Posts Tagged ‘Education Online’

A Brief History of Online Education

March 20th, 2010



The internet has given us many gifts throughout the years – from music and video game codes to not so G-rated material. Therefore, it is no surprise that e-learning has made such a big splash in the web world. Within the past ten years, online education and internet training has provided many people with a new incentive to learn.

During the early 80′s, e-training was just starting to become a potential creation. Companies and educational institutes were strictly hiring instructors to train their students. This was because computers were only beginning to grow, therefore making it difficult to come up with any other plan. These instructors were great at the time because it allowed training to be very hands on, especially since students were able to interact with their classmates and visually see the lessons. However, the problem with having just instructors was that there was a lot of blank time in between. Students were not being able to learn the material on their own time, thus difficulty set in when training with hoards of other people.

Luckily, as the computer industry started to expand, e-training was becoming a reality. For the next ten years, multimedia was at everyone’s fingertips. Companies were just starting to use PowerPoint; a program that allowed people to create visually enhanced presentations. Video games and other multimedia programs were also popping up, thus resulting in a technology overhaul. As these advances continued, online education was only a step away.

The first type of online education was in the mid 1990′s. This was when the internet was a great success, and multimedia was being taken to another level. The first few e-training companies dedicated their services to mainly businesses who did not want to hire trainers. Although the online education courses were great for new employees who needed training, it was only the beginning of an uphill process. Education online was very slow, as pictures were small and the entire course was text based. Nevertheless, it was beginning to catch the eye of many.

As the 1990′s quickly ended, the millennium marked an entirely new period for technology. E-learning was finally on the map as online education courses were now very popular at colleges and businesses. Great streaming media, online video access, and fast web site servers made it possible for online education to make quite a splash. Students were also now able to learn from their homes during their own time, since working a job and going to school was quite a difficult task.

Today, online education has come a long way. Instructors are now being hired to solely teach online, which usually consists of being filmed for lesson videos. Companies are also hiring these online education programs, since a training session can not only be quick, but also be accessed at any time of the day or night. For many, it is a great opportunity because it gives us all more knowledge. We not only are able to get college degrees through this type of e-learning, but we also can have a life, without having to stay at the office overnight just to learn some material.

By: Natalie Aranda

Reality Check – Education in the US

March 4th, 2010



An online teacher poll of the week asked the following question: Do you feel appreciated by your students? Yes 60.0% No 40.0% Out of a total of 435 votes, only 60 percent of the teachers believed they are appreciated by their students. This is really sad.

The most recent U.S. Census Bureau says that about 33 percent of women in the United States that are of the ages between aged 25 to 29 had a bachelor’s degree or more education in 2007. This was compared with 26 percent of their male counterparts.

In a report called the Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007, among adults 25 and older, the stats said that men remained slightly more likely than women to hold a bachelor’s degree at 30 percent which is compared to 28 percent. The percentage for women rose between 2006 and 2007 up from 27 percent, but for men, it remained statistically unchanged.

It would appear from research that more education continues to pay off as adults with advanced degrees typically earn four times more than those with less than a high school diploma.

The report also shows that in 2007, 86 percent of all adults who were 25 years and older said that they had completed at least high school; 29 percent had bachelor’s degree. About 52 percent of Asians, more than half, who were 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree, compared with 32 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 13 percent of Hispanics and 19 percent of blacks.

The proportion of the foreign-born population with a bachelor’s degree or more was 28 percent, compared with 29 percent of the native population. But the proportion of naturalized citizens with a college degree was about 34 percent.

Workers 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $56,788 in 2006, while those with a high school diploma earned $31,071.

Among those whose highest level of education was a high school diploma or equivalent, non-Hispanic white workers had the highest average earnings at $32,931, followed by Asians at $29,426 and blacks who made $26,268. Average earnings of Hispanic workers in the same group was $27,508.

Asians made $88,408 among workers with advanced degrees, while non-Hispanic whites made $83,785, which is higher average earnings than Hispanics at $70,432 and $64, 834 for blacks.

Statistics also prove that as outside groups gets involved in a child’s life, assisting with their schoolwork, or family issues, there is a much greater appreciation for school, education and teachers as well.

SOURCE: Data is from the 2007 Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

By: Kristin DeAnn Gabriel

Online Drivers Education – Learn to Drive Online

February 1st, 2010



Learning to drive is something that many people of all ages need to find a way to do. There are a couple of options for this; if you are young, you may need to take drivers education classes. If you are older, you may need to figure out how to drive on your own.

I believe that no one should learn to drive on their own. Online drivers education is available and can help anyone learn to drive online quickly and easily.

The reason why I think that online drivers education is so great is because the resources available are just as good, if not better than formal and more traditional classes with an instructor. Using an online program to learn how to drive is just like doing drivers ed, but at your own pace and time.

Most online drivers education programs will offer a variety of learning tools including videos, a drivers handbook, and tips for passing your test. The videos are what I believe can be the most effective learning tool because you can see exactly what needs to be done to do proper driving maneuvers.

Now, keep in mind that these online drivers education programs are not only for older people. I highly recommend them for teenagers who are looking to get their drivers license. Formal drivers education classes are great but they often do not give enough personal attention to each student.

Online drivers education is a great way to supplement a real drivers ed class and make the new driver even more prepared for their written and road tests.

In closing, if you are looking to learn to drive online and take the biggest step towards getting your drivers license, online drivers education may be a good fit for you.

By: Cory Sanders