ABC's of Online College - A Series -Part 1
Has “digitization” come to stay in higher education?
In an interview on June 23 on CNBC’s program, Squawkbox, Shark Tank member Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, made a compelling case for the shrinking of retail brick and mortar businesses. He said many small businesses in his “portfolio” switched to online during the shuttering of the country and didn’t miss a beat earning money. Most significantly, they are NOT planning to go back to storefront operations when things open up. They can do 1/2 the business online and make the same profit. He says “digitization” has come to retail, and they won’t return to the old business model.
Wow. Could this be true, and will it spread?
The COVID-19 reported cases are increasing as we have started getting back to some normal activities. Large group activities are still suspect; required mask-wearing in public is mandatory where I live.
If you have a student who is a high school junior or senior, you may be worried about sending them off to in-person high school this fall. The additional thought of dumping them out at the big U in a couple of years is not looking so good. Let me ask you a question. Is the big U the education retail shop of the past, and is the path to a quality college degree transforming right in front of our eyes?
If so, should you consider another path to a college degree?
This is a radical idea. This is the opposite of all we know about going off to college. I went to a small brick and ivy school where everyone knew your name. Few can afford that experience anymore. A lot of folks are struggling to pay for 4 to 6 years at a nearby public university. People tell me regularly about their brother or cousin whose tax refunds are seized for payment on their college loans that are in default. 31 million former college students have no degree and are paying on their loans. The system is brutal if you cannot finish on time and with that degree AND easily manage the debt. That situation is tragically rare.
Take this journey with me anyway. Let’s start by reviewing some major misconceptions about an online degree that has stuck around for a couple of decades.
#1 Misconception: Online Education is a Second Class Education. Really? Do you consider a degree from the University of Florida, Penn State, Northeastern University, Purdue Global, or Colorado State to be inferior? I didn’t think so. These universities have been developing their programs for decades. In 2019, over 5.5 MILLION students were enrolled in online undergraduate courses. That is just over 25% or, 1 in 4 current college students. That is not a small number. And their degrees are respected by corporations, non-profits, and civil servant boards alike.
#2 Misconception: Online Degrees are (fill in the blanks… Easier, have No deadlines, Aren’t as good. ) Let’s get these details corrected. Easier- if you think that most online courses are easier because they generally run 4-8 weeks, it’s just the opposite. The same material is taught, with all the deadlines and requirements of a classic 16-week campus course. If anything, online might be more demanding on your time management skills. No deadlines- in the earliest years of online college this was a problem but not anymore. Deadlines are a part of college, online or on-campus. Aren’t as good-This is not an issue. The same oversight commissions that certify big U in-person courses certify these also.
#3 Misconception: Online Degrees are for losers ( those who can’t make it at a regular college or university). Sorry. This is just bogus. You must apply for admission just like a traditional college. And you are going to work for and towards that degree JUST like anyone else. You will work hard. You will need to have the same commitment, drive, and determination as traditional on-campus students. And you must have top-notch personal time management skills because you don’t have the luxury of on-campus downtime. Data shows online degree students have careers, family, and other commitments that demand effective, efficient study systems.
One in four college students is doing college online. It used to be one in ten just a few years ago. Online colleges and universities with a history of this programming offer demanding, rewarding, and challenging courses.
In a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article, Professor Rachel Toor of Eastern Washington University shares the specific steps taken when her creative writing classes transitioned to Zoom during the pandemic. In a nutshell, she created smaller groups, let them help each other, accepted the “chat” aspect of Zoom, and opined that less is better than more. She was sensitive, thought-full, and adapted often and frequently to make the most out of the final quarter courses she was teaching, long-distance.
This is the harbinger of the future in higher education. Not just because of the pandemic, but because of the Perfect Storm of Outlandish Loans, Dismal Graduation Rates, and a dull sense that there has got be another way. Online is one of many paths to a college degree I suggest you consider in my book, ENOUGH! The College Cost Crisis
And, right now, this can come at sweet, sweet savings. Let’s say a normal 3 credit course costs between $500-600 online. You sign up for a standard semester of 4 courses so a semester “online” might run around $2,500. That is just 35% of our local university tuition charges. In some places that is less than your community college tuition with no commute! If your student can live at home while doing this, they are saving another one-half on room and board charges. When you add those savings together, it can easily top $50,000 in four years. If you can work part-time, you can save even more.
This is ONE of many paths to a college degree. Next week’s blog will walk you through how to set this up. Caution: the process runs contrary to everything you’ve known about doing college “in person.” Get your heart, mind, and wallet in a good place for this “strange” way to do college.
Until next time,
All my best,
Bonnie Burkett
