Do you remember a little report called, A Nation at Risk? In response to rising achievements of other countries and the failure of the U.S. to keep up, The National Commission on Excellence in Education highlighted integral problems in our educational system. This was in 1983.
Before the end of the century, the first online education tools were more than just a mock up of the modern classroom. The virtual classroom allowed students and teachers to monitor grades, turn in assignments, offer feedback and even allowed students to communicate in open discussions without the pressure of being in front of a crowd. In fact, this system is still used and keeps advancing every year.
By 2002, online universities using the virtual learning environment were solving the main issues raised in A Nation at Risk. It seemed clear to many of the online schools that education should primarily focus on the aptitudes of the individual. Although it seemed less personal than a regular classroom, the results offered by distance learning were incredible.
Market forecasters estimated that by the end of 2002, more than 2 million students would have been enrolled in online educational programs. That constituted 15 percent of all college students in the U.S. Not only were students amassing numbers in these schools but quality education took stride after the advent of DSL technology. Students were able to stream live videos with less interruption and more clarity than ever before.
But for all their worth, online colleges still had plenty of potential left to turn the educational world around in a matter of years. Educational experts saw the rising attendance and increasing aptitude of online students as a light shining towards the future. Meanwhile, traditional universities were (and still are) battling to control their costs, improve the quality of instruction and focus on the needs of students.
In 2007 online schools are available to all who seek the knowledge. Cost, time and efficiency tend to be the driving factors that allow online schools to permeate the educational market. Large universities are turning towards online education to raise average grades, attendance and increase the level of technology used in the vast curricula encompassed by many colleges.
The increase in mobile, light weight and faster technology is still in the middle stages of its optimal evolution. But more and more, younger minds and eager adults are finding themselves "plugged in" to the network of new technology. The idea of an online community seems more acceptable than ever.
Imagine, now, you're still allowed your email after you graduate, you can still access your school's library and even keep in contact with your old professors. One day, they may take this one step further by allowing the learning process to continue beyond graduation. This would allow a steady stream of new and relevant information to be accessed by alumni.
Mobility is the new wave in technological advancements. People can take a whole entertainment system with them in a small handheld box with a screen. Maybe you missed class because you were stuck on the turnpike. Why couldn't you just watch the class over again through streaming video? Or even better, why couldn't you access the class through your iPod®? How about that for a study guide?
In five years much can change. Nobody knows where online education and earning an online degree will stand during the metamorphosis that encompasses the internet and its technologies. But looking towards the future is fun and helps everyone learn a little about what needs to be done to make our lives better.