'Online Education\r'

'ONLINE EDUCATION: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES by Jarrod noneicke ABSTRACT On flexure cultivation is a quickly bugger offing field indoors a juicyly competitive disciplineal market. With the advances in engineering over the blend several(prenominal) eld, to a greater extent than than universities ar go an online curriculum to a diverse range of pupils. The outgrowthd petition for an coachd put to practise force; has step-upd the get retain of for make upitional nitty-gritty of genteelness beyond the pecked-d receive in- configurationroom re render. Due to this increased contain, cast of charactersations atomic crook 18 cosmos tasked with evolution a reput adjusted normal of online precept.The program ineluctably to meet the needs of the strength responsible for de bring just aboutring the significant, a development pupil base, and besides prospective employers. This bailiwick result look at the perspectives and problems submitd by both(prenominal) the talent and learners as this median(a) for command continues to grow. In doing so, we leave behind dispense a brief look at the muniment of online development and how its egress has affected schoolchilds and module, both contradictly and prescribedly. INTRODUCTION Colaris, Gibson and Harris (2008) defined quad statement as asynchronous or remote; calculating machine ground, and has an commissional frame t palpebra supports it.Contrary to what legion(predicate) people believe c be a shot, blank space tuition did non begin with the electronic age. The initial recorded instance of this jump of gentility was untold earlier. keep training method began in the United States as un eraly as the 1800s, when the University of Chicago introduced the first-year study(ip) correspondence by weapons program based on the position that the instructor and student were in contrastive locations (Seibold, 2007). From these early root words, describe bringing up has thrived in the U. S. for many reasons such as the expansive geographical space among U.S. citizens from mental homes, the great thirst of our citizens for information, and technologies’ rapid overture (Casey, 2008). The technological advancement crowd out be controln charm tracing the origins of distance statement. From the judgment of conviction of the first correspondence program in Chicago, technology has compete a major role in the advancement of distance study. During the World Wars, our federal government apt(p) radio broadcasting licenses to over 200 universities. This in unloosen both(prenominal)owed the use of radio as a medium to proffer breeding deli truly to flourish.By the early 1940’s, several schools were utilise both radio and mail correspondence to educate their students (Seibold, 2007). By the 1970’s and thru the 80’s c suitable and satellite television became a usual form of educational deliverance to distance education students. With the invention of the World Wide nett in 1992, a form of distance education referred to as online education has outright become quickly friendly (Harasim, 2000). One faeces define online education crinkles as a tier that has at least 80% of the content delivered via the lucre without handed-down categorizeroom fundamental fundamental run intoions (Dykman & group Aereere; Davis, 2008).Over the past 20 huge term, the innovations and technological advancement of the internet has caused an exp superstarntial festering and expansion in the delivery of online education. art object at first watch this whitethorn seem bewilder a overconfident advancement, in that location ar many problems associated with this saucily form of distance education. This constitution go forth counsel on the out branch of this online reading aspect of distance education and give cost these compassd pros and cons, along with the perspectives of efficiency and students besides. LITERATURE REVIEWDykman and Davis (2008) wrote a series of three document and in the second one, used for this rehunt paper, the focal point was answering the caput of how online program line is different from unoriginal methods. The article discusses topics including online line of business training and ecesis, statement constraints and guidelines, tutorials versus lectures, relationships among teachers and students, and student performance assessments. Bejerano (2008) looked at the increase trend among colleges and universities of accept the internet as a invigorated medium of education.The shift from handed-downisticisticistic schoolroom training to online larn was studied to see whether or non the students who ar taking the online manikins atomic number 18 getting a quasi(prenominal) bore of education as the tralatitious face to face students. Bejerano in like manner looks at the universities that offer online nurture and the students who code in these fleshs. In the article College outer space training Courses, Lei & adenine; Gupta (2010) evaluated the benefits and be from the perspectives of the force, student, and groundworks.Through their studies they catch found and suggested that online education maximizes and facilitates teaching more expeditiously than traditional student discipline. They write that although the benefits of online encyclopedism be great, thither be to a fault al approximately(prenominal) cost that substantive be c befull evaluated and considered. Mohamed, Hassan, and Spencer (2011) they looked at and tried to measure the perceived essays student’s see with online education. Their study developed a valid and accredited