| Internet Classes Offer Convenience |
| With the ever-changing job market and increasing competition, more and more adults are seeking additional education to help them in their current professions or to prepare them for a career change. |
| Leaving work for two years to go into a full-time program isn't an option for many adults. For them, online learning can be their best choice. Taking courses online enables adults who want to pursue an advanced degree but don't want to sacrifice the time they spend with their family or the momentum they have in a career track to further their education without sacrificing other priorities. |
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| Growth of the industry |
| The U.S. Department of Education reported last summer that more than three million people tapped online classes in 2001 and projects that by 2006, that number will climb to six million. According to the 2003 Sloan Survey of Online Learning, besides the online-only programs, 81 percent of site-based schools offer some sort of online program. There's a program to cover just about every discipline or subject area. |
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| Challenge of online learning |
| It's a common misnomer that online classes are easier than classes taken face-to-face or less interactive. In fact, online classes can offer more of a challenge to students because no one can hide in the back of the classroom. Everyone in an online class is required to participate in the discussion, and often assignments are posted on the class Web site so that others can make comments and provide feedback. |
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| Building your network online |
| Not only are students surprised by the amount of work and dedication that online programs take, they are impressed by the relationships that develop between classmates who are located across the country and around the world. Building a network is often one of the top reasons adults want to go to graduate school and this aspect isn't lost online. (ARA) |
