Distance Learning News

Over the weekend, distance learning had not one, but two chances to shine in the spotlight when both Newsweek and The New York Times published articles highlighting the immense value of mixing education and technology.

Five years ago, a student interested in taking an online course or enrolling in an online program essentially had one option: sign up on the Internet for a for-profit school. Now, he or she can, of course, still go with option #1 or explore other avenues at, for example, traditional universities. As online education became more popular among students in recent years, schools began to take note and action; enrollment of students in online classes has certainly increased and, equally importantly, so has online learning offerings at brick-and-mortar institutions.

Warning: it’s time to talk politics.

There’s no need to worry though. No matter how we individually feel about the people running our country, there’s mainly good news for us: the government is indirectly and, more importantly, directly putting money into the distance learning industry.

The Obama administration has made several strides toward increasing public access to online education. Taking an online course or enrolling in an online degree program will be made increasingly easier within the next several years thanks in part to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the American Graduation Initiative.