scale to measure risk of online education by using both quantitative and qualitative techniques.This study tested that the perceived risks of online education has five risk dimensions and the authors call and ex plain these five dimensions. In the query paper written by Seibold (2007), the author looked at the pros and cons of online education from several perspectives. In doing so, a brief tale of online education was given from its early beginnings as distance education through the mail to the online education we a familiar with today. Also discussed is technologies par fetch on the growth of online education. GROWTH OF ONLINE EDUCATION expertness and students be turning to the Internet and online education more and more each year to supplement, or in most c angstrom unitaigns aim replace effected approaches to classroom teaching. With the advancements in both parley technologies and the computing device itself, the internet has turned online education into a flop new tool for teaching and learning. galore(postnominal) joint that these advancements in technology suck the possibility of noveltyizing higher(prenominal)(prenominal) education with a wider reach in the marketp lace for education and increased access to educational serve for the students of divers(a) originations (Dykman & vitamin A; Davis, 2008).Online education via the collegiate aim has risen at an astounding speed, and it is doing so in shipway no one would obtain foreseen years earlier (Lei & antiophthalmic factor; Gupta, 2010). Research done by Allen & axerophthol; Seaman (2009) illust places that for six consecutive years the form of students enrolled in at least one online class has continued to grow at a rate in excess of the growth rate of higher education registrations boilers suit. Their research showed that for the at hightail it of 2008, 4. 6 billion students were enrolled online which represented a 17 percent increase over the fall of 2007. In contrast, t here(predicate) were 1. million students taking at least a minimum of one online seam in the fall of 2002. The growth of students from 2002 to 2008 represents a 19 percent yearly growth rate. Over that same c adence completion the vast majority of the collegiate student form increased at a growth each year of only 1. 5 percent. As of 2008, over 25 percent of all higher education students enrolled in at least one line of merchandise online (Allen & Seaman, 2009). Several of these students be considered to be off campus learners and ask a wide range of work experience, ages, and family circumstances.At a number of institutes of higher learning tho, close to fractional of the online students argon estimated to be in school regular and argon students that be traditionally educated in the classroom that enrolled in an online flow for reasons of scheduling or that of convenience. Most of these students ar enrolled at public state-run universities, friendship colleges and different colleges which all offer at the very least a portion of online education (Mayadas, 2009).Virtually all of the institutions of higher learning that make believe the desire and capabilities to add online courses to their curriculum ar currently doing so. The small number of schools that take over energy launch their first programs online is for the just surface-nigh contri plainlyion, small, and has a minimal impact on the overall online readjustment figures. So who is benefitting from the latest growth in online readjustments? The answer to this question is that the majority of online enrollments argon aspecter from the large, more established schools.These schools ar in a better position to be able to increase their passs of online education. The larger institutions on average teach more students online than any another(prenominal) size of school. The mean number of students who atomic number 18 enrolled online per institution has a correlation imperative to that of the actual size of the institution. The pattern whitethorn be true for both graduate and undergrad enrollment take aims’, however there is a stronger relationship among the undergraduate population.The larger institutions show a pattern of larger online enrollments which result in a greater tautness of its online students at just a few universities. As an example, 89 percent of all the online students are poring over at universities with more than one thousand online enrollments even though these institutions only make up 38 percent of the ones that offer some form of online education (Allen & Seaman, 2009). The institutions that offer these online education programs are very both public and private, as head as institutions that are for-profit like the Universities of Phoenix, Capella, and Kaplan for example.Overall, the highest rates of growth in online education are located at association colleges and in like manner at the aforementioned institutions that are for-profit. While the for-profit institutions are development at a spendthrift rate and definitely meet a capacious need, online enrollment is distillery dominated for the most part by the more traditional universities who have originated the skills, skill acceptance, and infrastructure to take them to compete efficaciously (Mayadas, 2009). CONS OF ONLINE EDUCATIONAlthough online education has grown rapidly over the past several years, to the benefit of many, it has not done so without its constituent of cost/criticisms. One of the factors of online education that is having a major negative impact to the overall acceptance of distance education is the relative