Week 13 - Distance Education & Virtual Schooling

In class we watched videos about universities offering online degrees and K-12 virtual schools. The internet is changing the way we go to school. In my opinion, this is positively impacting education by providing opportunities to those who may not have access to good schools. For example, my high school only had about four AP classes available, while the school in the more affluent neighborhood about 35 miles away offered three times as many. This puts students at my school at a great disadvantage when applying for college, etc. However, programs such as Florida Virtual School make classes available to those who want to take them. Students can expand their curriculum by taking foreign language classes or higher level math classes even if their school doesn't offer them.
In addition, many college classes are also taught online. While at UF, all of the business classes and some math classes I have taken were available online. Students can watch lectures at their convenience, work at their own pace, and only have to show up on campus to take the exams. I think these classes, as well as online degree programs, make it easier for college students to obtain their degrees because they can work on their own time and can balance work and family life.

Online education is impacting the advertising industry by allowing more people the opportunity to obtain professional degrees. More people becoming qualified will impact competition in getting employment within the industry. On the other hand, these new degree programs are being heavily advertised (especially online) and creating more revenue opportunities in the field.

This video, created by a high school student, explains the benefits of Florida Virtual School. I think it's great to see how many students actually like the program and don't want to see it go.