Education Online

Importance Of Online Education Testimonies

Last Updated Nov 20, 2008 02:08 AM

TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES
Testimony of Dr. Stephen Shank
Dr. Shank testified about the importance of online education, and its role in extending access to higher education for working adults. He noted that internet education is widely used and accepted among most higher education institutions, and that 84 percent of 4-year colleges and universities offer distance courses, enrolling some 2.2 million students last year. Currently 120,000 students are enrolled in fully on-line programs, making this not a minor subculture, but a major new part of higher education.

Capella University is a recently accredited virtual university, meaning that all of their classes are offered online. They now enroll over 6,500 students in all 50 states, 55 percent of whom receive financial aid from the federal programs. Capella is an accredited school as well. Dr. Shank noted that standards and quality were important in accrediting distance education schools, but that outcomes should be the focus more than inputs. At Capella, each unit has specific objectives for learning outcomes, and programs are evaluated using these criteria. Dr. Shank suggested that the expectation should be that the educational effectiveness of distance and Internet based programs should be the same as traditional models.

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