Value and Soundness of Online Education

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In comparison of various viewpoints, many opinions are similar regarding the value and soundness of online education.
The increased quality and technology of online courses are attracting millions of students to enroll instead of attending traditional schools. More and more students are opting for E-learning convenience despite the complaints of poor quality and high expense. Competition and technological advancement will eventually drive the cost for online education down. Many new educational Internet start-up companies will be providing low cost online courses despite not yet being accredited.
“The competition and technological improvements add up to "a great thing" for anyone interested in learning, says Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor who studies the impact of technology on education. “What used to be expensive and inaccessible becomes convenient and accessible," he says. "You can see price competition coming." What's more, the best online courses, in many cases, now rival the quality of traditional classes, says Christensen, who recently virtually audited a Brigham Young University online accounting course. "Anything beyond the 10th row in a large lecture hall is distance learning" anyway, he jokes.”[1]
Many online colleges are improving their service and quality in order to remain competitive. As tuition for online education decreases due to price competition student enrollment in online degree programs will dramatically increase. Several of the new educational start-ups including a new nonprofit “University of the People” [1] (which will offer classes and textbooks free of charge with minimal costs for an admission fee and final exams) are on the horizon to become accredited. As these I...

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...t. Online education has had a great impact on the way we educate ourselves. Telecommunication provides students with the ability to pursue or continue education online as an adult or while in the workforce, leading to employment opportunities or advancement in current positions which increases earning potential.

Works Cited

[1] Kim Clark. (2014, February 6) Online Education Offers Access and Affordability. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2009/04/02/online-education-offers-access-and-affordability [2] Caitlin Kneram. (2014, February 6) The Value of Online Learning Retrieved from http://www.salary.com/the-value-of-online-learning/ [3] campusdemocracy.org (2014, February 6) Online Education and its Intrinsic Value. Retrieved from
http://www.campusdemocracy.org/articles/online-educations-intrinsic-value.html

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