Earn Your Business Degree Online With Ease

With your online degree courses, you can achieve your goal of earning an online college degree even with your busy schedule. The virtual online classroom gives you the freedom and flexibility you have been looking for. You can conveniently attend classes online without interrupting your lifestyle.

What are the Most Popular Business Degrees Offered Online?

Some of the most popular online business degrees include the Associate in Business Administration (ABA), the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BBA), and the Master of Business Administration (MBA). Students who earn these degrees often have the opportunity to specialize in different aspects of business, such as accounting, finance, economics, marketing, or management, while they earn their degree.

Benefits of Online Degree Program in Business

A Business degree holder have a wide range of careers to choose from such as, finance, management, teaching, administrative, human resources, and even as a successful business owner just to name a few. Other benefits that you will gain from an online business degree include:

Leadership Skills: An online business degree program gives you the training, knowledge, and skills to handle positions in management and other leadership careers.

Business Skills: The online business degree courses involve a variety of training in business and all aspects of the business world. These online courses and training teaches you how to use the knowledge and skills in real-world business environment.

Career Mobility: An online degree program in business allows you to change careers without having to change your degree. It is one of the most flexible and sought after degree in the business world.

Global Recognition: An online business degree from a reputable accredited online institution is recognized worldwide. You can go anywhere in the world and launch a successful career with your online business degree.

Earning Potential with an Online Degree Program in Business

With your completed degree in business administration, you can expect substantial starting salaries. However, salaries vary considerably based on which degree you have and what area of business you choose to pursue. The average entry-level, annual salary for an applicant with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA- with a management concentration) is $45,778, according to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

So, if you want a degree that will give you the best advantages in career options, then consider an online degree in Business from one of the top online colleges to help you reach your goal.

by K. James

To be qualified as an Environmental Engineer, individuals must first have successfully completed a Bachelor degree in any social science. Most Environmental Engineers will have a strong background in geography, biology, chemistry and computer science. The aspect of computer science is even more relevant as it allows them to communicate with peers and immediately disperse their findings to the world. Individuals at high levels of education such as the master and PhD level will conduct various researches and produce papers on the various changes within the environment. As we are now experiencing the battle between the developed nations and environmentalists about issues of global warming, the work of these professionals is even more important.

Course Outline for Degrees in Environmental Engineering

The design of online degree in Environmental Engineering stats with the basic sciences such as biology, chemistry, geography, physics. As you proceed along the online course, online universities start to introduce to students information on laws, the politics of environmental protection, public policy and urban planning. In the final stages of the program, students learn about environmental assessment and impact, environmental pollution, risk assessment and principles of Environmental Engineering.

Benefit of the Online Degree in Environmental Engineering

The remote accessibility of the online degree in Environmental Engineering allows students to study from any location as long as they have internet access. As a result, better-financed environmental engineers can even connect to the online university via satellite link without having to leave from their remote locations where the conduct their environmental studies. In addition, they can also immediately implement many of the strategies earned during the program.

Also, the design of online environmental programs are based on the recommendations of leading environmental experts who introduce various cutting edge technologies to he profession and ensure that courses are kept up to date.

Career Outlook for Environmental Engineers

The increasing concern about global is attracting many more individuals to the field of Environmental Engineering. These individuals are attracted by the desire to play their part in saving the environment and the lucrative salaries they earn. As a result, growth in this field is expected to be about 25% through to 2016.

Salaries fluctuate with events such as natural disasters, type of environmental specialization, and level of qualification. In general, average salaries hover around the $70,000 mark.

Top Online Universities for degrees in Environment Engineering

The online educational industry is playing its part in saving our environment by offering high-level courses on the impact of Environmental Engineering. During the program the also encourage students to conduct apprentice training that complements their training. Some of these online universities include:

• Stanford University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• University of California
• University of North Carolina

by Emma

Online Education

Many practitioners lead busy lives both personally and professionally. As a result, individuals need the ability to enroll in distance-learning programs. Many jurisdictions are approving online continuing education courses for added convenience. Program sponsors are typically required to have their tax courses pre-approved in order for attendees to earn online continuing education credits. The providers must also supply an accurate course description, content overview and the amount of credits that are obtainable.