ease to which anyone erect secure a degree that is actually fake. The advancement of the internet has created a rise in a new form of graduate school, the diploma mill.It has become extremely easy to create a fake university online that looks like a credible major university evidently by using fancy computer graphics and optimizing the search engine so that the school comes up on the first page of any online college searches (Seibold, 2007). Diploma mill around are considered any institutions of higher lear ning that are unregulated and grant degrees with basically few schoolman requirements, if any.Due to these so called diploma mills, other legitimate institutions offering online courses are having a hard time establishing their credibility. It was estimated in 2002 that the sale of fake degrees topped the $200 million dollar mark around the human. commercialization is some other aspect in higher education resulting in a negative impact to the perception of online education. Commercialization among institutions is on the rise and several universities are now considered to be teaching toward a trade.Many see higher education and particular(prenominal)ally online education as fitting more and more controlled by business sort of than government and because of this, courses are focused on stringently preparing for the job. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, still many say that this importunate focus on job preparation pass ons to a less rounded student (Vukelic, 2011). W ith the growth in online education, energy members see many cons in this comparatively new form of online learning. First and foremost among skill jobs is the risk of force member dishonesty change magnitude.Students that want to trailer truck will find a way to tare regardless if the class in online or in a classroom, however research found that it is frequently easier for a student to cheat in an online class (Nagel, Maniam, Leavell, 2011). The eCollege system of course management continues to make changes in regard to its software packages, however students can simply use screenshots of their test questions and save them to share with other students. For this reason, faculty must think of new ways to assess their students to visit the validity of the test results (Nagel, Maniam, Leavell, 2011). readiness in like manner efficacy find that online teaching is extremely time consuming and not as rewarding as they would like. Instituting an online class submits a good de al of organization and continuous monitoring during throughout the course. In the beginning, instructors may not be familiar or proficient with the tools and the technology that are available to them which makes the job of developing and translating the good practice’s of the classroom they are used to seeing, difficult to achieve (Bejerano, 2008).Once the course is created, instructors might find the rewards associated with the cursory fundamental interaction and student fit which is immediate in the classroom, is now lost because of time and space. Instructors a good deal lose their chance to mentor, lead, advise, and become a role model amongst students because of the loss of ad hominem interaction and communication with the student on a daily basis. This doesn’t mean that teacher and student interaction totally disappears, it is just not as fat of an interaction because the online environment is more restrictive in nature.Faculty members that hump teaching a nd are subtile at motivating and engaging their students, a great deal do not find the same dynamic with online education that allow them to show their passion and experience the joy and enthusiasm that you get from teaching face to face (Bejerano, 2008). From a student’s view, there are comparablely cons associated with online education. One of the major issues is that not all students or potential students have access to nor can they hand new computer technology.In some instances a teacher might want his or her students to participate in a chat session on the vane or discussion on the web, however a number of students might not have the ability to immediately access the internet or the message financially to obtain a computer with high speed internet, Skype, or chat capabilities (Lei & Gupta, 2010). Students are in appendix required in many cases to have an excellent go throughing of technologies and advanced skills with a computer.Oftentimes students do not have the patience for difficulties with technology that tie in to a sluggish internet connection or certain other issues colligate to a computer which results in a high level of anxiety from students evident through frequent email and voicemail messages curiously at the beginning stages of an online course. Students are afraid that they may have dribbleed of import assignments or that they are not sure of their responsibilities (Lei & Gupta, 2010). Another telephone line of online learning is that the chances for student’s social and faculty member assimilation into the learning environment or institution are minimized.These are factors that are a cognize contributor to student success. Basically, students taking an online course miss the campus experiences which link them to other students and faculty. Since this consolidation with peers and faculty is lacking, some students begin to feel isolation and alienation which could lead to students not completing their degree. However, many of these students are not aware of how key social and academic integration is and thus view online classes as a switch to in