Every student is unique in their own way. Whether they chose the path of asynchronous learning (online), or synchronous (brick and mortar), they possess a set of traits that led them to their education platform choice.

An online education is asynchronous, which means that it is student-centered and uses online learning to share information outside the constraints of time and place among a network of people. So, it would seem to be an online learner you would need to be a self-starter, and unreliant on the more heavily focused peer engagement you would expect on a campus in a physical classroom. While you won’t be talking to your professors and classmates face-to-face everyday, you’ll still have the opportunity as an online student to network and chat with classmates through social media and the classroom.

[5 Questions to Ask if You're Ready to Go Virtual]

So, what traits would help identify an online learner? Several different words come to mind, but there about 5 that standout everytime you think of the online education landscape:

1. Self-motivated
2. Curious
3. Critical thinker
4. Time keeper
5. Independent

[Online University - Is it Right for Me?]

Instructors are present throughout the online experience, but you have to be motivated by yourself to be successful as an online student. You need to be curious about your subjects, and being a good critical thinker is especially important for your discussion posts. Time management is key in getting assignments completed on time, and not letting yourself get distracted by your freedom of surroundings. Being independent as an online learner means you have drive. The fact that you’re not getting dressed for class every day, and still “attending” and submitting assignments on time says a lot. There’s nobody there to scold you in person for handing something in late, you’ll need to parent yourself!

[Learn more about online degrees and certificates at American Public University. ]

If you’re interested in how you can become an online learner, do your research, check out the accreditation on a school before you get too serious, and check out the school’s social media environment and atmostphere.

Happy learning!

By J. Mason

In March 2011, Vice President, Joe Biden made a call to action to improve college graduation rates nationwide. The Vice President, who is making affordability and accessibility in education a top priority, emphasized the importance of ongoing student support in order to boost graduation rates. Prospective students can improve their own odds by setting standards now, so that the colleges they choose, meet their expectations.

Do you know what your standards are? If not, consider putting together a checklist based on the following criteria:

1. Affordability—Knowing how much tuition you can afford is important, but also, dig a little deeper and look for colleges committed to keeping the cost of course materials low. Look for flexible credit transfer programs, which can also reduce the number of credits (and associated costs) needed to graduate.

2. Accessibility—Decide if your schedule works best in a flexible online environment or a bricks-and-mortar institution. Be sure to anticipate what your schedule will look like, so you don’t create the potential of overwhelming yourself with an excessive course load. Quality over quantity is the most effective way to learn.

[Interested in teaching? This is a great resource for developing educators.]

3. Student Services—Find colleges known for providing superior student services, which begin at the time of enrollment and extend beyond graduation. This will come in handy if you have an unexpected life change or need a little extra guidance to complete your degree.

[If you're looking for an online university that provides comprehensive student services, check out APU]

4. Accreditation—Know what accreditation means, particularly the difference between regional and national accreditation.

By setting your own standards for higher education now, you will be helping yourself get one step closer to crossing the graduation stage down the road.

By J. Thompson
Online Learning Tips Staff

With numerous accrediting bodies in the world today, understanding what accreditation means to you is almost as important as deciding on the right college. Are you experiencing accreditation overload? Read these five tips and let accreditation guide—not derail—your college search.

   1.  Know what accreditation really means.

Accreditation is the voluntary process a public or private educational institution uses to verify, through a third-party evaluation, that it meets specific academic standards. Some view it as a stamp of approval. That’s only partially true. What if the standards of the accrediting agency are different from another?

    2.  Do a simple search.

You probably have a few colleges already in mind. Go directly to their websites. Accrediting agencies typically require colleges to post accreditation information and provide links to the agency websites. Transparency is key. If accreditation is not featured on the college homepage or easily located under the academics tab, think twice.

[If you're looking to get started on a quality online degree take a look at 140 different programs offered at APU.]

   3.  Understand regional vs. national accreditation.

What’s the basic difference? Regional accrediting agencies traditionally are known for being more academic-focused. National accrediting agencies typically accredit schools offering specialty, vocational or technical education. Some colleges maintain duel accreditations.

There are six regional accreditation agencies in the U.S. Most, like the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, trace their history back to the late 1800s. This long-standing tradition for standardizing colleges makes regional the commonly preferred accreditation for academic quality.

   4.  Be in good company.

Did you know regional accreditation agencies list all of their participating colleges online? You can even see which member colleges are in good standing and those not. For example, if you highly respect one college, you know that other participating colleges meet the same accreditation standards. This includes member online universities.

