University Business Magazine: Solutions for Higher Education Management

http://www.universitybusiness.com/

Professional Media Group LLC publishes University Business and District Administration.

University Business is the leading provider of smart management solutions for higher education administrators at two- and four-year colleges and universities throughout the United States, and is the most-closely followed and most-regularly read information source in the industry, bringing top-quality journalism to the unique issues, challenges and opportunities faced by higher-education executives.

District Administration is the leading provider of smart management solutions for K12 administrators at school districts throughout the United States.

Together, University Business and District Administration provide the best comprehensive industry coverage of the entire K20 market, demonstrating Professional Media Group's serious and comprehensive commitment to education, characterized by a track record of success, and long-term loyalty to our audience.

University Business Magazine: Solutions for Higher Education Management

Interest in Online Courses Growing

www.Shreveporttimes.com
December 9, 2010

Interest in Online Courses Growing

More students across the country are opting to take more online classes, according to a report from an organization that wants to make online courses in higher education commonplace.
Local students reflect that trend with more students taking online courses this semester than before.

Bossier Bosier Parish Community College has led the area in online offerings, which started in 1996. Now, in fall 2010, more than 4,375 students, up from 3,750 this time last year, are taking an online course or a hybrid course (a class mixing traditional with online). Southern University-Shreveport, which is relatively new to offering online learning by comparison, has seen growth as well. That means not only is online learning here to stay, but it's the next thing in higher education, said Kathleen Gay, BPCC's dean of the educational technology division.
"In the future, we'll see more mobility," Gay said. "We're going to see students take courses on their iPhone or iPad. I think Google will come up with a learning management system, and (there'll be) more 2.0 learning using avatars. In five years, it's going to explode."
In the recent survey, The Sloan Consortium, an organization dedicated to integrating online education into the mainstream of higher education, found that 5.6 million students were enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2009. The eighth annual survey included 2,500 college and universities and is sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The survey also found:
-- The 21 percent growth rate for online enrollments exceeds the two percent growth in the overall higher education student enrollment.
-- Nearly one-half of the schools say the economy has increased demand for face-to-face courses and programs compared to three-quarters of schools citing the same reason for the increased demand for online courses and programs.

Gay said that's one reason BPCC's online numbers have increased.
Online courses also appeal to a wide variety of students, from the traditional to the non-traditional.

Interest in Online Courses Growing

The People’s Place Blog | The Anita Estell Blog

http://anitaestellblog.com/

Anita Estell, a shareholder at Polsinelli Shughart PC, is an attorney, lobbyist and columnist, with more than two decades of experience in re-shaping federal laws and policies and securing billions of dollars in funding for the programs that mean the most “back home”.

If you like the blog, please feel free to check out www.anitaestell.com. On the site, you have access to audio, video and printed resources that inform, inspire, teach and guide you through the nooks and crannies of the federal governmental process. No matter your interest, Anita Estell gives you access to exactly what you need, to get what you want from the elected officials and bureaucrats in Washington.

At the beginning and the end of the day – when it comes to Washington, both the Anita Estell blog and anitaestell.com -- are all about YOU all the time!

The People’s Place Blog | The Anita Estell Blog