Melissa Steele
The field of online education has seen tremendous growth in the recent past. More than 6.1 million students are enrolled in various accredited degree programs offered by 2,500 colleges and universities across the United States.
Source: http://findonlineeducation.com/follow/16-people-changing-the-landscape-of-online-education-forever/
When hedge fund manager and Harvard graduate Sal Khan originally designed online tutorials in math and science, he did not hope to change the world. He only wanted to help his cousins in far off Bangladesh understand some crucial concepts. Today, his nonprofit website, Khan Academy, has more than 3.7 million unique visitors and 42 million page views. The website has more than 3,200 videos in math, science and other subjects. Even Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, has also acknowledged using Khan Academy videos to teach his three children.
Most students spend an estimated $12,804 for tuition, room and board during an undergraduate degree program at a public university. The amount increases to $32,184 for a similar degree at a private university or college. While some students receive financial aids and scholarships from universities and private foundations, others take up student loans to pay for their college. These high interest loans may lead to significant debt at the end of the college. The whole process discourages many high school students from pursuing higher education. Many educators and activists oppose the high cost of college. They believe that college and education should be more accessible to everyone. Instead of talking about the issue, Sebastian Thrun decided to do something.
There are close to 629 public universities in the United States. Some top ranking universities offer great programs to its students. Its faculty members are often considered experts and policymakers in the field. However, the enrollment and admission to these programs is difficult. Top Ivy League universities such as Yale and MIT restrict their enrollment to 1300 or 1700 students per year. Many educators argue against the restriction of knowledge and learning to a limited group of individuals. Several working professionals also wish to improve their skills to promote their career. Daphne Koller, a Stanford Rajeev Motwani computer science professor, decided to change the scenario, and make learning accessible to everyone who wishes for it.
The greatest potential of the Internet is its connectivity and its amazing ability to deliver products, services and information around the globe, almost instantaneously. As the Internet has grown in scope over the last decade, online education has exploded onto the scene and only is getting bigger by the month.
Online education is revolutionizing the way we perceive education. Students can access the classroom and the lecture anytime during the day from the convenience of their home or office. Working professionals can acquire a college degree or a new skill without altering their work schedule. High quality education is no longer limited to the students and alumni of few top ranking universities.
