Convenience and rising gas prices are contributing to an increase in the number of students taking online courses through Troy University.
According to Deb Gearhart, director of Troy University’s eCampus program, online enrollments have grown from 10,550 last summer to 13,985 this summer, a 43 percent jump. Gearhart said online enrollments had been growing for the past few years, but the recent year-to-year jump was substantial.
Online courses are a modernized version of correspondence courses that, thanks to technology, allow for more student-teacher interaction and quicker feedback. Troy currently offers 17 full degree programs online and will add two more in the fall. Gearhart says the courses are popular because students don’t have to travel to class or show up at set times, and can do coursework at their own pace. The courses are most popular with non-traditional students – students over the age of 25 who often have job and family responsibilities. Military students like the courses because they can continue their education online even if they’re deployed on active duty.
“As long as they meet their assignment deadlines it doesn’t matter if they’re working at two in the morning or two in the afternoon,” Gearhart said.
Bobbette Wilkerson, of South Boston, Va., takes online business management courses through Troy University. Wilkerson, a Marine, says she found out about Troy’s online offerings through a university representative at the South Virginia Higher Education Center. Wilkerson says she likes Troy’s online courses because it fits her schedule as a busy single mother of three and saves her travel expenses.
“Every little bit of gas you can save is wonderful,” she said.
Gearhart said online courses are growing in popularity with traditional students too. According to Gearhart, the courses help traditional students who otherwise may have to wait semesters to take a course because of scheduling conflicts.
According to Gearhart, it’s hard to tell what impact online courses have had on traditional site-based courses.
“Students will do it based on what suits their life,” she said. “You’re always going to have students around on campus, some are taking hybrid courses (courses that combine on-site and online work) and some depend on eCampus.”
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