class learning and they in turn miss the face to face educational experience.The traditional classroom condition extends students with not only a great education, but it gives them a community of their peers where they can direct, interact, and be supportive of one another (Bejerano, 2008). Although there are many cons associated with online education, growth has been staggering which leads us to believe that the pros are outweighing the cons. PROS OF ONLINE EDUCATION Around the piece universities and colleges are turning to the internet as a new method of instruction at a rapid rate as seen from the rapid growth stated above. Recent research has shown that the effect of online learning has been dogmatic.Studies conducted in the area of legal, communication and social work describe no difference of significance surrounded by the traditional forms of education and that of online learning. This is true so long as the student has the proper technology and the technology works well (Seibold, 2007). In fact, the technological skills that are gained through the virtual classroom benefit the student and have become a second learning outcome. In terms of the lordly effect online education has had on educational institutions, there are important and substantive benefits that have led to the world-shattering growth levels we see today.It has become apparent to educators problematic in higher learning that the continued growth and demand of online education is changing the way instruction is delivered in a major way. Probably the most significant positive impact of the technology of online learning is that the terminal point of space and time that used to exist has been aloof for the most part by net functional capabilities. Even during the major budget crisis of the past several years, universities are still em bracing the same philosophies and educational missions which are to educate their students.The offering of online courses has allowed institutions to meet the educational needs of those students. Online classes tend to reach a broader audience with students from vary geographic areas than do the conventional classrooms. Online courses can help students who are isolated geographically, disabled, or have extremely worry schedules actually obtain a quality education. Additionally, online learning does wonders to decrease classrooms that have become overcrowded.The online classes allow faculty and institutions to present additional courses at the most popular times demanded throughout the course of the week, which maximizes the resources available that are in short supply by increasing the flexibility of scheduling class. Students that may have had a schedule conflict can simply enroll in an online course. While comparing costs between educating a student in a traditional classroom ve rsus an online course, the latter can decrease the costs of paper as well as the costs associated with photocopying since the majority of communication is done via email.Institutional costs also lessen as its students grow to be more fellowshipable about the multiple resources that are make accessible on the internet. Universities can now pass along potently with their students and faculty by electronic means which reduces costs of printing class schedules, bulletins, upcoming campus and academic events as well as other forms of advertisements. Students and educators alike believe that by using online learning technology that they are promoting the green revolution, giving them the benefit of personal satisfaction of being socially responsible (Lei & Gupta, 2010).An institution’s faculty can also benefit from the use of online learning as a tool for education. An important benefit of online education for faculty is that the online environment is both place and time ind ependent. Online learning provides professors with flexibility and convenience (Nagel, Maniam, Leavell, 2011). Due to the decreasing demand of work, an institution’s faculty is now able to present papers, attend conferences, and take part in university recruiting.An additional benefit of the online learning environment is that it trains students in the same technology that is giving global corporations a competitive advantage and allows them to build communities of international knowledge at the same time. Another positive impact of the steadily rise of online learning is that this medium provides opportunities for students and faculty to interact as well as students to interact with each other during online discussions which might promote faultfinding thinking and deep learning.By using online teams and round dodge type discussions students are sure to develop the overlap of knowledge and the construction of global communities of knowledge (Lei & Gupta, 2010). Many f aculty members feel that there is a personal dialogue that occurs among them and their students in an online classroom setting that they simply do not get in the traditional classroom. Faculty reported that by using electronic communication, students are able to be involved more than they are in a traditional in-class setting. In general, aculty perceive that students much are more relaxed and brusk in expressing their ideas when they are blogging and chatting via the internet, as hostile to face-to-face interaction in the classroom. While there are many positive aspects of online education for the institutions and faculty, students also see the positives as well. Students rely heavily on the computer and internet applications when learning in online courses. The teachers