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.