Online & Continuing Education

MARCH 2019 | EDUCATIONANDCAREERNEWS.COM

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Online & Continuing Education Venus Williams shares how earning her degree online gave her the flexibility to balance her career with education

ONLINE uncover the facts and fiction about online degree programs

EXPLORE the career opportunities available when you study music online

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What should I know about online degrees?

Online degrees offer flexibility that can be a real benefit to students who have major responsibilities outside of school, such as working or caring for family. Studying online can eliminate the need to commute or relocate for school. You can take classes and earn your degree while fulfilling your other commitments.

If I’m considering an online education, where should I start?

First, decide what discipline and degree you want to earn.

According to our user data, online MBA programs are particularly popular. Second, be sure to confirm the program you are interested in is accredited and offers support services, like the ability to meet with your advisers virtually. Finally, find the program that is the best fit for you. This is the most important thing to consider as you weigh your options, and might include your field of interest, career goals, faculty you want to learn from, funding, schedule and more.

How do I choose the right program for me?

U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Programs rankings provide in-depth information on more than 1,500 accredited programs in a range of disciplines. We also offer articles and guides on our site, with advice from online education experts, to help prospective students on their journey.

From the court to the classroom, tennis star Venus Williams discusses the inspiration behind earning her online degrees.

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Anita Narayan of U.S. World & News Report answers all your questions about finding and enrolling in the right online degree program.

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Everything You Need to Know About Online Degree Programs

Venus Williams: Hitting the Books, Hitting the Court

I recommend that they thoroughly research options to find the right program for them. It’s important to look for a school that offers the degree they are interested in earning and can accommodate their personal schedule needs. I also recommend that they be honest with themselves about their ability to work independently, start projects and meet deadlines. Lastly, there are so many fraudulent programs out there. Look for the legitimate schools and academic programs — the best ones are accredited. You can find the accreditation status of any program on their website.

What are the benefits of learning online?

For me, the greatest benefit of earning a degree online was the flexibility it provided and the variety of courses offered.

I travel all around the world most of the year, and studying online is the only way I would have been able to earn my degree while still competing as a professional tennis player. Being able to do school work and study at my own pace took a lot of pressure off of me, allowing me to give my absolute best to both.

What do you see for the future of online education?

How did you balance that life with school?

I believe online education will continue to grow and become a popular alternative in pursuing higher education. There are a variety of personal and professional situations that make attending traditional classes challenging or impossible. Online education cuts down costs and offers flexibility to those who have rigid schedules with family or a career. Online education will open up the opportunity for more people to pursue their degree or simply take classes by accommodating a variety of lifestyle challenges. n

Balancing my travel, training and tournament schedule with my school obligations was easy at Indiana University East. Their classes allowed me great flexibility for studying and handing in my assignments and projects.

Any advice for readers considering online education?

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Online Education Provides Equitable Opportunities for All We must invest in high quality, publicly available and costeffective online education to meet the needs of all Americans.

Online learning represents our most promising possibility for meeting the vast educational needs of our population and for bridging gaps in social equality and mobility. As a university faculty member teaching online for 15 years, I hear daily from students whose lives are transformed by the opportunities and accessibility of high-quality online programs. Each story is unique and wonderful, but they often share a common thread: “A degree was out of my reach until I found this online program.”

Education for all

The access and opportunity provided by online education resonates deeply with our democratic values. When greater access, higher quality and lower student costs are available, lives are improved. Online programs fitting these criteria meet essential educational needs in our nation.

We must invest our time, our broad public support and our public dollars in the future of online education within institutions that embody democratization of higher education.

How Students Are Making the Most of Their Online Degrees What inspired you to pursue an online degree?

DH: My current role is senior director of marketing for e-learning and academic partnerships at Texas Tech University. As senior director, it is crucial that I be a strategic communicator in today’s global and digital environment.

David Hankins: When I chose to

start a family, I was faced with needing to work to have an income at the same time. Texas Tech University’s online graduate program provided the flexibility I needed to get my school work done while serving in the United States Air Force.

David Hankins Texas Tech University

Heidi Scott: Online education allows

you to build your degree around your needs. With so many options now available, you can find what best suits your growth and development goals, both personally and for your career.

Attending school online allows the freedom and flexibility needed in today’s changing world.

