What Do College Faculty and Businesses Think About Online Education?

Abstract

Since 1994, student enrollments in online education programs have dramatically increased. As colleges and businesses expand their use of e-learning, it has become more and more important to find cost-effective ways to deliver instruction and training that will meet student and business needs. Perceptions of what constitutes quality programs by faculty members, the community, administrators and businesses all vary making planning for the future even more difficult. Little research in the field also compounds the complexity of knowing which strategy will provide colleges and businesses the quality standards that it requires. This indecision and lack of information is often what leads to poor training practices for online instructors, limited knowledge of program components by hiring managers and biases about student capabilities when comparing an online to traditional programs. Questions about how to strategically plan online programs, determining the quality of online programs and responding to growth are issues that colleges will have to address in the future to sustain growth. This article highlights various studies and statistics to explain why perceptions about online learning are contributing to the lack of planning and indecision in online education focus. As more and more students obtain online degrees and enter the job market, it is interesting to explore how businesses and college faculty really feel about the switch from traditional to online degree programs.