Online Education Resources
Is Online Learning Right for You?
As busy professionals struggle to balance career development training with demanding job and personal responsibilities, online education has emerged as the obvious solution. A far cry from the correspondence courses of old, today’s distance learning programs take full advantage of the Internet and emerging technologies to deliver engaging on-demand lessons and real-time interaction between professors and students. And with a growing number of respected traditional universities embracing online education, the quality of Internet-based courses rivals the best campus-based programs.
Government Study Validates Effectiveness of Online Education
The U.S. Department of Education recently conducted an analysis of studies comparing online education to face-to-face instruction. Its findings revealed that at the post-secondary level, students enrolled in online courses performed better and experienced superior learning outcomes to those who took the same courses in a traditional classroom setting.* The study’s lead author, Barbara Means, concluded that the research proves online education “is not just better than nothing – it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction.”**
Choosing an Online Education Program
When it comes to online education, it’s important to realize that not all programs are created equal. Prospective students would do well to seek out online classes offered by nationally recognized, accredited universities and colleges that have a reputation for high-quality content and curricula. Likewise, students should evaluate the ease and functionality of the online learning technology. Lectures delivered via streaming video allow participants to pause, rewind and replay presentations to ensure comprehension, and the option to download MP3 audio files means that students can listen to lessons on the go. Another feature of well-designed online education programs is multiple communication methods. Students should be able to connect with their professors and fellow classmates via dedicated message boards, chat rooms and email any time of the day or night.
The University of San Francisco (USF) offers all of these benefits – and many others – through its online education programs. USF currently offers certificate courses in some of today’s most in-demand fields; refer to the following online education resources for more details:
Online Education Information
All course lectures, assignments and exams are conducted entirely online. Upon completion of each course, students will receive a certificate of achievement from USF’s acclaimed School of Business and Management.
For more details about USF’s online education programs – including advanced specialized certificates and multi-course master certificates – call 800-436-1713 or use our online form to request more information.
* Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies; published by the U.S. Department of Education, 2009.
** “Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom,” by Steve Lohr; published on NYTimes.com, August 19, 2009.