| Sloan Consortium, a group of organizations dedicated | | | | Campus-based learning is generally advisable for |
| to quality online education, said in the seventh edition | | | | disciplines like engineering. Programs that require |
| of its annual report on the state of online learning in | | | | extensive practical and hands on training or involve |
| the U.S. that online enrollments, which have been | | | | great deal of laboratory work are better pursed at a |
| growing at a faster rate than the total higher | | | | bricks and mortar institute. |
| education student population, are showing no signs of | | | | Quality |
| slowing. | | | | Online: This again ties back to the question of validity |
| The report stated that over 4.6 million students were | | | | and acceptability of online degrees. There has been a |
| taking at least one online course during the fall term | | | | greater acceptability of online degrees because of |
| of 2008 - an increase of 17 percent over the | | | | the perceived improvement in the quality of |
| previous year and far exceeding the 1.2 percent | | | | education disbursed through these programs. In fact, |
| growth in the overall higher education student | | | | many universities have started offering online |
| population. | | | | programs to capture the growing market. According |
| It is clear that online education is emerging as a | | | | to a survey conducted by the National Center for |
| popular choice for the new-age student. However, a | | | | Education Statistics, 66 percent of 2-year and 4-year |
| debate is still raging over which is better - online | | | | Title IV degree-granting post-secondary institutions |
| degree programs or on-campus degrees. While there | | | | reported offering online, hybrid/blended, or other |
| is no easy answer to this because which of the two | | | | distance education courses during the 2006-07 |
| alternatives work better for you depends to a large | | | | academic year. |
| degree on your circumstances, let's compare the two | | | | Campus: The quality of education offered by reputed |
| modes of education on some important parameters | | | | campus-based programs is most often top-notch. |
| to get a clearer picture. | | | | The faculty members are trained and the programs, |
| Accessibility | | | | designed by experts, adhere to strict quality criteria. |
| Online: One of the greatest breakthroughs of online | | | | However, there is a rising trend wherein online |
| education has been that it has made higher education | | | | degrees offered by an institute are exactly the same |
| accessible to many people, who are unable to attend | | | | in content as its on campus degrees. |
| a bricks and mortar school for a variety of reasons. | | | | Flexibility |
| Moreover, online students are not bound by any | | | | Online: This is where online education wins hands |
| geographical limits. They can apply to any school of | | | | down. The flexibility offered to online students is |
| their choice as they are free to pursue an online | | | | unparalleled - whether it's in terms of the pace of |
| program from anywhere. | | | | learning or setting your own schedule. Online degree |
| Campus: Campus-based education still works within a | | | | programs are ideally suited for working professionals |
| fairly rigid structure. From location to lodging, | | | | or those who have other responsibilities. Online |
| everything needs to fall in place if you are considering | | | | programs allow them to draw a better balance |
| traditional, classroom-based degree programs. | | | | between work, home, and education. |
| Validity | | | | Campus: Campus-based programs are pretty |
| Online: "Diploma mills" are the biggest bane of online | | | | structured and still operate within rigid schedules. |
| education. Diploma mills are fraudulent institutions that | | | | There are set timetables that need to be followed |
| sell unaccredited degrees, which involve no serious | | | | and a minimum attendance requirement for most on |
| academic study. It is, therefore, imperative that | | | | campus degrees. It is often difficult for people to |
| students check the credentials of a university | | | | manage full-time jobs while they are attending a |
| offering online programs. Accredited online degrees | | | | bricks and mortar college. |
| are accepted as valid degrees by academicians as | | | | Cost |
| well as employers. There is no greater indicator of its | | | | Online: Online degree programs are more economical |
| validity than the availability of federal student aid to | | | | than traditional degrees. If you pursue a degree |
| those enrolled in an eligible online degree program at | | | | online, you also benefit from saving costs associated |
| an accredited Title IV-eligible institution. | | | | with commuting, housing, food, and textbooks (as |
| Campus: Although there may be some fraudulent | | | | the study material is available online and costs |
| bricks and mortar schools, the prevalence of such | | | | considerably less). |
| schools is comparatively less than substandard or | | | | Campus: The spiraling cost of college has been an |
| unaccredited online schools. However, even if you are | | | | area of concern for a long time now. However, given |
| attending campus-based programs, it's good to have | | | | the state of the economy, the sky-rocketing tuition |
| your tracks covered by checking the reputation and | | | | fee for campus-based programs is discouraging many |
| accreditation status of the school. | | | | from pursuing higher education altogether. |
| Acceptance | | | | Evidently, degree programs, both online and traditional |
| Online: Various research organizations have statistics | | | | have their pros and cons. That's probably why many |
| to prove the growing acceptability of online degrees. | | | | colleges have now started looking towards hybrid |
| Academic leaders as well as employers now | | | | education, which combines the best of both worlds. |
| acknowledge the legitimacy of online programs and | | | | A generous use of technology and liberal amount of |
| most treat them at par with traditional degrees. | | | | flexibility coupled with world-class practical training and |
| Campus: According to some experts, certain | | | | invigorating social interactions - that's where the |
| programs are less suited for online only schools. | | | | future of education lies! |