| During times of economic recession when | | | | Many adults who would like to go to traditional |
| employment opportunities are minimal and layoffs are | | | | universities to earn degrees are unable due to busy |
| abundant, adults naturally seek opportunities to make | | | | schedules. They have to work or search for new |
| themselves more marketable to employers. Whether | | | | jobs. They have children to care for and households |
| individuals need to acquire new skills to enter an | | | | to run. "They may prefer to go into the classroom |
| entirely different career field, or they simply want to | | | | but they need to work or stay at home and they |
| fine tune skills that they already possess to keep | | | | don't have the time. An online education may be their |
| their existing jobs, education is often the solution. | | | | only chance to get a degree" (Johnson, 2006). |
| However, unemployed or working adults with families | | | | Online courses offer much more flexibility than |
| and busy lives may have difficulties fitting college | | | | traditional classroom classes. Students can participate |
| courses into their hectic schedules. Recession May | | | | on days that are convenient for them. If they have |
| Drive More Adults Students to Take Online Classes | | | | to do their schoolwork early in the morning before |
| by Steve Kolowich is an article that discusses the | | | | going to work or late at night after the children are |
| reasons many adult students will choose online | | | | asleep, they can. Online courses still have participation |
| learning in the current economy. In this article, I will | | | | requirements and assignments with due dates, but if |
| summarize Kolowich's article. I will also provide an | | | | students know that they will be busy on days |
| analysis of what I think has created this enrollment | | | | assignments are due, they can simply do these ahead |
| trend: cost, convenience, and completion. | | | | of time. |
| Article Summary | | | | Many online programs allow students to take only |
| Adults often choose times of economic hardship to | | | | one or two courses at a time to be "full-time." This |
| go to school. Currently, more adults are selecting | | | | allows busy adults to focus on a minimal amount of |
| two-year colleges and private for-profit colleges than | | | | subjects. Their other responsibilities would make it |
| traditional four-year universities for their educational | | | | difficult to take four to five classes at one time as is |
| needs. Many of these students will take online | | | | necessary to be full-time at traditional universities. |
| courses. The 2008 Sloan Survey of Online Learning | | | | Students do not have to leave their homes or jobs |
| anticipated that all types of colleges would | | | | to attend online classes. They can participate in class |
| experience increases in enrollments, but non-traditional | | | | from anywhere that has a computer with internet |
| schools could see the greatest jumps in enrollments. | | | | access. Time is not wasted driving to campuses, |
| Elaine Allen, one of the report's authors, attributes | | | | finding parking, and walking to classes. Parents do not |
| this to the fact that non-traditional schools offer | | | | have to worry about finding childcare for their |
| online classes. | | | | children during class times. Students do not have to |
| Online classes offer many conveniences that | | | | rush from work to school to home feeling as if they |
| traditional college courses do not. Students can take | | | | are constantly on the go. Online classes offer |
| online classes at times that work for them. They do | | | | conveniences like these that traditional courses |
| not have to leave their homes to go to school. They | | | | cannot. |
| are still able to care for the needs of their families. | | | | Completion |
| Individuals can save on gas by not having to drive to | | | | According to Stevenson (2008), "today's |
| campuses. | | | | non-traditional student is interested in one thing: |
| Online enrollment has been steadily increasing since | | | | completion, completion, completion." Adult students |
| 2003. More than a fifth of all students enrolled in | | | | want to earn or complete their degrees as quickly as |
| higher education were taking at least one online | | | | possible. "Students earning a bachelor's degree from |
| course in 2007. Over half of the colleges surveyed in | | | | University of Phoenix take one class at a time for |
| 2007 thought that it was critical to offer online | | | | five weeks per course" (Johnson, 2006). This means |
| courses to students. In addition, 70% of the colleges | | | | that students can complete up to 10 - three credit |
| noticed an increase of student interest in online | | | | courses in a year or 30 semester credits. Accelerated |
| learning. Students are beginning to choose colleges | | | | online degree programs like this are a big attraction |
| specifically for their online programs. | | | | to individuals who desire to complete degrees quickly. |
| Cost | | | | Conclusion |
| Because of the recession, jobs are scarce. Tough | | | | Because of our country's current economic recession, |
| economic times put "more people in the pipeline, | | | | more often adults are enrolling in degree programs. |
| looking, and hoping for opportunities" (Stevenson, | | | | Some hope to find new jobs, while others aspire to |
| 2008). Taking classes or earning a degree gives | | | | keep the jobs they have. Education is an effective |
| individuals an edge over the competition in the job | | | | way increase employment opportunities. Many of |
| market. "The majority of continuing education | | | | these individuals choose to attend non-traditional |
| students today are most concerned with first getting | | | | colleges. Non-traditional schools offer several |
| into the academic pipeline" (Stevenson, 2008). Adults | | | | advantages to benefit the busy adult. These |
| enroll in programs that offer classes to complete | | | | advantages include cost, convenience, and |
| degrees they did not finish in the past. "A lot of | | | | completion. Non-traditional institutions "tend to offer |
| people want to increase their skill levels or get that | | | | programs that have traditionally been tailored to |
| degree they didn't have. The threat of losing their | | | | serve working adults" (Kolowich, 2009). Online |
| jobs can be as big a motivator as the actuality" | | | | courses offered by many of these schools are the |
| (Kolowich, 2009). The cost of losing a job or not | | | | ideal educational alternative for busy adults. |
| obtaining a new job is greater than the cost of | | | | References |
| education. In addition, non-traditional colleges offering | | | | Johnson, F. (2003, August 21). Online Education Helps |
| online courses often cost about the same of even | | | | Fight Enrollment Dip. Enterprise/Salt Lake City, 36(7), |
| less than traditional universities. | | | | 9. Retrieved August 1, 2009, from Regional Business |
| Unemployment benefits often pay educational costs | | | | News database. |
| during the first year of unemployment. Unemployed | | | | Kolowich, S. (2009, January 16). Recession May Drive |
| individuals can use these benefits to take classes. | | | | More Adult Students to Take Online Classes. |
| Some companies give educational benefits to | | | | Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(19), A11-A11. |
| employees that they had to layoff. Former | | | | Retrieved August 1, 2009, from Academic Search |
| employees can use these benefits to learn new skills. | | | | Complete database. |
| Individuals are able to enroll in classes without | | | | Stevenson, J. (2008, September 15). Streamline the |
| worrying about how to pay for them. | | | | Pipeline. Business West, 25(9), 38. Retrieved August, |
| Convenience | | | | 1, 2009, from Regional Business News database. |