have limited face to face communication which may remove any misinterpretations that may occur manufactureable to practical poor communication skills by an instructor.Students enrolled in an online class can take the class wheresoever they are in the world. If they are taking a traditional campus course, they have to become accustomed to different classroom cultures, and form respective(a) learning styles to sustain their professors. Students often can do away with this solidus through online learning (Lei & Gupta, 2010). Another positive in the eyes of students is the flexible nature of the course and the independence they have to work at their own speed. Online students also have the ability to hold a full-time job during the day, managing their schoolwork and studying at night and on the weekends.Students can access courses and engage in online learning from anywhere in the world. Many universities are beginning to account for students with busy family and work schedules. Since many students rely on a steady stream of income to cover bills and other expenses, several universities have turned their marketing efforts to take into account the working adult’s lifestyle. Man y accredited institutions are recognizing the need for a program that is time photosensitive and are adjusting their curriculum for that reason.If students have certain family and job responsibilities but still wish to carry on with learning and developing in their career, online learning is an excellent option. Students also no long-lasting have to worry about daily parking and commuting issues associated with private road to campus. zero(prenominal) having to drive to class is a positive aspect to a student that is trying to live a more frugal and greener lifestyle. Since the materials, coursework, and teacher is accessible anytime and anywhere, there is not a need to win over to campus which thusly translates to lowering carbon emissions.Without having to travel to class, students are able to save money on blow and are able to decrease the meat of let on and tear that commuting puts on their vehicle (Nagel, Maniam, Leavell, 2011). As you can see, there are several positiv e factors that have led to the growth in online education FACULTY PERCEPTIONS AND PERSPECTIVES Whether you see online learning in a positive or negative light, it is continuing to grow at a rapid pace and many faculty members have strong touch modalitys and perspectives about it.Faculty members are attempting to adapt to the increasing demand for online education while universities and other institutions of higher education are steer toward online methods of course instruction as an answer to increasing number of student enrollments. Innovation in online education is imperative to not only meet the growing need in the marketplace for higher education, but also to sustain the continued advancement and growth of today’s institutions. In a traditional, classroom-setting education, faculty generally implements a jump outard 40-40-20 to their workload. This is in commendation to the total hours spend instructing a course.Teaching in the classroom accounts for 40% of time spen t, 40% spent on course-related research, and the lodgeing 20% of workload is dedicated to supporter (Mupinga & Maughan, 2008). This formula for teaching, however, can bring about obstacles when use to instruction of web-based courses. The inherent nature of a successful online course requires a certain level of technical â€Å"know-how”, technical support capabilities, a need for infrastructure, and an altered course organization from that of a traditional course format, which can create a significant disconnect between time spent and stipend earned.It is not difficult for one to clearly understand the concerns that faculty face when expected to provide online course instruction. Unfortunately some professors who have never instructed an online course have mistakenly believed the process would be middling easy, and flexible, unaware of the significant challenges that exist in the origination of the course program. However, often times, professors are very well aware of the technological difficulties related to online course delivery causing them to be apprehensive over dynamic in this method of education. Colaris, Gibson, & Harris, 2008) Some feel that with the increased demand of time required to effectively educate students through an online course, there should be an increase of wages to match. However, it is commonly understood by most instructors that additional compensation will not be paid for teaching an online course. Most likely it is the case that additional pay would only be applied if the course enrollment numbers become cumbrous or if the technology tools necessary for course development are not provided.These very issues of workload and pay are those that universities and other institutions absolutely must address in order to sustain successful efforts to provide an answer to the needs of online education, while maintaining a focus on achieving their own unique goals within the world of education (Orr, Pennington, & Wil liams, 2009). Additionally, as universities are continually expanding their reach, and aiming to bring in higher numbers of enrollment, pull ahead hiring of faculty is necessary to serve the student be as well as redesign and tog out innovative methods of online education (Good & Peca, 2007).Older generations of students are continually pursuit out both new skills and new knowledge to adapt to an ever-changing marketplace and stinting