Here’s a quick history refresher. In 1906, Upton Sinclair wrote, “The Jungle,” which publicized unsanitary food processing conditions in the meatpacking industry leaving countless Americans dismayed and wondering, what’s in the sausage?

The novel sparked the Meat Inspection Act, regulations that paved the way to the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act. Now, we have detailed nutrition labels on all foods. We as consumers get to know the tidbits of every product right down to those long laboratory words like maltodextrin or hydrolyzed corn (and yet strangely we’re still wondering, what is that?).

As prospective college students, shouldn’t we also have the right to know exactly what we’re buying upfront?

Yes!

But before you decide to organize an Occupy Higher Education rally, relax, college food labels are already here, metaphorically speaking.

Although some institutions of higher learning like American Public University already lead the way in keeping tuition costs low and transparent, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) wanted to ensure ALL colleges (online or offline) clearly communicate key information so that applicants are choosing the best college for their individual needs.

Here’s how you can “read the label.” Let’s say you’re interested in an advanced degree designed for business professionals. At American Public University’s website, you can click on the degree and visit www.apus.edu/disclosure. You’ll see vital stats like tuition & fees, annual completion rates, and median loan debts in one simple snapshot.

The disclosure statement should always be prominent on every college’s degree program site. And in case you want independent verification, it’s always a good idea to visit the online College Affordability and Transparency Center, where you can compare key stats amongst various public and private colleges alike. You can even generate your own unique report.

With all this valuable information at your fingertips, it’s time to get a little educated before you get an education.

By J. Thompson
Online Learning Tips Staff

Congratulations, you’ve selected an online university and you’re ready to get a degree. Consider a degree your destination, because you’re about to embark on a fulfilling journey. First, you need to select your specific program—one that won’t get you lost along the way.

Let’s assume you’ve already narrowed your options down to your top three. Perhaps you might be thinking about an MBA program, but you’re undecided whether to focus on marketing, finance or a general concentration. Do yourself a favor and filter out the nice-to-have and focus on your must-have criteria. Now, put your research in motion—go to each program and look for key elements that include the program description, costs, prerequisites and more.

Description

 Universities that are committed to academic quality clearly define their programs. There’s nothing left to chance. More importantly, you should be left with the impression that what you’re reading is an accurate curriculum overview, not a pushy sales pitch.

Objectives

It’s important that you fully understand a program’s objectives and how the curriculum links to student outcomes. For example, if you’re interested in qualifying for teaching licensure, check out Master of Education: Teaching in Elementary Education. You will see the exact qualifications this degree supports. In fact, at American Public University, you will also see a program objectives section for every degree offered.

Details

Credits required—total tuition and fees—should be readily available. This information is comprehensive, so you’ll know what the costs are and the amount of credits needed. Quality universities are transparent. They display the details of all costs and have no hidden fees.

You should also see degree completion rates and the median loan debt for graduates. The completion rate shows you the time period that students generally complete a degree and how many are able successfully go the distance. You’ll also see job descriptions that are most often associated with the degree program. The descriptions are linked to O*NET, a Website sponsored by the U.S. Department and Labor which maps job tasks, skills, trends and other helpful information.

Consider all of these helpful elements to be your signposts. They’ll give you the confidence that you’re heading in the right direction.

By J. Thompson
Online Learning Tips Staff

Like they say about sports stars, entrepreneurs, and movie celebrities “How do they do it?” Even though being an online learner may not be as glamorous as the aforementioned careers, it can still be very demanding, and at times mind-boggling to watch how people handle all of their  activities and maintain a healthy and steady GPA.

Recently I came across an article in EDUCAUSE Quarterly that details how some high performing online students are able to juggle the daily grind, family life, social life, and a demanding degree program.

Some tried and tested techniques that they outline are:

1. Develop a time-management strategy.
2. Make the most of online discussions. (This is referring to student interaction through forums, social media groups, and discussion threads.)
3. Use it or lose it.
4. Make questions useful to your learning.
5. Stay motivated.
6. Communicate the instruction techniques that work.
7. Make connections with fellow students and participate.

My pick this week is dedicated to hard-working online learners who are constantly trying to educate themselves and make a difference in their lives. Everyone can be part of the extended learning experience, it may take some life balancing, but in the long run the rewards are worth some temporary concessions and sacrifices.

- By J. Mason

Getting a degree online is getting more and more commonplace every year. The schools offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees are refining their programs and are starting to get more competitive with traditional schools. One degree on the rise is an online MBA. With the job market already quite competitive for MBA holders, many degree seekers are taking the time to evaluate which type of school will offer them the best education for their time and money.

For a deeper perspective on this topic, read further about “Why distance-learning MBAs matter.”