Online CE can be used in conjunction with a virtual classroom or for self-study purposes. It is important to note that may states and organizations ordinarily require an examination in order to verify the practitioner’s assessment of the content. This ensures that the practitioner has actually completed the course.

Unique CE Opportunities

Practitioners are able to obtain free continuing education credit for teaching courses and/or publishing relevant works. The amount of research, preparation and time that goes into these types of projects is rewarded through CE credit. The research that is needed for published articles or books will touch on pertinent subjects that deal with financial planning and federal taxation, among others. In certain situations, a teacher can earn double CE credits during the initial presentation. The majority of jurisdictions limit the earned credits to a specific percentage of the total CE hours needed.

Reporting Procedures

Many professional associations and state governments, as well as the federal government, are supporting online registration and reporting of CE credit hours. This not only reduces the amount of time and money that is spent on processing requests, but it also makes it easier for practitioner’s to submit their information and records.

Many organizations are allowing sponsors to submit Certificates of Completion through electronic means, which also make the record keeping and renewal process straightforward. In addition, many CE sponsors can register their online CPE courses for review online – providing practitioners with supplementary course selections, locations, content and dates.

Federal CE Changes

One of the most significant trends in CE is the federal government’s initiative to provide the public with qualified tax preparers. Any individual that accepts a fee for tax preparation services will now need to register with the IRS in order to be included in an approved database of preparers. The public will be able to verify an individual’s current standing quickly and will be able to see that they have met the guidelines issued by the IRS.

Because of the federal changes, a preparer will now need to obtain a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) in order to process tax returns beginning on January 1, 2011. In addition, a 15-hour CE requirement will now go into effect that must be satisfied on an annual basis. In order to complete the registration process, preparers will have to pay a $64.25 renewal fee.

by Sawyer Adams

According to college education & funding survey reports found, the results show that college tuition fees have increased by over 400 percent from year 1982 to 2007 while households’ income rose below 150%. Situation may become worse following the bad economy that leads to a recession, which may put higher education out of the reach for most students. An alternative education option is needed and online education is the solution, it makes college education more affordable.

Online education has been around for years providing an alternative option for students for earning their degree. Online degrees have been wisely accepted in job market, most online students have no problem to use their online degree to start their career or find a job. During economy up-time, online education is an alternative; students can choose to pursue their degree either online or at a brick-and-mortar university. However, when comes to a recession, the education cost is the key consideration factor for many students, online education become a great option for students to pursue a degree at an affordable cost.

Online education saves cost in a variety of ways. Most of learning materials are in downloadable format, helping students to reduce the cost needed in purchasing printed books and references. Students don’t need to travel back and forth the campus by attending classes online through internet connection, saving them time and money on transportation. For students who take the traditional path to earn their degree at the brick-and-mortar university, they may need to relocate to the area near the school if they leave far away. The relocation cost can be saved if they choose the alternative education option and earning their degree online. With online education, distance does not matter, any school that offers online degree programs can be reached at a mouse click.

Generally, the tuition fee for online degree is cheaper than the same degree cost in campus-based school. Since most of teaching materials are in online format and the classes are done through the online learning system which does not require physical classroom setting, most schools are afforded to offer the online degree in cheaper way without scarifying the teaching quality. Online education provides a more affordable channel for students to pursue a degree from their computer through internet connection.

