Online university offers innovative new coursework

Online university offers innovative new coursework

Distance learning has evolved from pre-recorded lectures to live video conferencing. Today's web-based coursework includes medical training, public speaking lessons and at-home experiments, the Miami Herald reports.

Online education has grown in popularity as more adults have realized the benefits of flexible scheduling and innovative assignments. According to the Sloan Consortium, the 2009 academic year saw a 17 percent surge in online students, while the total number of college attendees rose 1.2 percent.

"People are becoming more accepting and used to technology," John Bourne, executive director of the Sloan Consortium told the news source.

For example, undergraduates who attend Florida International University online participate in group assignments for science class. Students arrange a convenient time and place to assist each other with labs. About two-thirds of projects are completed through at-home experiments, while other lessons involve computer simulations. Participants are then able to take pictures of their work and email it to professors.

Online education can be convenient for degree seekers, as many adult learners have full-time jobs or children.

During the 2008 academic year, more than 4.6 million students took at least one online course, the Sloan Consortium reports.

By Mark Danson