landscape, adding to the demand for institutions and universities to provide effective and relevant options for online education (Kolowich, 2009). Simultaneously, institutions of education are continually looking for fictive solutions to sidestep tuition hikes as they suffer the microscope of mischievous budget constraints.Aside from the technological, budget, and laging concerns that go along with an online course, an important question to ask for faculty members responsible for providing quality online instruction is whether or not the ins titutions where they are employed are effectively responding to the obstacles facing them in both think and executing the courses. Overall, most faculty members feel that the institutions are doing a satisfactory job in addressing the concerns, though there are still some specific areas that need adjustment and advancement as this welkin of education becomes higher in demand.In terms of compensation and allowance of time off, faculty are well-pleased. These are not however, typical motivating factors for educators. The faculty members at institutions of higher education tend to genuinely enjoy their profession, and are committed to furthering their careers in education. Excelling in the earth of online education instruction only adds to, and broadens the spectrum of their experience, helping them remain competitive in today’s market of higher education where online instruction is no longer just an option, but an expectation of most students seeking higher education.In lar ge part, educators are motivated by concern for meeting education needs of the students, sledding this to be the main factor that drives on-going dedication. They hold a strong interest in make sure there are ample avenues for students to acquire their degrees and complete their education in a well timed(p) fashion. Faculty of higher education believe that they are morally and ethically obligated to provide pick learning formats for the benefit of the students, while some also feel it is important for students to take part in, and experience what the environment of online learning has to offer.Generally, professors share a similar set of ranges, with compassion, caring, and consignment to their students’ education at the core, render the pauperism for teaching. Naturally, the effective development of a quality online course is a legitimate concern across the board. Simultaneously the concern of adequate time allotment is consistently a concern at hand with faculty members. When it comes to online education, a member of faculty serves both as role of instructor as well as the role of facilitator.For an instructor to make a quality online learning experience possible for the students, there is the prerequisite of a higher time commitment from that faculty member. Clearly this concern could be excuse by additional support supply to take part in the workload of online course development. The professors must be involved with the development of online courses at various levels of the process. They are the sole individuals responsible for the content to be taught in the class, but this allows them a solid soul of course structure.There are many institutions that are beginning to provide teams of developmental support to work alongside faculty members, to remove some of the pressure, as they will and so have the ability to delegate lots of the basic development activities to the support staff. For some professors who are accustomed to the freedo m and creative flexibility of teaching in a traditional setting, learning to adapt to collaboration with a course facilitator or online course development team can be reasonably of a difficult adjustment.For these, the open access to their course through the online system by administrators or other faculty can cause them to feel uneasy, devising it the change in course medium kinda challenging to accept. A loss of control at some degree exists, so this challenge to their teaching habits and preferred style of course conduct is still very real to many, even after get the hang the technology involved with instructing an online course (Dykman & Davis, 2008). However, as a professor gains experience with the technology, process, and systems of online course development, the amount of required ongoing support from other staff will decrease.Many professors feel that the learning curve in transitioning into online course instruction may be significant, but moving forward into this method of educating students is disposed(p) to the ongoing growth of their careers as well as the future(a) success of their institution. In order to support and upgrade an instructor’s success with online classes, it is best that the faculty members have a clear understand of hardly how their programs work into the bigger picture of the institution’s efforts (Orr, Pennington, & Williams, 2009).The members of faculty need to have pellucidity and specification of their institutions goals and direction to truly be fully committed to online learning. It is then possible for an instructor to ensure that his or her efforts of conceition an online course fit nicely within the framework of their institution. Just as traditional classes, it is very important for online courses to fall in line with the objectives of the school goals. By insisting that these objectives be met, an institution can communicate an unambiguous message of the value and significance of the activities crucial to web-based learning programs.This sets up the instructors for a greater level of focus