With tuition hikes abound at numerous schools throughout the country, many parents and students are finding the cost to attend school a little hard to swallow. Florida college students are looking at possible 15% annual increases to attend school. On the other coast, California college students are already looking at a 30% increase for tuition rates.

According to this Associated Press article, students are dropping out of school to pay off student loans just a few semesters away from graduation. Those that do graduate are facing an enormous debt burden.  It’s a hard hitting reality; and because of this economic climate, many students are seriously rethinking their education options.

However, there are other ways to attend school without sacrificing your bank account or credit rating. Online learning is one great alternative option for those who want a quality education that’s still affordable. Some degrees offered through online schooling, at American Public University (APU) for example, are:

• Bachelor of Arts in Child and Family Development
• Bachelor of Science in Public Health
• Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence Studies

There are over 100 certificate and degree programs offered at APU, which has an affordable undergraduate and graduate-level tuition that compares favorably to most state schools. If a degree online wasn’t something you first considered, take a second look at what these schools have to offer. With the rate of tuition steadily increasing, the online environment may be a better option.

For more information on going to school online, or to learn more about programs at APU, e-mail info@apus.edu.

By Steve Lohr
New York Times Blog Contributor

A recent 93-page report on online education, conducted by SRI International for the Department of Education, has a starchy academic title, but a most intriguing conclusion: “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

The report examined the comparative research on online versus traditional classroom teaching from 1996 to 2008. Some of it was in K-12 settings, but most of the comparative studies were done in colleges and adult continuing-education programs of various kinds, from medical training to the military.

Over the 12-year span, the report found 99 studies in which there were quantitative comparisons of online and classroom performance for the same courses. The analysis for the Department of Education found that, on average, students doing some or all of the course online would rank in the 59th percentile in tested performance, compared with the average classroom student scoring in the 50th percentile. That is a modest but statistically meaningful difference.

“The study’s major significance lies in demonstrating that online learning today is not just better than nothing — it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction,” said Barbara Means, the study’s lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International.

This hardly means that we’ll be saying good-bye to classrooms. But the report does suggest that online education could be set to expand sharply over the next few years, as evidence mounts of its value.

Until fairly recently, online education amounted to little more than electronic versions of the old-line correspondence courses. That has really changed with arrival of Web-based video, instant messaging and collaboration tools.

The real promise of online education, experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms. That enables more “learning by doing,” which many students find more engaging and useful.

“We are at an inflection point in online education,” said Philip R. Regier, the dean of Arizona State University’s Online and Extended Campus program.

The biggest near-term growth, Mr. Regier predicts, will be in continuing education programs. Today, Arizona State has 5,000 students in its continuing education programs, both through in-person classes and online. In three to five years, he estimates, that number could triple, with nearly all the growth coming online.

But Mr. Regier also thinks online education will continue to make further inroads in transforming college campuses as well. Universities — and many K-12 schools — now widely use online learning management systems, like Blackboard or the open-source Moodle. But that is mostly for posting assignments, reading lists, and class schedules and hosting some Web discussion boards.

Mr. Regier sees things evolving fairly rapidly, accelerated by the increasing use of social networking technology. More and more, students will help and teach each other, he said. For example, it will be assumed that college students know the basics of calculus, and the classroom time will focus on applying the math to real-world problems — perhaps in exploring the physics of climate change or modeling trends in stock prices, he said.

“The technology will be used to create learning communities among students in new ways,” Mr. Regier said. “People are correct when they say online education will take things out the classroom. But they are wrong, I think, when they assume it will make learning an independent, personal activity. Learning has to occur in a community.”

This post originated from The New York Times “Bits” blog.

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

Usually at the start of each new year a best and worst jobs list is produced. This year the Wall Street Journal got a head start in posting their thoughts on the high demand careers in the job market today. This topic is my Editor’s Pick this week because of the broad range of opportunities, and also its relevance to advanced degrees online.

So to get started, check out my top picks below for jobs this year:

• Software Engineer: If you’ve been thinking about a career in IT, now is the time!
• Historian: To any doubters that a degree in History can get you places, here’s your proof that it can.
• Paralegal Assistant: Try a degree in legal studies to get your feet wet for this position.
• Accountant: If you enjoy numbers then this career should be a good start. It’s something that’s always in high demand, and come tax season you’ll understand more of why it’s high on this list.
• Philosopher: Do you find yourself contemplating life’s mysteries? Turn that passion into a career.

The “worst” jobs this year can be seen as:

• Welder
• Dairy Farmer
• Ironworker
• Lumberjack
• Roustabout

If you know the path you want to travel, or haven’t quite made it there yet, give online education a second thought.

Read for more on the Wall Street Journal’s article, “The Best and Worst Jobs”.