Studies predict that 2.2 million people will enroll in distance learning by 2003, up from just 700,000 in 1998. Serious players like the University of Phoenix Online are feeling the enrollment boom. The online-only college has more than 18,000 students registered today, up from 4,700 in 1997. Continuing education has become a fundamental part of higher learning. The E-Learning Alternative Poulin said schools typically begin by putting a few courses up on the Internet.
Students can then combine the online courses with traditional in-person classes to earn a degree.
Students like the choice of going to a given class on-site or online, he said. What draws people in and leads to a successful online presence, however, are certificates or degree programs in which individuals can do the entire program online. The most prevalent online programs are associate degrees, which represent the basic first two years of college, and master s degrees. More and more people are also opting for online education as a way to complete a bachelor s degree after attending a two-year community. With many of us pursuing four or five careers during our working lives, continuing education has become a fundamental part of higher learning.