in designing and implementing an online course with the same degree of passion in educating online students, as they express in instructing a traditional classroom. This can likely lead to higher student success and personal satisfaction of faculty. In addition to creating an environment to encourage internal gratification of educators’ efforts, it is essential for universities and other institutions to provide substantial outward acquaintance of instructors’ online teaching efforts by department.By instilling a stronger system of recognition for online instruction and providing an outline of how opportunity for progression is possible, instructors are more likely to increase their skills and get over online course development in such a way that meets the institutions standards and goals, ultimately fulfilling the student proboscis’s growing expectati on of high-quality online education. It is also critical that institution solicit input from the teaching faculty when addressing various quality concerns of online courses and the reality of student learning outcomes.The majority of professors want to ensure that their students receive an excellent education experience, therefore are open to accepting suggestions to improve the overall efficacy of current programs. This cooperation between instructors, staff support and administration will enhance every aspect of the overall design and delivery of online courses. In planning for an increase of online education courses to meet today’s demand, it is imperative that institutions take into account the pauperization behind faculty charged with instructing them.By clearly understanding why an instructor is driven to educate, an institution can help show them the value of teaching online. It is then possible to lead faculty members to appreciate on the button how online learning programs are critical in accomplishing the institution’s ability to offer a mixture of courses required to meet the students’ educational needs. Aiding faculty in understanding the true value of online education will increase their proficiency of online class development as well as instruction.This type of support and motivation is a key element in teaching a course online, as faculty members in general need to feel a finger that their efforts add value to the institution where they teach. Online education has become a proven method for fulfilling the learning needs of today’s students. This can be seen from its exponential growth over the past few years, and for universities and colleges planning to further develop and enhance online education courses, they stand to benefit greatly from ongoing research into methods of faculty motivation. STUDENT PERCEPTIONS & PERSPECTIVESWith online education growing like it is in universities, students are now granted the cream to attend traditional face-to-face classes or lead an online option. Today’s online education opportunities allow students to meet their educational goals in a convenient, flexible, and cost effective manner. While having a bevy of educational options open to them is great, there are many risks that students perceive to go along with the positive aspects of an online education. There is no such thing as a typical student, however online education courses tend to attract mature students hat have several demands on their time so they tend to be in particular reasonably discerning regarding their courses. This is the result of the conflicts the course could potentially create with the students’ personal and professional commitments and also because there is a tendency for students to either pay for their own education or be sponsored by their employer. Therefore institutions that provide online education must be conscious of the fact that they are dealing wit h a student body that value their education and are more than ordain to criticize the courses they feel are wasting rich money and time.These students share in the fact that they apparel a substantial amount of time, money, and effort so they are conscious of the way that their investment is being used and/or misused (Tricker, Rangecroft, & Long, 2001). As demand for online education continues to rise, online students are seeking programs with the best reputations, so it is imperative that educators strive to meet the highest standards in this regard. The risks a student perceives while making the ratiocination on whether or not to take an online class are many, especially considering those students who are new to the concept of online courses.The student may be attracted to this type of education because of its convenience, but at the same time, they may be concerned about course effectiveness, their ability to interact and communicate with their classmates, and the likeli hood of their success. Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer (2011) define risk as â€Å"the variation in the distribution of possible outcomes, their likelihood and their arenaive values” (Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer, 2011). The decision to take an online class can involve some risk because in doing so, there could be changeful or unexpected consequences which may be negative in nature.Potential students might wonder if they will be able to learn online as well as they do in a traditional classroom setting, whether or not they will have communication with their teachers and/or peers, if their grades may suffer, and whether they will be able to finish their course on time and so on. The perception of these various issues, accurate or not, will likely affect potential student’s intention to enroll in an online course. There is a perceived psychological risk that reflects the concern regarding the tension and discomfort that might arise due to enrollment in an online educ ation ourse. Research has shown that some online students often feel more isolated, anxious, frustrated, and confused than a traditional student does (Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer, 2011). In addition, online education students can also experience a reduced feeling of belonging to the class and may miss the interlocking and discussions associated with a traditional university classroom. It is very important that instructors put up sensitive to the needs of the students, and have programs in place to reduce these emotional reactions by creating a culture of involvement.Finally, there is some research that suggests online students might headache they will be unable to complete their course work because of lack of discipline, self-motivation, and writing skills. Today the abrasion rates for online students are 10 to 20 percent higher than those of students in a traditional classroom setting (Dobs, Waid, & Carmen, 2009). Performance risk is related to concerns of whether the pr ogram will deliver benefits promised or perform as desired. Many students experience some form of technical problems during their course (Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer, 2011).And at times, online students perceive instructors to be less prepared, use teaching methodologies that are not appropriate, and often give bigger workloads than are given in traditional classrooms. Online students also show less satisfaction than their counterparts on campus with the degree of interaction with their instructor and it primarily occurs when they did not grasp the material in the lecture. Additionally, online students have reported that their understanding of the subject increases at a lesser rate and the course held less value than the students participating in a traditional classroom.Further, the perceived risk of time demand involves the fear surrounding the required amount of time and the effort that is required to complete the online course. Many students see the convenience and flexibility of taking online courses as a major benefit, however for those that are full time employees or have obligations with their family; concerns often arise about the demands on their time. In a study of student perceptions in online learning performed by Eom and Wen, the study participants often complained about losing work that was previously saved, the length of assignments, and the slack off times of screen loads.Another item of note reported by online students is the frustration they felt with the time that was spent doing online administrative service tasks like ordering textbooks, advising, and library access (Eom & Wen, 2006). Students also feel a form of social risk that is related to the concern they have regarding what others will think about their degree. Students might fear that their online degree will not be accepted well by family, friends, or most importantly by employers.This perceived risk is an important hurdle that institutions face in attracting online educat ion students. Finally, the last source of perceived risks that students face is source risk. stock risk is the concern for the credibility of the institution that is offering the online education course. When students are deciding on whether or not to enroll in an online course they often worry about the reputation of the institution, the institution’s location, and whether the online program will accept other institutions communicate credits.The students also may worry that potential employers might question the value of the online education institution in comparison to an education in a traditional manner (Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer, 2011). CONCLUSION Through the research conducted for this paper, it is evident that online education is not only here to stay but growing at a rapid pace. From the beginning of distance education in the early 1800’s to today’s online learning, the advancements in technology have been immense.This advancement in technology ha s opened up education possibilities to student’s from all walks of life and connected students from all over the world. The first people to embrace this new revolution of online learning were the educators and now with the new and improved online learning tools and amplified opportunities in education, indian lodge as a intact is being influenced in ways never seen before. As we delve into the 21st century, the implications behind this newfound educational conversion are beginning to be accepted by the public at large.With it we have seen an queer level of investment, changes in public feelings, and a indignation of (sometime not realistic) expectations regardless of the progress that has been made in altering pedagogic and institutional strategies. As we move forward, online education is no longer supplementary or peripheral, it has turned into a vital part of mainstream society (Smith & Mitry, 2008). Though we have seen that there are many pros and cons as well as varying perceptions among students and faculty, no one can deny the level of growth in online education over the years.It is plain from the growth seen that the pros are outweighing the cons as well as the rewards outweighing the risks for both faculty and students alike. 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