Community colleges are increasing online course offerings

Community colleges are increasing online course offerings

Online education is growing popular among adults who wish to acquire new skills in order to adapt to the ever-changing job market. Community colleges are beginning to expand their web-based degree programs, as more adult learners require the flexibility that online coursework has to offer. According to the Daily News, community colleges are experiencing growth in online enrollments at a rate of about 20 percent per year.

In Los Angeles, many students are choosing online community colleges to avoid driving on the city's overcrowded and inefficient roads. The Los Angeles Community College District has experienced an 11 percent increase in online enrollments over the past decade, the news source reports. Across California, an increasing number of the state's 112 junior colleges have begun to offer online courses.

A greater number of students now have access to textbooks and journals, videos and other educational aids via the Internet.

"Our students need the opportunity to be able to enroll in online classes, so it's fulfilling our mission of providing those courses." Tyree Wieder, community colleges interim chancellor, told the news source.

Recent estimates from the Pew Research Center suggest that community colleges enroll close to half of all U.S. undergraduates.

By Mark Danson