The most recent report from Sloan C documents the continuing growth of online courses and programs -- see the summary below (taken from its embedded link). Convenience and quality co-exist in well planned online programs and courses!
Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006 represents the fourth annual report on the state of online learning in U.S. higher education. This year’s study, like those for the previous three years, is aimed at answering some of the fundamental questions about the nature and extent of online education. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group in partnership with the College Board, the report, based on responses from over 2,200 colleges and universities, examines a number of key questions: Has the Growth of Online Enrollments Begun to Plateau? Background: For the past several years, online enrollments have been growing substantially faster than the overall higher education student body. However, last year’s study, while reporting the same numeric increase as the previous year, had a lower percentage growth rate. Could this be an early indicator that online enrollment growth has finally begun to plateau? The evidence: There has been no leveling of the growth rate of online enrollments; institutions of higher education report record online enrollment growth on both a numeric and a percentage basis. Nearly 3.2 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2005 term, a substantial increase over the 2.3 million reported the previous year. The more than 800,000 additional online students is more than twice the number added in any previous year.
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