The Redgate Read On Online Learning

One of the great dangers for prospective students in the online education space is becoming interested or even enrolling in schools which  are not regionally accredited and who offer unaccredited degrees.  They are more prevalent than you think.  The prevalence of web based education today has given rise to an enormous market for these fraudulent “diploma mills.”  And this is personal … I  even have family members who have enrolled in these types of schools. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Sunday evening and the new work week is just hours away.  I have been grading papers tonight for my online class that I teach so I thought I would venture over to my blog to see what was happening.

It’s been a great weekend — time well spent with family, working on the “honey-do” list, attending Liberty University’s homecoming football game (a victory!), and attending church.  I am about to hopefully watch the Red Sox sweep the Rockies to clinch the World Series Championship.  I can’t believe it that in my lifetime I might see multiple Red Sox World Series Championships.  My two grandfathers, God rest their souls, did not even see one. Read the rest of this entry »

After battling a kidney stone this past Friday (not a pleasant experience) my two oldest boys, Shaun Jr. and Paul, and I traveled to Duke University on Saturday to participate in a Coach Krzyzewski Basketball Coaching Clinic.  My son, Paul, is a high school basketball coach in our area and as a family we have always followed Duke Basketball.  I played the basketball in high school and college and, with hindsight being 20/20, coaching at some level could easily have been a personal career path. But that is a story for another day.

For those who don’t know much about Coach K I think the statement on his web site says it best:

“Duke Basketball Head Coach and recently-appointed United States National Head Coach, Mike Krzyzewski, cannot be defined solely by those accolades reserved for a highly successful sports coach. Indeed, Krzyzewski, entering his 27th season at Duke, has led the Blue Devils to numerous winning seasons, coached players who have produced superb graduation rates and crafted a tremendous on-court legacy. However, the Hall of Famer also sets the bar as a humanitarian of sport, an ambassador of education, a coach, a teacher, a friend, a family man, a leader and a motivator. While fans worldwide know the three-time national champion as “Coach K,” his three daughters call him their hero, his players regard him as a father figure and his coaching staff and close friends consider him the ideal mentor. In a single word, Mike Krzyzewski is superlative.”

So you might be saying to yourself, “Okay, so what has this to do with online distance learning?” Let me share several points that Coach Krzyzewski made during the day and then tie them into your experience as an online learner or your desire to be one: Read the rest of this entry »

I make no bones about the fact that I grew up just south of Boston, Massachusetts.  And yes, I will forever be a Red Sox fan and part of  Red Sox nation,  think Dunkin Donuts is the best brewed coffee in the world, and have a smile come upon my face when I hear that good old New England accent.  Although this is not a blog on politics, I am from Massachusetts and that is certainly synomous with the Kennedys.   I tend to be far to the right on the political spectrum from where most of the Kennedy’s are.  I will say; however, that Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee and I did agree on something recently.  He said, “Distance learning programs are invaluable because they provide a segment of our population with critical literacy and job-related skills as well as the means to take their careers to the next level.  It is important that people have a greater awareness and appreciation for distance learning.”  He hit the nail on the head!

Let’s face it, the world of learning is changing.  Distance learning is the fastest growing segment of the education market.  Even commercial and government markets around the world are recognizing how distance learning, delivered via the internet, is making a strategic contribution to achieving corporate goals and increasing employee job satisfaction.

Did you know that there is an estimated 1.5 million 100% online students, representing approximately 8.5% of all students at U.S. degree-granting, Title IV schools.  Interesting, huh?  This encompasses about 20% of all adult students.

Web-based distance education programs have grown dramatically over the past ten years.  Believe it or not, the majority of the nation’s colleges and universities now offer online education in one form or another, whether through certificate programs, individual courses or full fledged degree programs.  Many public, private, and for-profit institutions alike have dramatically increased their online offerings so students, young and old, can now earn a degree in a variety of disciplines, without even stepping foot on a campus.  And the learning experience and learning outcomes remain consistent with those who attend brick and mortar campuses. 

The internet-delivered educational phenomena is even transcending itself to the elementary and high school levels. In fact, in my current role at Liberty University, we have just launched an online academy for grades 3 - 12.   Universities like Texas Tech, University of Miami, and Stanford each have online programs for young people.  Other organizations like Keystone High School and Florida Virtual School boast enrollment into the tens of thousands.  Read the rest of this entry »