Summary

The education cost has risen 3 times faster that the household’s income, stopping more students from pursuing higher education due to unaffordable education cost. The online education helps to reduce the total cost in the ways of reducing some major expenses, making it a more affordable education option, meeting the tight budget for many students in the time of recession.

by Amelia Turner

About Capella University

Founded in 1993 Capella University in the state of Minnesota, offers high quality education with innovative course programs catering to the needs of adult learners and also offers to give the required training and sufficient learning experience. This exclusively online University is owned by Capella Educational Company. More than 29,000 students are enrolled for different courses with students from across 56 countries and a majority of them are pursuing post graduate and doctoral course programs.

Course Structure Online

The course structure of the online programs offered by Capella University is as follows

• The programs start with an orientation introducing the students to programs
• Followed by the orientation is a little intro to technology and ways to handle them
• Assignments are offered online specifying the due date, time, grading and all other relevant details, which can be printed for the reference of students.
• Online discussion with peers and instructors is possible with online interactive sessions
• The classes are held at any time of the day; precisely it depends on when you log in.
• You are required to spend 13 hours per week, with hours varying from 5 to 20 hours per course.
• All the classes have a clear start and end date. Where every quarter will have close to 10 weeks with a 2 to 3 weeks break between every semester.
• The length of the program depends upon the number of classes you will take per week, credit points you have earned in the current course, points you were able to transfer from your previous courses and finally the course time frame specified.
• The courses offered have both graded and non-graded courses. The final grade results are given within two weeks from the date of completion of the course.
• Enrollments to the courses are offered every month.
• The classes to be taken and when you can access them are specified online.

Online Programmes Offered

Online course programs offered by Capella University are of high educational standards and offers to cater to the requirements of all those full time employees and busy professionals.

Capella University offers the following online courses

Doctoral Programs (PhD)

Doctoral Programs are offered in Psychology, Business, Public Service, Human Service, Education and Technology.

Masters Program (MS)

Capella University offers masters degree in Human Resources, Business, Law, Industry, Healthcare, Project, Education, Human Service, Children Psychology and Public Service. It also offers Masters of Business Administration in Finance, Accounting, Health Care, Marketing, Human Resource and Information Technology.

Bachelors Program (BS)

The undergraduate courses offered by Capella University offer Bachelors of Science in the following areas.

• Accounting
• Marketing
• Security Management
• Health care
• Finance
• Human Resource
• Network
• Project Management
• Information Assurance
• Business Administration
• Software
• Human Resource
• General Information
• Public Administration

Educational Programs (Eds)

Educational programs are offered in Instruction and educational administration
Certification Programs

Certification programs are also offered by Capella University in the following subjects

• Human resource
• Information Assurance
• Enrolment Management
• Addiction Counseling
• Health Care
• Management Studies
• Professional and Marriage Counseling
• School Psychology
• Project Management
• Community Service
• Leadership
• College Studies

Capella University Admission Requirements

The university has a very detailed admission procedure to be followed hence the students should be very clear before proceeding. The admission requirements are listed for your reference.

• Online tests are conducted to assess the potential of prospective students
• Program specific requirements should be complied with in order to gain admission
• Additional requirements may be required to be specified by the student depending upon the course of study chosen
• International applicants are required to submit their test scores in Tests of English like TOEFL, IELTS and MELAB. The TOEFL scores expected are a minimum of 550 points for paper based and 213 for computer based test, for MELAB it is 80 and for IELTS it is 6.5
• Graduates are required to complete the application form and also attached transcripts of their other educational qualifications
• Where the students do not comply with the minimum admission requirements, details of their work experience, letter of recommendation are considered for admission
• Where discrepancies arise, admissions are rejected and if admitted, the students are withdrawn.
• Conditional admissions are offered to students who take time to submit their original transcripts.
• Admission requirements for different programs are stated specifically.
• Where students do not comply with all the required admission criteria, such applications are not entertained.
• Where students who are admitted are found inactive for a period of more than four quarters, their admission is withdrawn. Such students are required to apply for readmission to proceed with the course activity.

Fee Structure

The fee structure for the program depends on the level of degree and nature of specialization opted for. A uniform $75 is charged towards non refundable admission fee and for international students additional $150 is charged. Students ID Replacement charges of $15 is charged. The course fee is divided into semester based collection installments. Refer to their detailed tuition chart for exact figures.

