Fast Track to Online Education Programs

New to Online Learning? Here's Where To Start

Where does a student who is new to online learning begin?

The following article presents first-hand knowledge and is a starting point for any new online learner to assist him/her in getting started in the right direction to the online-learning environment as observed through practice and experience (over 12 years) by a former VP for Online Education who continues to work in the online-learning environment as both a student and professor.

What to do First

First, decide what program of study you are interested in or what particular classes (subject area) you want to pursue. Learning should be fun, but if you go into an area you are not interested in studying, you will quickly lose momentum and find you are not learning anything. Studies have shown that we learn and retain more knowledge when we are truly interested in the subject area.

Find answers about online learning

Kort and Reilly (2002) indicated that "We tend to learn from sources of information that we bother to pay attention to. The reason that we 'pay attention' is that they nurture our interest, which for our purposes is the act of learning. Associated with learning are positive emotions and negative emotions. When the process of learning is not working well, we experience feelings such as confusion, despair, or frustration. And when learning is working well, we experience curiosity, fascination, and intrigue." (p. 958)

Therefore, once you have made this decision, do a search on the Internet to view whatever the subject area is and review all programs (universities) available. Be sure to review each program of study and make notes as to what you like about each one. Perform a full comparison check with each program of study against what it is you are really looking for. If you are not yet sure what you are looking for, do a comparison check anyway so that you can see what is required with each program (university) and what is different in each program (university). Online universities vary with their courses, their programs of study, and the processes involved. By completing the comparison of subject area (or program area) and the university comparison, you will get a better feel for what is available in not only the subject area (or program of study), but also, the similarities and differences in online universities.

"Review not only the program, but also be sure to check out the list of courses under each program of study."

You probably will become quickly inundated and begin to feel more frustrated with the more research you do. This is normal. Do not let the overwhelming amount of data available frustrate you. Narrow down your search. Check out a few programs (universities) first from the original list you find. This will give you an idea as to what is available, and what is required within each program of study, especially if you are still not yet sure of what program of study you are really interested in pursuing. Then once you have an idea, your search will become much easier and less frustrating. You will begin to become more excited!

Each university will have several programs for you to choose from. Review not only the program, but also be sure to check out the list of courses under each program of study. While this might now begin to sound repetitive, I can assure you it is critical to your search. Compare the programs and how many courses you will have to complete even if you have transfer credits. Remember, programs of study vary and could be as simple as comparing apples to oranges. This is where your comparison check between programs is important. It allows you to review how many courses under each program of study you must complete, how many credits are involved, the length of study for each program, and of course, the costs involved. Usually you will be able to request further information from the university you are reviewing. It is a good idea to request more information so that you can have hard copy materials to compare to other universities that you want might also want to review later.

Your next step then is to check on the accreditation of the program (university) you are interested in pursuing. Accreditation is important because institutions that are accredited meet certain criteria in obligation of the mission of the university as well as necessary quality control checks that ensure high-quality programs and education at the institution. You should want your money to be spent wisely and you also want the degree you will obtain to be worth something in the end. Why anyone would want to spend four years working toward a degree that is not accredited and recognized is beyond me?

Accreditation

Accreditation is a very important consideration in online education. Review not only the program of study you are interested in, but also, be sure to review the accreditation statement for the university. Accreditation varies by university. Be sure it is a fully-accredited program (university) and not a diploma mill. You should want your money and time spent in any program to be worth something in the end. Diploma mills are discussed later in this article.

"It is a good idea to be sure the university is Title IV funded, which means that a student can qualify for federally-funded student loans."

If you are not fortunate enough to have an employer that supports financially your educational drive, be sure to check out all financial aid policies for the university of choice. It is a good idea to be sure the university is Title IV funded, which means that a student can qualify for federally-funded student loans. This is very important if you are a student who has no funding available through an employer and will have to then pay for it yourself.

