E-Learning Boosts Your Bottom Line

Use new technology to supplement your skill set. By Judy Stringer Colleges and universities have long offered classes at night, on the weekends, and off campus to accommodate hectic schedules and make college education more attainable. But now you can earn specialized certificates and degrees without ever setting foot inside a classroom.

Use new technology to supplement your skill set. By Judy Stringer Colleges and universities have long offered classes at night, on the weekends, and off campus to accommodate hectic schedules and make college education more attainable. But now you can earn specialized certificates and degrees without ever setting foot inside a classroom. Between 75 and 80 percent of all colleges and universities across the U.S. have established some form of online curriculum. Industry watcher Russell Poulin, associate director of the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications in Colorado, says the "interactive, anytime nature" of the Internet was the earliest driver in online education. The need to compete for students has driven many colleges to the Net. Studies predict that 2.2 million people will enroll in distance learning by 2003, up from just 700,000 in 1998. Serious players like the University of Phoenix Online are feeling the enrollment boom. The online-only college has more than 18,000 students registered today, up from 4,700 in 1997. Continuing education has become a fundamental part of higher learning. The E-Learning Alternative Poulin said schools typically begin by putting a few courses up on the Internet. Students can then combine the online courses with traditional in-person classes to earn a degree.