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Are you about to take your first online course or considering an online degree? Many who used to think that a college degree was out of their reach have discovered that all it takes today to attend college are basically a computer and access to the Internet. It could be because of the ease of taking online classes at a time convenient to you, online education continues to be growing at a rapid pace in the United States and all around the world.

Online Education for Everyone

Online education has spread to the point that people of all ages are taking part in this new trend of learning. People of all ages now have access to online education in many areas. Some are using distance learning as a supplement to or in place of traditional classes. Students of all ages now have an alternative to traditional classes in which they can learn without the interruption of other students. Adults who may have missed out on a college degree due to work and family commitments now have the opportunity through online education to finish what they have once started or to further their studies.

Education at your Desktop

Today, online colleges and universities offer you certificates, associate’s, bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees over the Internet. The online institution awards you your degree or certificate after you have completed all required coursework. Since most lectures and coursework occur online, you will never have to disturb your schedule or your personal life around your classes. Pursuing an online education means having education right on your desktop.

Online Education Benefits

Online education also offers employers the opportunity to keep their employees up to speed with new technologies and retraining their workforce at a much lower cost without interrupting their work schedule. Online education is time effective, flexible, convenient, costs less, and offers so many wonderful opportunities to those who may have given up on ever accomplishing their academic goals. These are the things that make online learning so wonderful because it is good for everyone.

Online Education just as Effective

A report by the U.s. Department of Education notes that “instruction conducted wholly online was more effective in improving student achievement than the purely face to face instruction.” Many scholars, students and even employers now agree that accredited online university degrees are just as valuable as the traditional campus-based degrees.

What is being an Online Student like?

You might be surprised to know that online learning can fit perfectly into your hectic work schedule, family and even your social life. Coursework, assignments, class participation and discussion are all done from the comfort and convenience of your home or anywhere you choose. In most cases, you are given a certain amount of time to complete lessons and class projects. You will also have to do online exams, but overall you can work at your own pace.

Online education seems to be the new wave of the future, what do you think?

Just about everyone knows about online education nowadays, because many are taking advantage of continuing education online and earning online degrees to obtain their goals in life. What most are not aware of is how many free online educational tools and resources that are available on the internet. Here are the top 8 free online educational tools as voted by teaching professionals that are made available online:

1. Twitter

Twitter is a social networking and micro blogging service which lets you send and get messages known as tweets. Tweets are text posts that can be only 140 characters and are sent to subscribers also known as followers. Tweets can be sent or received from Twitter website, SMS (short message service), or apps (applications) for smart phones. It currently has over 100 million users.

2. Delicious

Delicious is a social book marking online service for keeping, sending, and finding webpage bookmarks. The free service has over 5 million users and more than 100 bookmarked URLs.

3. YouTube

YouTube is for online video file sharing that lets people upload, share, and watch videos. You can watch movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur videos. Most of the videos on YouTube are uploaded by regular people but some big media corporations post material also.

4. Google Reader

Google Reader is an online aggregator, that can read Atom and RSS feed on the web or offline.

5. Google Docs

Google Docs is a free, Online Office suite made available by Google. It lets people to make and edit documents online and collaborate in real-time with other people.

6. WordPress

WordPress is a free CMS (control management system) source; used mostly for blogging it has a lot of features that use plug-in architecture and templating systems. It is the most popular blog software around nowadays.

7. Slideshare

Slideshare is a slide hosting services that is web-based and lets users to upload, look at, comment on, and share slideshows made with presentation software. It is the most popular slide hosting services on the web.

8. Google Search

Google Web Search is an online search engine and is the most popular search engine on the internet passing Yahoo the previous number 1 some year back. Google get hundreds of millions of search everyday through its many services. The main purpose is to find text online in website around the world.

Friends, do share more such resources which you feel are missing from the list above.

What are reasons for the increasing popularity of online degree programs? Potential online students believe that getting a degree will be a key to great jobs or promotion at their current jobs that they could not get without a degree. People with full-time jobs like the flexibility of attending college over the internet. This lets those employed full-time work and study at the same time.

Classrooms on the cloud

The increase in those taking advantage of online degree programs has a lot to do with the global economy also. With many people out of work and with layoffs and downsizing in the economy, a lot of workers want to increase their job skills or maybe retrain to find more stable employment. Many have accomplished this by getting an online degree.

Corporations and Companies now recognize Online Degree Programs

Recognition of online colleges and universities by companies and corporations has really made getting an online degree look appealing to many potential students. But, it would behoove a person to pick an online program that is accredited in the area they want to learn and this might take some forethought, planning and research. However looking around for the available options before enrolling in any distance learning degree program is always the best course of action.

Cost a factor

The amount you pay may be the reason for the increasing popularity of online programs, too. But, what you pay in fees and other charges at schools that offer online degree programs can vary widely. So the more research you do cost wise the better. You can save time and money because you do not have to commute to online education classes. And you will be saving on housing and living expenses which most traditional students are saddled with.

The increase in Online Degree Programs isn’t mere fact

So in the near future the popularity of online degrees will not be slowing down. Polling information has found that in the United States last year enrollment for online degree programs have grown at a faster pace than traditional campus registrations by over 15 percent.

Some of the statistic show that:

• Nearly 5 million people are enrolled in 1 online degree course in the fall 2008 semester, over a 15% increase from the amount reported in 2007 and an almost three fold increase from the over 1.5 million people that registered in previous years.
• Online degree program grew faster than traditional campus registrations.
• About 30 percent of all American college level students have taken at least one online course.

Online Degree Program are now considered mainstream education

Before now online degree programs were considered a low down way of learning only for a few people, but now online degree programs are considered mainstream. Now most colleges offer online courses.