   5.  Stick to your plan.

Do you plan on transferring credits to another college or applying for a higher degree down the road? Many regionally accredited colleges will only accept credits and degrees from other regionally accredited colleges. Be sure to check the policy for accepting credits or degrees at colleges you may want to attend.  Accreditation type may also be a deciding consideration for potential employers.  So always remember—accreditation matters.

- By J. Thompson
Online Learning Tips Staff Writer

Still not sure that online learning is right for you? Besides careful consideration and weighing your options, there are a few key ways to know that getting a degree through your computer is the best option for you and your future.

Keep these pointers in mind when surfing the web for schools:

1. Is the school regionally or nationally accredited, or both?
   Accreditation is an important factor in deciding on investing in higher education.  While there are many different types of accrediting agencies, the important thing to know is that the accrediting agency is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org) – which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 
2. What is the cost per credit/per course?
   This will vary with undergraduate and graduate degrees. Take the time to tally up the final amount. Just because it may look like it’s cheaper, doesn’t mean it is. Per credit and per course are two very different numbers, and can make a significant jump when totalling your costs for school.
3. What is the TOTAL cost of the program; figuring no transfer credit?
   Schools have transfer credit fees, make sure to find out what those are when applying; if you have prior credits you can put toward your degree. Just like with cost per credit, figuring out up front what you’ll be paying over the next few years will save you a lot of headaches in the long run. Take out our calculator and type up the costs.
4. How many credits can I transfer into my program?
   Find out the allowable amount for credits transferred. Typically you can transfer a higher amount of credits towards an undergraduate degree than you can for a graduate. This can save you money and time in the long run. 
5. How do faculty and students interact in the classroom. Is there group work?
   Typically students interact through discussion boards and class specific chats inside the classroom. Interaction with faculty varies by professor, class type and school. In most online settings, like at American Public University, there are no teaching assistants or graduate students to lead instruction. Instead, students interact directly with their professors.
6. What is the typical/maximim class size?
   This is also dependent on the school size, faculty body, and so on. Typically there isn’t an overcrowding issue with online universities, and most classes for undergrads don’t exceed 25 students. As for graduate students, on average the class size will not exceed 20 students.
7. Are there required login times?
   One of the many benefits of being online…flexibility. Because you aren’t expected to meet up with your professor and classmates a few times a week like you would at a typical university, you do have the option of logging into the class when you’re available during the week. Log in times may vary by professor, but once a week is the norm. Just because you don’t have to meet face to face doesn’t mean you can skip deadlines. Being an online student will require that you meet the deadlines on assignments from professors, and you’re responsible for getting it in on time.
8. Do I ever have to come to the campus?
   Simply answered, NO. Some online schools will host a graduation ceremony where you can opt to attend to receive your diploma, but there is no class or admissions building you’ll need to visit in order to complete your degree.
9. How often do classes start?
   Make sure to check the availability of the school before enrolling. APU offers monthly courses, so once you end one class, you can start a new one within a couple weeks. This is a nice feature considering traditional institutions are based around a more “seasonal” calendar.
10. What kind of support is available to students? What resources will I have?
    Like any school there will be a library, but this type will be online. Ask your admissions rep what “tools” are at your disposal during your interview process. Ask to see if there are extensive research databases, inter-library loan systems, online tutoring, offices hours with professors, and more.

Lastly, you can never be too picky. This is after all your future, and your money. Take the time to investigate your options so that you’re left with a well earned online learning experience.

- J. Mason

By: Mary Jackson

Along with the growing popularity of obtaining online bachelor degrees, many bogus schools have cropped up to cash in, taking advantage of potential students seeking a genuine education to maintain their current level of employment, or achieve specific career goals. Unfortunately, the sales pitch attracts many students who do not possess the time, or the finances, to gain a college education. The main selling points may include easy graduation, no tests or end of semester exams, credit for life experiences, and lower tuition fees. Some diploma mills even have the audacity to make money through bulk emails offering to sell university degrees.

So, how do prospective students determine whether an online college is accredited or only offering bogus online bachelor degrees? Especially for International students, it can be very difficult to determine a school’s validity. In most cases it is impossible for distance learners to visit the campus, so the website is the only point of contact before making the choice and enrolling, which makes it hard to determine credibility.

One of the best ways to determine credibility is to pay close attention to how the credentials are stated. For example, if an educational institution claims to have nationwide or worldwide accreditation, without revealing which government agency provided the accreditation, it’s possible the college or university probably does not possess the necessary seal of approval to provide legitimate online bachelor degrees.

