a type of intimacy that is unique to the online environment.
As Brown states (p. 3, 1998), "I believe this intimacy results from a sense of shared control and responsibility, commitment to collaboration and dialogue, and increased willingness to take risks in communications with others online".
In addition, the amount of communications in the online environment via email and bulletin boards offers more opportunities for students to learn more about each other than one would experience in a time-limited lecture course. (Brown, B., Digital Classrooms: Some myths about developing new educational programs using the Internet. T.H.E. Journal, 26, 56-60).
Answer:
While some may share this point of view, I believe Clark summed it up best by saying "we only learn when we want to" (Clark, 2002, p. 600). It is true that online learning is not for everyone, but if one is not driven to learn, the format of the course nor the environment it is offered in will change that fact.
As Clark points out, autonomy and the degree of control the learner has is often a motivating fact as well. Examples of such control would include self-paced courses and individual choice of media (2002). Finally, teachers in the online environment need to take on a supportive role for the learners and "may best serve the needs of the learners by motivating them rather than delivering repetitive stand-up training" (Clark, 2002, p. 600). (Clark, D., Psychological myths in e-learning. Medical Teacher, 24, 598-604).
Answer:
Increasing numbers of older students are participating in online courses or seeking full degree programs online. These programs are an attractive alternative as they help busy adults balance hectic schedules. As the numbers of interested students steadily increase, the number of colleges and universities providing these online programs also continue to rise.
According to recent statistics, over 90 percent of traditional institutions provide or plan to provide some kind of program through distance learning. Despite concerns, acceptance of online degree programs is on the rise. Many corporations are hiring applicants with online degrees, or providing tuition reimbursement.
As more traditional and quality institutions begin to offer these programs, they will become more common and widely accepted. (Retrieved Oct 2, 2003, from http://www.back2college.com/onlinedegrees.htm).