Associate online degree programs | Ball State reflects the rise in online enrollment

Posted by bposton on November 29th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Remember the report I told you about that showed an increase in online enrollments?

Well I thought you might like to know that this increase is being seen across the country
at many universities.

Take Ball State, for example.

The Ball State School of Extended Education has a 9 month independent learning program and a ten-week fast track program, The independent learning program has about half of its classes online and allows students to work at their own pace in a nine-month period. The fast track program has all of its classes online and students have to finish their work within the 10 weeks.

Ball State is reporting that registration for the online independent learning programs is increasing. The online independent learning programs were started in 2005, and offer the entire core curriculum. Students must also complete two minors that the school of extended education developed.

Online enrollment has almost doubled at Ball State. However, they are seeing more graduate level students that undergraduate students at this time.

Jim Flowers, professor and director of online education in the Department of Technology, said the department’s two master’s degree programs skyrocketed in enrollment numbers. He said offering online courses gave an advantage because of different perspectives from students around the country and world. Indiana does not require a master’s degree for education, so Flowers said Ball State can service a greater population of students.

He commented that the graduate students who are online are students who have already done teaching, and have already established houses and families, so they’re able to provide a different perspective to things.

Ben

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engineering degree online|Globalization Brings Forth New Era in Engineering

Posted by bposton on November 2nd, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

Let’s say you’re hard at work when all of a sudden you have to stop everything to fix a computer problem.

(I hate it when that happens…)

So you call your friendly computer manufacturer’s help line, where a technician diagnoses and helps you solve the problem. So back to work you go.

Now, did you realize that the technician who just saved your behind was a couple of continents away?

It’s the whole Globalization thing. Globalization is linking national economies. But it is creating some unique issues and challenges for the business world - especially in the engineering field.

I’d say that the growth of the global economy can be seen as a double edged sword.
On one hand, it gives nations (like the U.S.) the chance to reduce manufacturing costs
and to do business in a global market. But on the other hand, it becomes more challenging for a business to stay in business.

With companies working in worldwide redistribution of labor and production, engineers are starting to see and feel the impact that the global market has on their jobs.

That means that to understand all the dynamics of the global marketplace, it’s critical for you to go beyond the traditional technical skills and learn other areas such as project management, global marketing and even a foreign language or two. Yikes!! :-0

The good news is that many colleges and universities are now starting to take a new approach to training and instructing future engineers. That includes preparing students for working abroad and functioning effectively on international design teams, and it includes such coursework as studying foreign languages and project management.

Even better, some colleges and universities are also creating nontraditional academic programs and getting into distance learning to help with intercultural teaming and cross-cultural communications.

It’s a brave new world out there. May sure you’re ready to tame it!

Ben

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engineering degree online : How to know if a program is just a run of the “mill”

Posted by bposton on October 27th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

I got this note on my online dorm room door:

What questions should I ask to determine whether a degree provider is a “mill”?
(meaning a diploma mill that you should avoid like the plague)

OK, so here’s a short list of questions to ask.

If the answers to many of the following questions are “yes,” the organization offering the degree just might be a diploma mill:

1. Can degrees be purchased?

2. Do they claim to have accreditation but there is no evidence of this?

3. Do they claim to have accreditation but the accrediting organization is questionable?

4. Do they lack a state or federal licensure or any authority to operate?

5. Is very little attendance required, either online or in class?

6. Is there only one or just a few assignments required for students to earn credits?

7. Is the time to required to earn the degree seem very short?

8. Will they aware a degree based solely on experience or resume review?

9. Are there just a few requirements for graduation?

10. Do they fail to give out any information about a campus or business location (or only provide a post office box)?

11. Does they fail to show a list of its faculty and their qualifications?

12. Do they have a name that’s very similar to other well-known colleges and universities?

That’s the “diploma mill dirty dozen” :-)
 
Now, to be fair, there certainly are some colleges or universities that may not be accredited but are not degree mills.

For example, they may be seeking accreditation, but not yet completed the process.
Or for some reason they may have choose not to be accredited.

So ask the dirty dozen questions and you’ll soon learn if they’re legit or not.

Ben

 

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