Logging on to Learn

By Sherrie Negrea

Every weekday at 4:30, Jenise Wilfong leaves the Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pa. where she works as a legislative assistant and picks up her two-year-old daughter from the babysitter's house. A few hours later, Wilfong sits in front of her computer, writing papers and answering discussion questions for the three classes she is taking at a nearby college.

With a fulltime job and a child, the 25-year-old single mother never has to step foot on campus — 35 minutes from her house — to attend classes. Instead, she is earning her degree completely online so that she can work on her courses when it fits into her schedule.

"Really, it was the most effective way for me to get my degree," said Wilfong, who will graduate next year and is already looking into online master's programs in political consulting and communications.

Over the past two decades, thousands of college and graduate students have flocked to distance learning programs because of the flexibility online classes offer. Students can choose from dozens of online courses and degree programs geared toward working adults who cannot attend classes or students who simply prefer the online environment.

While online classes have traditionally attracted older students returning to school, research shows that even students who live in dormitories on college campuses are increasingly enrolling in distance learning courses.

"The reason for that is they like some of the things that online classes offer to them," said Alan Foley, who researches online learning in higher education. "Some of them are very basic — like 'I don't want to get up at 8:30 to sit three days a week in a lecture class. Online, I can do it anytime.' "

Traditional college students between 18 and 24 years old are also working more than they did historically, forcing them to juggle classes and jobs, Foley added. Online courses are attractive to these students because it allows them to take courses on their own time and wherever they can log on to their laptop computer.

Thea Chambers, 28, decided to transfer to an online business program at a Virginia University last year so she could work during the day as an admissions counselor at her college. "I'm able to go home after a day's work and do my work on my own schedule," she says. "I do like the classroom but the flexibility of online is what interests me."

Every weekday at 4:30, Jenise Wilfong leaves the Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pa. where she works as a legislative assistant and picks up her two-year-old daughter from the babysitter's house. A few hours later, Wilfong sits in front of her computer, writing papers and answering discussion questions for the three classes she is taking at a nearby college.

With a fulltime job and a child, the 25-year-old single mother never has to step foot on campus — 35 minutes from her house — to attend classes. Instead, she is earning her degree completely online so that she can work on her courses when it fits into her schedule.

"Really, it was the most effective way for me to get my degree," said Wilfong, who will graduate next year and is already looking into online master's programs in political consulting and communications.

Over the past two decades, thousands of college and graduate students have flocked to distance learning programs because of the flexibility online classes offer. Students can choose from dozens of online courses and degree programs geared toward working adults who cannot attend classes or students who simply prefer the online environment.

While online classes have traditionally attracted older students returning to school, research shows that even students who live in dormitories on college campuses are increasingly enrolling in distance learning courses.

"The reason for that is they like some of the things that online classes offer to them," said Alan Foley, who researches online learning in higher education. "Some of them are very basic — like 'I don't want to get up at 8:30 to sit three days a week in a lecture class. Online, I can do it anytime.' "

Traditional college students between 18 and 24 years old are also working more than they did historically, forcing them to juggle classes and jobs, Foley added. Online courses are attractive to these students because it allows them to take courses on their own time and wherever they can log on to their laptop computer.

Thea Chambers, 28, decided to transfer to an online business program at a Virginia University last year so she could work during the day as an admissions counselor at her college. "I'm able to go home after a day's work and do my work on my own schedule," she says. "I do like the classroom but the flexibility of online is what interests me."