University increases online continuing education programs

University increases online continuing education programs

Online enrollments experienced a 17 percent increase over the past year, exceeding the 1.2 percent growth of traditional on-campus enrollment, according to the Sloan Consortium. This may have been caused by the growing number of nontraditional students who are returning to college in order to continue their education.

Recently, Linfield College announced that is expanding its existing adult education programs. The school currently offers five online degrees and three online certificate programs.

Linfield provides the curriculum through online group discussions, message boards and e-mails, communication and social interaction.

"The ability to interact with others in a virtual space is invaluable," said Kimberly Steele, who teaches online marketing courses at Linfield College.

The university's online adult education programs are designed for learners who are seeking to earn a degree or certificate at an older age than traditional students.

According to a 2009 report published by the Sloan Consortium, approximately 4.6 million students were taking at least one online course during the 2008-2009 academic year.

By Mark Danson