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Running Head: ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE ONLINE EDUCATION 1

Anytime and anywhere online education:

An opportunity for working adults to get the professional edge

Student’s name

Student ID#

Washington University of Virginia

ENG 201: College Composition II

Assignment: Research Paper

Date

ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE ONLINE EDUCATION 2

Abstract

Online classes are increasingly becoming popular among students today. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate through literature survey that a large segment of this student population consists of working adults. It is evident from the information available that the reason for the special appeal of distant-learning programs to this segment of society is that they can study and improve their qualifications while they are still working. Earning and learning can thus go together. Because of the opportunities to improve professional qualifications provided by e-learning programs offered by many colleges and universities, no longer are the working adults stuck in the same position for years. Not only can they rise in their career ladder, they can also switch to another job, if their interests change or there are better prospects in another field. Anytime and anywhere e-learning thus gives working adults a professional edge.

ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE ONLINE EDUCATION 3

Anytime and anywhere online education:

An opportunity for working adults to get the professional edge

In a relatively short period of time, e-Campuses have grown in number and popularity. A report by the Babson Survey Research Group (2011) says that roughly 6.1 million college students have taken online courses in the Fall semester of 2010. The survey reports, “Nearly 30% of all college and university students now take at least one course online.” Wisloski (2011) observes “Institutions of higher learning increasingly embrace online education, with 65.5 percent of chief academic officers now calling it ‘critical’ to their institution’s long-term strategy, an opinion that’s risen more than 15 percent over eight years.”

It transpires that web-based learning is most popular among working adults. According to a recent report, “working adults with some prior college experience are demographically responsible for much of the growth,…” (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011). This view is confirmed by many other studies and articles. Shay Rosen (2011) observes that the combination of affordability in terms of cost, convenience, and flexibility has made it a popular choice among those who work full time.

Whereas job holders find an alternative option in distance education of closing the gap between their education and a particular job profile, their employers are also happy to have their workers improve their skills and qualification. Thomas (2011) cites a number of studies conducted to verify the positive attitude taken by the companies in this regard

and observes that degrees availed online have gained the same educational importance as

those that are achieved from attending traditional classes.

ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE ONLINE EDUCATION 4

Hogue and Dodd (2006) wisely state, “Your career should be something you manage, not something that manages you…. But many of us fail to realize—or realize too late—that we can play a major role in creating positive career outcomes.” People have realized that online education can open the doors to their career development. In an article appropriately titled “Improve and boost your career prospects with online education,” Lee (2011) writes e-Learning “could enhance your future in many ways. It helps you progress in your current line of work with a higher pay. It helps in improving your skills in reaching your full potential.”

Deane (2005) concludes her book Online education: Is it for you? with a cautionary note: “Online education will and should never take the place of out traditional higher education schools.” She does, however, concede, “It is … a viable and exciting alternative to traditional learning that can be accessible to so many for so many reasons.” The area of online education is still in its infancy. Lenoue, Hall, and Eighmy (2011) discuss opportunities lying ahead by the introduction of social software tools which empower “curriculum designers to more effectively accommodate many of the core principles of adult learning than was possible with earlier e-learning technologies.”

It is more likely than not, young adults would in the future seek employment earlier than before and learn in e-Campuses while they earn so that they can avoid falling into huge debt to obtain a college degree and spend the rest of their life paying back the loan. As good old times now seem to be a part of history and economic forecasts are becoming increasingly pessimistic, it may not be far-fetched to think that traditional

ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE ONLINE EDUCATION 5

education would be replaced by online education in not so remote a future, whether one likes it or not

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References

Babson Survey Research Group. Over 6 million Students Learning Online. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://www.babson.edu/Academics/centers/blank- center/global- research/Pages/babson-survey-research-group.aspx

Deane, S. (2005). Online education: Is it for you? New York: AuthorHouse.

Hogue W.F. & Dodd, D.W. (2006). Taking control of your career. In Cynthia Golden (Ed.), Cultivating Careers:Professional Development for Campus IT. Ch. 4. Boulder, CO: Educause.

Lee, K. (2001). Improve And Boost Your Career Prospects With Online Education. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Krissy_Lee

Lenoue, M, Hall, T., & Eighmy, M. A. (2011). Adult education and the social media revolution. Adult Learning 22 (2), 4- 12.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). The condition of education 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2011/2011033.pdf

Rosen, R. (2011, January 08). Online learning gaining in popularity especially with working adults. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://www.ezinearticles.biz/article/Online-Learning-Gaining-in- Popularity-- Especially-with-Working-Adults-/4642

Thomas, M. (2011, February 08) Do employers take online degrees seriously? Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://www.educationcenters.com/faq/online- education/do-employers-take-online- degrees-seriously-1234.php