Online degrees - what are they really worth?
Imagine a university where you can study when you want, not have to get up for early morning lectures and where your fellow students and classmates are dotted around the globe.
Online degrees are becoming increasingly popular as people choose flexible methods of study which mean they can fit in a full time career as well. Following the collapse of the Government's £50 million online university, UkeU, last year, internet users are now looking at ways they can gain qualifications without having to relocate or even set foot in a classroom.
David Christmas is director of distance learning at the University of Leicester, one of the universities pioneering online learning. He believes that gaining a degree using technology is a revolutionary step in education. "It's about flexibility, not whether it's delivered online or in print. By embedding online discussion areas into distance learning degrees we can bring together students who are spread across the world. We're also able to offer them library resources."
Online learning is particularly beneficial for those who have difficulty in accessing education resources such as the disabled or those with family commitments. However, Lawrence Hamburg, assistant director of the Higher Education Academy, agrees that although distance learning offers more opportunities to students, it certainly isn't for everyone:
"You miss out on the social side so it can be a lonely experience. You need to be disciplined and to set aside time for studying each week. Students need to be sure it will fit into their lifestyle."
Hamburg also urges students to choose their online institution wisely and avoid those that they may never have heard of, as employers tend to have certain universities they like to choose from, particularly if the course is from a non-UK university. Nevertheless, degrees obtained online from British institutions are monitored by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the same agency that checks and oversees university courses offered on campuses.
Tuition fees on the courses are slightly lower than what universities charge to those attending their campuses, and with the new Conservative leader David Cameron suggesting that top-up fees will remain if he becomes prime minister, many more students could soon be opting to study online.
Send this article to a friend