In the U.S., college accreditation is awarded by one of the following six accreditation agencies which are all appointed by the National Board of Education – New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA), Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA), Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU). Each agency has been allocated responsibility for providing accreditation for schools in specific states. Therefore, it would be best to run checks on a particular online degree institution with the agency offering college accreditation for the state in which the college is registered in.

If a university sends out mass e-mailings offering on online bachelor degrees, master’s degrees, and even doctorate degrees for a fixed rate, it is a sure sign the result will be a bogus degree. Course credits for such a degree may include such strange elements as: credit for life experiences, work experience, previous educational background, workshops, community services, travel, and books read in the past. To further confuse the issue, fake accrediting URLS are set up to prove accreditation, but unless it is from one of the 6 agencies endorsed by the Department of Education, the award is most likely phony. The unscrupulous institutions depend on the desperation of people who do not have the time, or the money, to earn a valid degree. Nevertheless, without that all-important diploma, good jobs are impossible to find.

In short, with the plethora of bogus degrees already causing employers to question online education, make sure your online bachelor degree is earned from a college or university accredited by one of the six agencies endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education.

Article Courtesy of ezine Article Group

Many students use accreditation status as a way to validate the caliber of a prospective university. However, just as many are unclear about what accreditation actually means for them as a student.

Terry Grant, director of enrollment management at the online American Public University System (APUS), explains that accreditation is a voluntary process in which every aspect of a university is analyzed by an outside review body – academics, administration, support services, operations and more.

“Regional or national accreditation ensures that a school delivers and can continue to deliver what it promises,” she says. “Accreditation is an important differentiator – and an indicator of a commitment to quality and improvement on all fronts.”

Grant answers the questions she and her admissions team are most often asked:

What is accreditation?

Think of accreditation as a thorough review process. A third party, the accrediting body, works cooperatively with a college or university to examine its policies, practices, and procedures for quality assurance and improvement. Its policies are measured against a set of well-established guidelines for institutions of higher education. The accrediting body verifies that the institution meets those standards — and can continue to meet the standards.

Are there different types of accreditation?

Yes. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognize three types of accreditation:

• National
• Regional
• Specialized

National accrediting bodies operate throughout the country and review entire institutions. For example, the Distance Education and Training Council grants national accreditation. Nationally accredited schools may be degree-granting or non-degree granting, for profit or nonprofit, single purpose, or faith based. APUS is nationally accredited.

Regional accrediting bodies operate in six different regions of the country. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), for example, accredits only schools based in the New England region. Regionally accredited schools may be degree-granting or non-degree granting, for profit or nonprofit, single purpose or faith based. APUS is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Specialized accrediting organizations operate throughout the country, but review individual programs or single purpose institutions. The American Psychological Association, Committee on Accreditation, for example, reviews psychology programs, but not the institutions that offer them.

The Foundation of Higher Education recently granted APUS’s emergency and disaster management program its specialty accreditation. APUS is the first online university to receive this accreditation. The emergency and disaster management program is available at member institution American Public University.

Students can verify whether an institution has earned national, regional or specialized accreditation through the accrediting body’s web site or through the CHEA web site.

Does accreditation guarantee transfer of credit?

No. Accreditation status may impact transfer of credits, but no type of accreditation guarantees transfer of credit from one institution to another. Each institution sets its own policies regarding transfer credit. The reason is that colleges and universities each have distinct missions, and each sets its own curriculum and desired learning outcomes. Courses taken at one institution may not fit the program at a second institution. If you are planning to change schools, you should always ask about the receiving school’s transfer credit policy.

Accreditation also does not guarantee that one university’s degree will be accepted by another school toward a more advanced degree program or recognized by a future employer. As with transfer credit, check with the school or employer.

What do the terms “full accreditation” and “fully accredited” mean?

There is no such thing as “full accreditation.” Institutions are either accredited or not accredited.

What if I am considering a university that is not accredited? What kinds of issues should I be aware of?

Students considering colleges and universities that are not accredited by bodies recognized by CHEA or the U.S. Department of Education may have issues with transfer of credit and acceptance of the degree by other institutions and maybe even prospective employers.

And, just as there are institutions that are not accredited, there are accrediting bodies that are not recognized by CHEA and the U.S. Department of Education. When researching colleges, students should always verify the institution’s accreditation status and the legitimacy of the accrediting body itself.

If you have other questions regarding accreditation, contact Terry Grant, American Public University System’s director of enrollment management, at info@apus.edu.

By Online Learning Tips Staff