Heidi Scott University of Idaho

Dr. Davin Carr-Chellman, Assistant Professor, University of Idaho College of Education, Health and Human Sciences

What do you feel is a common misconception surrounding online education?

DH: Many people believe the quality of an online degree is different than a traditional one. However, I found the classes to be just as rigorous and the professors just as tough. Once I was done, the degree was identical to one I would have received attending face-to-face courses.

HS: Distance learning implies separa-

tion and detachment; yet technology

opment, strategic thinking, leadership capacity and scholarly research to increase practical understanding for future career pathways. AOLL promotes learning and opens doors.

What would you like people to know about pursuing an online degree?

Changing models

As the growth of the online learning marketplace outpaces our investment in improving quality, access and opportunity, online education has stratified; the cash cow approach has had lessthan-stellar results. We cannot allow the initial steps forward to falter. Now is the time to remain steadfast in the priorities of high quality online learning toward ever-more democratic forms of adult education. This opens the door for all students, not only for learning, but for social mobility, self-improvement and better jobs.

HS: AOLL teaches organizational devel-

and engagement provide an interconnected and productive learning experience. Adult Organizational Learning and Leadership (AOLL) leverages technology tools and methods, enabling learning, feedback and community.

Tell us a little bit about how your program has prepared you to succeed in your future career.

DH: Online education allows you to build your degree around your needs.

With so many options now available, you can find what best suits your growth and development goals, both personally and for your career. Attending online allows the freedom and flexibility needed in today’s changing world.

HS: Be active, engaged and invested. Use

support tools and methods, optimize partnerships and be accountable for your own work. Seek faculty guidance, ask questions and participate in online forums. Find balance and be humble.

Embrace thought diversity and perspectives. Most of all, enjoy learning. n

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Study Music in Your Own Rhythm With Berklee Online Whether you are a music professional or an aspiring musician, online study options offer the chance to build your skills and portfolio.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Music Professionals PHOTO: ASHLEE WILCOX PHOTOGRAPHY

Berklee Online is the world’s largest online music school, serving more than 11,000 students per year with its paid offerings, as well as millions of additional students who learn with free courses.

“Our mission is to expand the reach of Berklee and provide affordable music education opportunities to aspiring musicians all over the world,” says Debbie Cavalier, CEO of Berklee Online.

Diverse options

Courses run the gamut from composition for classical orchestras to the latest cutting-edge music production software, so finding the program that’s the right fit for any student is easy. Whether it’s learning how to DJ or how to compose for film, television and games, it’s all available here.

Berklee Online focuses on “project-based learning,” which means that during each 12-week term, students are creating professional-quality projects that become part of their professional portfolio.

Berklee Online lets students study in their own rhythm from anywhere in the world. Because the courses are all online, students have access to the course material 24/7, and can reach out to their classmates and instructor anytime. “ There is a tremendous amount of communication and collaboration that happens in our online courses every day,” says Cavalier.

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Music educators empower students with a diverse range of skills that are applicable to any profession.

Did a music educator make a difference in your life, perhaps inspiring you to remain involved in music even after your high school years? Often, many students who take music classes in high school are driven to bring that same joy of music into other students’ lives. To become a music educator is to enter a truly noble profession.

Making a difference

Music opens doors for students in ways that other studies do not. Music education teaches students necessary skills for all professional pursuits, including communications skills, collaboration, critical thinking, empathy

and creativity. Music students think outside the box and learn how to pool intellectual resources with peers to problem-solve in innovative ways.

Music offers students the opportunity to express themselves in a way they may not be able to in other subjects.

Each school year on college campuses around the nation, new classes of music education majors are gathering together to share their experiences and find their own self-expression and value as individuals. These music education majors are also learning how to become strong advocates of music education for all students. About 150 music education majors come to Washington, D.C. every June to speak with their federal elected officials about why music education must be made more equitable in access to all students. They care that much about their chosen profession.

Continuing the cycle

College and university professors help prepare these budding professionals to dive into the world of school music and keep the cycle of music education turning over for another generation.

It is very likely that the music educator who inspired you to consider majoring in music education has their own stories of music educators who inspired them to pursue music as well.

Remember that moment in your own time at school that inspired you to pursue music. Talk to music educators whom you respect, and reach out to school deans of music to get their perspective on the profession.

You can be the music educator who inspires the next generation. n Kathleen D. Sanz, President and Board Chair, National Association for Music Education

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