Capella University – Tuition Fee Reduction Program

Tuition cost can be reduced with the help of the following programs namely, tuition fee reimbursement program from the employer, discounts offered to US Army candidates, reduction through credit points transferred, corporate discounts and through benefit programs for veterans.

Capella University Financial Aid Program

After considering all the fee reduction programs, the remaining is financed through scholarships and grants offered qualified students, federal loan programs and private student loan programs. Filling up a FAFSA application form makes them eligible for all federal student loan programs.

Capella University Faculty

Capella University has faculty strength of more than 1000. The faculties are selected based on their scholar educational programs and relevant experience in the field of their tutoring. Faculties are spread across United States and several other countries. They are trained through the distinctive online teaching program a specialized course offered by Capella University.

University Accreditation

The most important credential of any university is the accreditation process. Capella University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The University is also a member of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).

The NCA has what is called the Academic Quality Improvement Program and Capella University is one of the first online educational institutions to be a part of it. Members of this program come under continuous quality improvement programs or the CQI. Being a part of this AQIP, Capella University is required review its performances annually unlike traditional 10 years review cycle.

Career Opportunities with Capella University

The courses offered at Capella University are aimed at adults who are working professionals or full time employees. All online course programs offered by the University career oriented courses focused at offering a career improvement and advancement course program.

The career centre of the University offers one to one career guidance to students. Webinars are conducted for interested students detailing the various career opportunities available to students pursuing a particular course work and strategies for career advancement

Examination Schedule

The examination schedules for the various courses are published on their website, which can be accessed by students using their username and password. Even otherwise the examination dates are notified to students whenever they access any information from the Capella University website.

by Chris M. Alexander

Today, online education is more preferred and it is moving rapidly from its infancy to a more dominant form. After overwhelming success in MBA & Engineering education, it has now got a strong demand for coaching in Job entrance exams along with MBA, Engineering entrance exams etc. International Universities like Cambridge University in England, Harvard University in U.S. and others, through their online mode of teaching have achieved huge success by providing multidisciplinary educational programs which cater to the evolving demands of students and working professionals ensuring the fast track career growth for all. The most appealing aspect of online education is the flexibility, scope for utilizing time effectively, convenience and reinforcement of learning. In online mode, a person can learn from within the comfort of his/her home or any other place that he/she chooses.

Q1. How online education would ensure better growth for India?

Today India’s Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) is about 13 %, which very low. The average for the world as a whole is about 30 % & advanced countries it is 56 %. Indian GER of 13 % illustrates huge need for higher education at afford­able prices. A survey revealed that the career growth of many working professionals is stagnated because of not having MBA qualification and thus management knowledge. The working professionals are not able to pursue MBA because of their tight schedule at office, financial constraints, habit of postponing further studies, time consumed in travelling to colleges etc. Many HR Managers feel that if their staff has to pursue MBA program, institutes should offer convenience in terms of time, venue for lectures, finance (payment in installments) and lectures by experienced corporate faculties wherein industry examples and case studies are discussed.

Thus, today, with the support of advanced technology, we can webcast online lectures of reputed faculties to students all over India including 2-tier, 3-tier cities like Kolhapur, Surat, Patna, Guwahati, Kochi etc. Online coaching provides an alternative to traditional face-to-face coaching and thus offers flexibility in time & comfort to choose location.

Q2. What factors should be kept in mind while choosing online MBA or other courses?

