When I hear someone is considering taking an online course, the first thing I want to know is if they think it’s going to be easier than learning in a college classroom.

Online learning, while convenient at times, appears to often require that student use more self-discipline to study and complete assignments and be more proactive in asking questions and showing professors virtually that you want to succeed.

A new study shows that learning online may be more challenging than a course that’s based in a classroom. The study found that community college students enrolled in online courses were more likely to fail than those in classes that require at least some face-to-face interaction.

Two researchers – Di Xu & Shanna Smith Jaggars – of the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College tracked 51,000 students enrolled at community and technical colleges in Washington from fall 2004 to spring 2009.

They looked at their success in face-to-face and online courses as well as hybrid classes that combine the two. The results: Online students had an 82 percent chance of completion; students in classroom courses had a 90 percent chance.

It’s something to consider, especially if you’re thinking of taking an online course offered by a community college. Some of the stumbling blocks, says the study, may be that low-income students learning online face technical difficulties, a sense of isolation, and limited availability of online support services.

Of course, online learning isn’t going away. Data shows that 29 percent of college students took at least one online course during fall 2009, up 21 percent from the previous year.

But what type of changes are needed in online learning to allow students reach the same level of success as they do in face to face or hybrid courses? Based on what the researchers found in Washington, here are their recommendations:

• Schools make a more proactive effort to offer student support services, like 24-hour online technical support and reference librarian support
• Require students to complete an assessment to determine whether an online course is a good option, before enrolling.
• Require students complete the tutorial on how to use the online course management system, or they don’t get to take the class.

Whether you’re considering an online program through a community college or two-year or four-year public or private school, you can’t expect to breeze through as an anonymous student online. Before you enroll in an online course, consider the potential challenges to completing it with a good grade. And once the course begins, don’t give up, even if it means making sacrifices to finish.

-Lori Johnston

No one would argue that one of the best things about being an online student is that you don’t have to be in the same location as the school. You may be frosty in Alaska, learning from a school based in sunny Florida, or in a rural spot in Kansas taking classes from a school with a physical address in hectic New York City.

Well, the U.S. Dept. of Education wanted to require schools with online programs to gain approval in every state where students who are enrolled reside. The so-called “state authorization” rule would have required some schools to take the extra step of seeking approval from all 50 states.

The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, whose members include for-profit colleges who operate online, sued the education department regulations over this and other new requirements. A federal court in July threw out this requirement for state approval, noting that online programs were included without having enough time to review and comment on the new rule.

Schools are cheering the ruling. Administrators like those at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, said the rule would have made it more challenging to provide high-quality, cost-effective education to students by adding unnecessary costs and stifling “the institution’s ability to offer innovative, market-driven programs.” Slippery Rock’s president wrote online:

“We might have someone in Colorado studying Parks and Resource Management, or someone in Mississippi pursuing a masters in Criminology. Can you imagine the administrative nightmare of having to try to anticipate where the next online student might be living so that we could ask that state for permission for that student to take an SRU class? Scary thought.”

As a student, does it matter to you whether the school you are virtually attending gets approval to teach you from the state where you are living?

-Lori Johnston

Adult education is more than a nice idea.

According to a new report by the Center for Law and Social Policy and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, it’s essential. “Not Just Kid Stuff Anymore: The Economic Imperative for More Adults to Complete College” highlights the widening skills gap in our country and the need for educated adults to save us from economic stagnation and decline. Some educators think that recruiting more adult students is a bad idea. We tend to disagree, and here’s why:

• Adult students can inspire the younger generation (e.g., their own kids and grandkids) to pursue higher education and lifelong learning. A mom who’s in the throes of homework and tests and papers is in a perfect position to make the case for the importance of studying. By going back to school as an adult, you’re not just telling your kids education is important, you’re showing them.
• Students benefit from a diverse classroom, one with a mix of ages and experiences. Oftentimes, adult students serve as mentors and role models to the traditional students in their classes. Just by virtue of their life experience, adult students can be a tremendous addition to the learning environment.
• Adult students typically have to work harder to get to school, balancing demands of family and jobs, and therefore are more motivated to learn. When you have to fight tooth and nail to get something, you generally appreciate it more. Adult students are serious students, and they’re persistent. That kind of focus and dedication can be a strong indicator of success.
• It’s no surprise, then, that nontraditional students may have an edge in the classroom. With their life and work experience, adults are in an excellent position to make connections between real-life problems and what they’re learning in school. Nontraditional students are not learning in a vacuum – they’re going to school while balancing the rest of their lives. Real-life applications tend to make learning more meaningful, and make it stick.
• Being an adult student doesn’t mean you’re relegated to studying at a fly-by-night institution. These days, good, solid adult education programs are in place all over the place. Bottom line: you’ve got choices. Community colleges, for-profit schools, and nonprofit schools all cater to nontraditional students, and courses are available online, in-person (day, night, weekend), and in a hybrid format.
• Unless you’ve already achieved everything you wanted to in life (If so, I’d like to meet you!), going back to school as an adult is a great way to improve your situation and circumstances. It’s never too late to break free from a dead-end job, or no job at all. If you want to stay employed in the 21^st century marketplace, you’ve got to keep your skills fresh.
• Of course, education is not just about job training. The intellectual stimulation and other personal benefits of education are unparalleled, and those benefits are not reserved for traditional students alone. Education can change your life – no matter how old you are.

If you’re feeling daunted by the prospect of going back to school as an adult, remember that “college” doesn’t always mean a four-year liberal arts degree program. Any education you pursue after high school (certificate program, associate degree, etc.) can make a difference – for you, your classmates, your family… and your country.

-Robyn Tellefsen