Posts Tagged ‘online schools’
Making It To The Top
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008
Just like any other things that we rank, online universities and colleges are also being ranked so that the public may be informed as to their options on where to take their hard-earned money to get that diploma or degree they are aiming for.
As of this year, these are the top ten online schools from the Online Education Database:
1. Upper Iowa University
2. LeTourneau University
3. Libery University
4. Nova Southeastern University
5. California University of Pennsylvania
6. Grand Canyon University
7. Regent University
8. Champlain College
9. Westwood College
10. Tiffin University
Of course, you may be wondering how they were ranked and what kind of metrics were used to get the ranking that they have. There were eight different metrics involved that were used to be able to come up with the A-list of online schools and they are financial aid, acceptance rate, graduation rate, peer web citations, retention rate, scholarly citations, student-faculty ratio, and the number of years a school has been accredited.
The metrics are pretty much self-explanatory. The important thing is that these metrics should also serve as our basis in finding the right school for us to invest our education in. Having a good track record in graduation rate of students is a great indicator that the school values their students and has the dedication and thrust to provide good quality education no matter the medium is – online or in-campus. Having been accredited for years indicate that the school is there to stay and they are there to provide the education we need.
Making it to the top is not easy but it is possible and doable with the right mindset and objectives.
Tags: online schools, online universitiesPosted in College, College Tips, Online College and University | No Comments »
Legit or not legit
Sunday, November 9th, 2008
Online schools have been popping here and there. Although this is a good sign that online education is fast becoming more accessible and affordable, it could not be helped that there are fly-by-night schools that are just there to suck out your hard-earned money from you.
It is important that the prospective online student will be able to do an extensive research about the course and school that he or she wishes to enroll in. There are a lot of online forums and message boards that discuss online education and there are even education blogs (http://collegematchingservice.com) that give insightful and in-depth facts, opinions, ideas and thoughts so that they can help other people make that wise decision.
Other people may see this as black propaganda especially to those who are “endorsers” of these scamming schools. Oftentimes, the advertisements of these schools look legitimate and true. These schools promise to give you an online degree in one month or even two weeks. But if you scrutinize and take a look at their programs, you will eventually realize that they are online after your hard-earned money. Their faculty is bogus and you will just end up losing sight of your dream diploma.
There are even sites who promise to offer free online courses but the catch would be to pay for a number of miscellaneous fees like supplementary books, courses, documents and other study materials. They will ask for your address and credit card information but you will not be receiving anything in the mail. All that happened was that you were scammed into giving out your identity and then you end up being a victim of identity theft.
The internet has countless of reference sites and information so that you can get reliable, accurate and correct information about the online degrees of your choice. It just needs to take a little of your time for research but the rewards will be fruitful in the end.
Posted in Online College and University | No Comments »
Advantage of online schools
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Participating in online schools is much less intimidating than “in the classroom.” Anonymity provides students a level playing field undisturbed by bias caused by seating arrangement, gender, race and age. Students can also think longer about what they want to say and add their comments when ready. In a traditional class room, the conversation could have gone way past the point where the student wants to comment. Because there are no geographic barriers to online learning, students can find a diversity of course material that may not be available to them where they live or work. This is especially true for professional training such as medical billing training or purchasing training and for students in remote rural areas that cannot support college or vocational training centers. The online environment makes instructors more approachable. Students can talk openly with their teachers through online chats, email and in newsgroup discussions, without waiting for office hours that may not be convenient. This option for communication provides enhanced contact between instructors and students. Course material is accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Students have the ability to read and re read lectures, discussions, explanations and comments. Often spoken material in the classroom passes students by due to a number of distractions, missed classes, tiredness or boredom. Students can “attend” a course at anytime, from anywhere. This means that parents can attend to their children, then sit down to class; working students can attend classes no matter what their work schedule might be, folks that travel for business or pleasure can attend class from anywhere in the world that has internet access.
Tags: online college, online schoolsPosted in Online College and University | No Comments »