• Weekend lectures and doubt clearing sessions – If possible, to supplement an online program, an institute should try to provide weekend lectures or atleast have doubt clearing sessions before exams for better learning and understanding.
• Credibility of the course – Online courses should have recognition or international accreditations to ensure success in the global competitive environment.
• Flexibility and better time utilization – Students should be able to attend online lectures at their own convenient time and location.
• Faculty - Facultiesshould be having corporate experience so that industry examples or experiences can be shared.
• Fees – Enabling technology as a backbone,  online courses are offered to large number of students, hence they should be affordable
• Examination – Online exams should be conducted at convenient times and location to benefit the working professionals.
• Employment Opportunities –Institutes must try to offer post MBA job opportunities not only in domestic market but also in global market.

by Jaroeducation

Did you even realize that online education systems really are a hit? Many individuals find this method much better than the regular way to go to college because of its comfort. Because of this incredible convenience, online education is now popular among the young and old.

Most individuals have a hard time managing their time and also resources. Regardless of whether this had been an option before, currently, online education lets them manage both. People today can work to pay off their education fees. Almost nothing ought to be sacrificed for the price of an excellent education.

You’ll discover that lots of individuals who are attending school and working are still able to have a whole day’s work. That’s because online education ensures ways to do both. This system gives them the education and learning they require without tiring their bodies with commute from work to college and vice versa. Additionally, it allows for individuals to take full advantage of their time.

Why else is it that online education a hit? Everyone – even mothers – can easily take advantage of the program. At present, more and more stay at home parents are offered the option to be able to pursue their desired degree without having to sacrifice their time for their children. This enables parents a way to balance work, school, and family.

One of the best results of this system is the ability to multi-task. Almost no time is ever wasted because you will truly be taking advantage of your entire day. You get to be a part of your child’s life and witness his or her progress while furthering your personal intellectual development.

In addition to the expenses saved through the lack of commuting, textbooks, daycare charges, or materials, online courses are the very essence of ease. While some would not want to simply sit in front of the computer and lose the chance of a classroom conversation, others would rather study in comfy clothing, within the comfort of their home.

All in all the view regarding the efficacy of the online educational system is subjective. However, recent studies have in reality confirmed that obtaining an education this way is a wonderful solution for the working person, striving to be successful in all possible aspects of his life – family, career and finances.

by Steven Sachez

The synchronous training is currently not very common due to the technicality involved in its implementation. This training requires students who are geographically dispersed to access the same website concurrently with the instructor. In this training, the instructor broadcasts audio materials to the learners through web based audio or teleconference phone call (Kevin, 2009). The instructor uses slide shows which the learners watch while they are connected to the conference website. The students have a chance to interact with the instructor via chat window or by asking audio questions via the phones. This type of training is most suited to academic programs such as college distance learning modules or continuing training programs. Asynchronous learning is more common since it creates an on-demand, just-in-time learning experience for the student (Fisk et al, 2009). In this case students are not required to schedule their times in line with that of the instructor. This training comes in even more flexible forms referred as facilitated and self-paced asynchronous training. In facilitated asynchronous training, the instructor interacts with students at different times (Fisk et al, 2009). The instructor posts materials such as assignments on a web page including all the required references to the students. Students are then able to discuss and interact with each other via threaded discussions and then submit their work via email to the relevant authorities. Students in this type of training enjoy a lot of interaction with other peers on web based discussion threads (Fisk et al, 2009). A limitation in this type of training is the lack of oral communication which implies that hard to learn concept are not properly explained to students.  There is also the challenge of fixing schedules between the students who are geographically disconnected to the instructors. Self- paced instruction is more common in corporations as opposed to academic institutions. In this instruction, stand alone materials are posted on the web by the instructors where they are accessed and completed on the internet. Materials in this kind of instructions could include assessment exercises, discovery learning simulations and guided tutorials.

