Life Experience Degrees from Almeda University Show Growing Need for Online Education
Online, July 11, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Many established universities are questioning how to implement online education into curriculum, and if it is to be incorporated at all. According to a recent report from NPR, the very question of online learning has plagued The University of Virginia directly. The academic institution recently forced out, and later reinstated, President Teresa Sullivan for failure to assess the value of offering online coursework. Other major colleges such as Stanford, MIT, Harvard and Princeton are joining the online world and are taking it a step further - coursework is being offered for free through online enrollment. While these practices are in their infancy, online academic provider, Almeda University has been doing it for years and says it is a model that works.
Almeda University President, Richard Smith comments, "Almeda University and some other educational institutions have been offering online education for more than 15 years. Online education is a product that works well. All of the comments regarding the University of Virginia's resistance to online learning have been asked and settled by hundreds of other universities many years ago." The school has offered an array of certifications and degrees, such as a life experience degree, to scholars all over the world. Although the school presents a unique opportunity for disadvantaged or busy students to gain credit for specific skills, some fear that online education is a trend that will corrupt higher education.
The article reveals concerns that online education is a sore replacement for the unique experience gained by students who study at a physical campus. Other educators feel that online certification will always have trouble getting proper recognition from employers. And for university staff, online options could possibly dilute a school's brand - prospective students will merely see a price tag, rather than consider a university's specific qualities.
Regardless of these concerns, the framework for online education has already been established, and is a change that every school will have to address. Lewis Duncan, President of Rollins College, tells NPR, "There's the old saying that for any organization when the outside world is changing faster than the inside world, you're moving backward."
For Almeda University it is only a matter of time before major universities settle on a system that works for online education. Smith says, "The resistance into online education is temporary. It probably will not last another five years. Some educators simply are resistant to change. The online formula has proven itself over and again multiple times. If schools, like the University of Virginia, continue to resist online education, they will eventually become obsolete and off of the radar of many potential students looking for a college."
ABOUT:
Almeda University offers an Internet-based educational program to students interested in a variety of subjects. Established in 1997, Almeda University has largely led the development of online education by creating curriculums that allow students to both engage in interesting classes and prepare for future professional responsibilities. The University strives to implement the latest technology and instruction techniques in an effort to continually advance both its academic offerings and the way in which it provides them.
To learn more about Almeda University, visit www.almedauniversity.org.