Universities are accredited for the purpose of maintaining some sort of quality in granting degrees. What this means is that each university must meet some specific set of criteria (standards) if they wish to participate or be among those allowed to grant degrees [institutions that are accredited are licensed to do so]. This accreditation process means that the qualifying university has particular standards and quality assurance procedures in place that measures the quality of instruction at the respective university and that it is maintained at some acceptable level as described by the accrediting body for the particular university.

The Council for Higher Education Association (CHEA) epitomizes the fact that accreditation serves to assure academic quality and integrity, but also, it symbolizes the following:

• Accreditation is required for students to gain access to federal funds for grants and loans in the U.S.
• Accreditation makes credit transfer among colleges and universities easier.
• Employers look for accreditation status when evaluating credentials of job applicants and offering financial support to employees. (WorldWideLearn, 2005, para 4)

There is no federal authority in the United States that has single authority or maintains full control over higher educational institutions. Each state varies. Therefore, the quality of programs can vary widely among accredited institutions. For this reason, in the United States, there is a basic level of quality that must be met at all institutions.

Accreditation also varies from country to country. Please be aware of this. I can assure you firsthand, when comparing degrees from various countries to U.S. degrees, there are extreme differences (I cannot stress this enough-extreme!!). In the United States, two types of educational accreditation exist: institutional and specialized or sometimes referred to as programmatic. For more information on the two types of accreditation, please visit the WorldWideLearn web site at: http://www.worldwidelearn.com/accreditation/index.html.

It should be noted; however, that accreditation does not mean that another like program or institution will accept what you may have already completed. There is no guarantee that this will happen. The institution has the liberty to make that decision. Be sure to always check with the institution of choice beforehand to know what they will or will not accept. It is a good idea to get it in writing.

Accreditation can be quite confusing so be sure you fully understand what it means in regard to your situation. If you are bewildered by the ambiguity, you are not alone. Ask the institution of choice to further explain it to you. For additional information on accreditation, please visit the WorldWideLearn web site at: http://www.worldwidelearn.com/accreditation/index.html.

Diploma Mills

Beware of diploma mills! Diploma mills, also known by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation Agency as accreditation mills are degree-granting institutions that are not accredited but grant degrees for money without students achieving any type of coursework or course mastery. They are bogus degrees from institutions that do not hold proper accreditations or authority of granting real degrees.

Any diploma mill should be reported to a governmental education agency for various reasons. Overall, the pure fact that harm comes to those students who attend legitimate institutions and work hard to achieve a high level of success warrants all diploma mills be turned in to a higher level of governmental agency in order to alleviate illegitimate institutions doing further harm to institutions of high caliber and good standing. Accreditation allows for a degree to be held in high regard, not something that should be taken lightly. For additional information, review the Council for Higher Education Accreditation web site at: http://www.chea.org/public_info/index.asp#how.

What's Next?

"Be sure to make a list of all the questions you would like answered before the institution contacts you."

After you have a program of study chosen and have done a comparison of other online universities against what you are looking for, and have made sure your institution of choice is accredited, then be sure to complete the online form for the institution of choice to contact you, if you have not already done so.

Be sure to make a list of all the questions you would like answered before the institution contacts you. When the institution contacts you, be sure you have all of your questions answered. If possible, get those answers in writing from whomever you are speaking with from the institution, even in an email.

If you need further clarification on anything, now is the time to do it. If you need to take time to review what you have discussed with the institution, take the time needed. Evaluate and re-evaluate your choices. Do not let the institution that consistently hounds you make the decision for you. Remember, online institutions are in business to make money. They tend to push you for a lock-in answer. Competition is fierce so the institution wants to get you first and will do whatever it can to do just that. Make your decision only after you feel comfortable with your choice. If you still find you need further clarification, be sure to follow it up before making your final decision.

By Dr. Debra Leonard Mertz
Contributing Writer to World Wide Learn. © 2005. All Rights Reserved.