The evolution and expansion of computer technology has gone hand in hand with a revolution of online continuing education. In today’s workforce, the requirement for professional development through training is essential for one to compete effectively. For working adults, acquiring such needed development requires the input of more time which is limited in light of their family and social responsibilities. The online learning tools were developed as a tool to curtail some of the dilemmas experienced by individuals limited by time and space.  Online learning has been able to overcome the challenges of physical obstacles and time limitations. More and more institutions of higher learning have developed online training programs with accredited authority in a rapid increment as compared to the previous years. The revolution in on-line learning rose from the need for institutions to meet educational desires and pursuits of non-traditional students who are limited in time due to other full time commitments. The invention of the evening and weekend classes did not fully meet the needs for adult education that over the weekends finds themselves tied up to family obligations .Hence, online education has come up as the ultimate answer to such groups of students (Askov & Simpson, 2001). For online education to be successful, it has required that such students be exposed properly to computer literacy. This has been boosted by the skyrocketing of familiarity and public exposure to general use of computers in the last two decades. Internet users in North America have significantly shot up to an estimated figure of 251,735,000, an overall 73.9% increase in North America alone compared to the year 2000 when the estimated internet users were 108,096,800 (Miniwatts, 2009). This is an indication that more and more people are now using the internet. The statistics are an indicator of the potential number of people that institutions doing online training can access with little input of resources. As a result of this, the new millennium has seen large number of institutions actively involved in the development of online programs tailored to meet international standards and students.

Hybrid/ Blended Instruction

A significant number of universities have adopted hybrid learning. Hybrid learning is often used interchangeably to refer to blended learning. In this learning, which is now common in online instruction, the traditional face to face instruction is integrated with well organized web-based modules. In the learning process, a significant percentage of the conventional face to face is replaced by online instruction (Koohang & Durante, 2003). Hybrid learning finds a lot of application in courses which contain practical experiments where students are supposed to do physical assignments as requirements for course qualification. In radiology, this type of learning would be more appropriate since it would give students a chance to interact with biomedical equipments during physical interactions and meetings with the lecturers. The face to face experience also gives learners a chance to clarify questions and explanations that they find hard to grasp in the written materials sent via web. The advantages of this type of learning, as found in literature are flexibility, increased interaction, reduced seat time, convenience, decreased costs and probable increased learning. The challenges associated with hybrid instruction have been cited as the complexity of developing programs that would be convenient for instructors and learners. This is in consideration that online programs cater for students from far regions and countries (Koohang & Durante, 2003). There is also the challenge of allocating necessary time for redesigning courses and adapting students to learn in hybrid systems.

History of online learning

Contemporary information technologies have been used throughout time to create and support educational institutions.  Change in technology over ages has continually forced changes in instructional techniques to conform to the most current and reliable techniques. During the medieval times, educational exchange was carried through oral transmission and students were forced to rely on memory and word of mouth. The invention of paper and the printing press revolutionized learning which was now done using books (Sumrall, 2002). The change to books was faced by challenges such as book cataloguing and this called for the development of systems that could support easy instruction using books. The need to integrate technology with education is a constant requirement as new technology is bound to occur continuously. In the 21st century, the challenge facing education is the need to incorporate the internet and related tools to actualize e-learning (Sumrall, 2002).

by Forest

Online education or distance learning is an approach of teaching and training students in a particular degree program by the means of the Internet. It’s a modified way of learning, without the limitations brought about by timing, attendance and travel difficulties. In other words, traditional education is no longer your only option if you want to get a degree.

The Internet has long been acknowledged as a means of education. It has become convenient specifically for those with demanding lives such as a worker or a family person. It has become handy for those students who have other obligations to attend to or to part-time students.

With an online program, you never have to sit through a regular classroom discussion. This means that tuition and other fees are much lower because gone is the overhead that goes with brick and mortal buildings in a typical university. The list of academic programs is also just the same with the conventional academic institutions. In fact, some of them may even be a shorter program of just a year or two rather than a four-year commitment.

Children and work are no longer obstacles, thanks to online college education systems. The time commitment is still there, but the flexibility means that it can be adjusted to suit the situation of the individual student. Lectures and course materials are in files that are accessible from anywhere at any time. This allows the students to look up the information they need at a time when it is convenient for them. The experience also makes them sharpen their basic computer skills, due to all the materials being on the Internet. This has the added benefit of training them for scenarios when they need to have such skills in the professional arena.

