The Pros and Cons of Distance Learning

It’s 6:20 p.m. and your night class starts in 10 minutes. You're stuck in traffic with the knowledge that you'll never find parking, and will miss the no-makeup quiz your professor always gives at the beginning of class. On top of that, you realize you've forgotten the disk with all the work for your group project on it.

If you're considering online learning, you're well aware that you can earn your degrees online, minus all the needless stress that comes with attending a traditional brick-and-mortar school. But is online learning really better? How do you know you';ll function well in a cyber classroom? What if a potential employer won't recognize your degree?

The following are three facts about distance learning, and the pros and cons of each offered by brick-and-mortar and online faculty and administrators, as well as online students. These are their opinions -- the decision is up to you.

Fact: Online learning is convenient.

PRO >> Bryan Mosher was in the process of getting his MBA from Jones International University (JIU, Englewood, CO) in project management when a promotion opportunity arose at his job. “If I had gone to a brick-and-mortar school, the transfer would have been extremely difficult,” he says. "I took a month off to move, then I went right back online." No transferring or delaying a semester required.

CON >> Sure it's convenient... so long as you're motivated. "It's virtually impossible to procrastinate,” says Brian Mueller, CEO of University of Phoenix Online. "You have to stay involved on a daily basis. [Online classes] require more time, and they're more intellectually challenging.”

Fact: You won't have face-to-face contact with professors or students.

PRO >> "We understand how important it is to have perceived human contact,” says Pamela Pease, president of JIU. "We spend a lot of time building interaction.” JIU class assignments are done in teams, Web discussions are a must for students, and faculty and technical support are always available," she says.

CON >> "Personally, I prefer face-to-face contact," says John Schmit, associate dean for adult programs and an English professor at Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN), who also teaches courses online at Capella University (Minneapolis, MN). "That is a disadvantage because most students get excited about a class by the interaction." Schmit does say, however, that there is no difference in the academic performance between his on-campus and online students.

Fact: An online degree is just as valuable as a traditional degree. But the institution must be accredited.

PRO >> "Would Penn State put their signature on a diploma that did not meet the standards of their institution?" asks Frank Mayadas, president of the Sloan Consortium, a group of institutions committed to quality online education, and program director at the Sloan Foundation (New York, NY). "When you get an online degree, I don't know of any college that says it was earned over the wires," he continues. "I think over time the distinction [between degrees] will vanish completely. It's going to be so fuzzy, no one's going to bother to ask anymore."

CON >> Honestly? There isn't one. Most online faculty and students believe employers will accept online degrees. "Institutions are embracing online learning, and a lot of our students have been promoted since getting an online degree,” says Pease. In fact, Mueller believes students who earn their degree online have a distinct advantage. "[Employers] gain a certain amount of admiration for online students," he says. "They consider them savvy and creative enough to succeed online."

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