If you’re taking a course online, you’re not alone. According to a Sloan-C survey report titled Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States, in 2008 nearly 3.9 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2007 term.

How can you successfully finish your courses and continue to earn your degree?

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When students pursue their post-secondary or graduate education online, they are faced with the task of also doing research online. This concept is a new challenge for many online students, and may be a bit intimidating. When a student gets a research assignment and wants to forgo driving to the library, what can they do online to get the same, if not more up-to-date, information? How should students begin the process? How should Web site information be cited? What Web sites are good for research? And what are the plagiarism angles for online research? Let’s figure this out step by step. Continue Reading

Papers, presentations, class projects, assignments, and course work are all part of a completing a good college education. And with the much of the world’s resources literally at their fingertips — online — there are plenty of resources available to everyone.

Scholarly sites that can lead students to helpful papers and research include Google Scholar, and the Librarians’ Internet Index. Sometimes, however, access to articles on these and other “open web” resources are not enough. Students need to go into the far larger “deep web” — home to the bulk of scholarly research — which requires passwords or payment for access. Continue Reading

Historically, there tends to be increased interest in returning to school during an economic downturn. Many laid off workers may choose to complete a degree program, pursue a new course of study, or perhaps attain an advanced degree. Current students may choose to remain in school to further their studies while they wait out the current economic storm.

Choosing to return to school, regardless of the reason, is a big decision for adult learners and a practical way for some to help survive a recession. Continuing personal development is always a smart choice regardless of the economic environment since employers look for the most qualified candidates available to contribute to their organization. Continue Reading