Another advantage of online education is that the instructor has no opportunity to apply any form of prejudice or biases because of several factors such as your sex, race or your position in class. Professors are even said to be more approachable in an online setting. You can easily reach your instructors through email or chat system. You can consult to him or her about the assignments, requirements and so on. If you think that you’re missing out on the give and take benefit of studying in a conventional classroom, you can still tune in to actual classroom discussions. However, generally, this kind of learning is specifically designed to respond to your personal needs and conditions.

All in all, earning a college degree program in an online college or university is a smart move, especially to those people who have other greater responsibilities that cannot just be put aside. There are a number of reputable and credible online universities, and you can check them out anytime.

by College Online

However, online education is not the same as offline education in terms of how the classes are structured and how the material is taught.

There are many reasons why people fail online education:

1. The person is not used to working in an online classroom setting.

An online classroom is considerably different from a traditional classroom. There are rarely textbooks; most course material is presented online on web-pages, in downloadable reports, and in video and audio lectures.

In addition, you don’t sit in a traditional classroom with other people sitting next to you, behind you, or in front of you. Instead, they are on their computers at home or elsewhere, looking at the same course material you are, so you have no direct contact with them. You usually can “talk” to them via message boards or forums, making posts that anyone in the class can respond to, and vice versa.

In some rare instances, you might talk to them or your professor via the phone, but direct contact is not usually possible, and some students who are trying online education for the first time cannot overcome the lack of interaction and direct dialogue to complete the coursework and pass the course.

2. The person is not used to the rigorous expectations from a professor teaching an online course.

Online education is a new experience for professors as well, as this is a whole new medium for them to teach what they know. Some professors are more willing to embrace this new way of learning than others.

Some professors feel that they have to “make up” for the lack of interaction and direct dialogue that you would get in a traditional classroom setting, so they give you more assignments to complete than they would their traditional students, just to make sure that you are getting the education you should be getting because these professors are not confident or convinced that online education give you the same level of knowledge as traditional education does.

Some students cannot handle the extra workload and demands expected from some online professors, which is another reason why some students can’t complete online coursework.

3. The person is not able to deal with the extra distractions associated with online learning.

When you take an online course, you do so on your computer. Often, this is at home, where other distractions can affect some online students. This includes children and/or pets who are unruly and/or need constant care. Other worries regarding home life can also distract the online student from doing his/her very best, since he/she is still in the same environment even when he/she is “attending class.”

This can prove to be too much for some online students, resulting in them not completing online courses.

4. The person doesn’t have the computer skills necessary to complete the online courses.

For those who are trying to start a brand new career, especially one that is technically challenging, sometimes, the whole experience of working with computer software and programs that you have never used before can prevent students from doing well in their courses.

Not only do they have to try to learn the course material, but they also have to learn how to access the course material, how to ask for help when they need it via the message boards/forums, how to access the tests when they are ready to take them, etc.

For some online students, the experience is so overwhelming that they don’t succeed in completing their courses.

5. The person does not utilize good time management skills in order to keep up with the online coursework.

In order to be successful in the online classroom, you have to have good time management skills. After all, you’re the only one who decides when you “attend class,” when you take the tests (within reason; there is a time limit to complete the course, but you decide what days you take the tests, unlike the traditional classroom,) how much time you spend on the message board or in the forum, etc.

Some online students can’t designate their time between all the tasks required to complete online courses, as well as balance the rest of their lives.

It is suggested that online students stay current on their coursework as much as possible because once you fall behind, it’s very difficult to catch up, especially if you are not comfortable in an online classroom setting in the first place. Most experts suggest logging in at least once a day at least six days a week to give you the best chance of staying current on your coursework and giving you the best chance of completing your online courses.

By being aware of the reasons above, you can better prepare yourself to handle these challenges and give you a better chance of completing those online courses and your degree.

by Bryan Wong