According to reports, there is a rise in online studies by 7% each year, and US companies spend over 18 billion dollars to deliver online education and training. If you fast forward to 2015, you will see more than 14% of students complete their degree courses online – and the number will only rise with each passing year.
In 2020, the need for online education had skyrocketed with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The sudden school closures and instant shift to the remote learning model have dramatically increased the need for online education. In the current situation, it is now the only way to deliver lessons and training to meet a student’s academic and business demands cost-effectively.
But how effective are these online study programs? What do the faculty and businesses feel about switching to this form of learning from the traditional learning methods? No doubt the inline education system has opened doors to new opportunities and bridged the learning gap in such trying times, but is an online program widely accepted just as a regular study program by all business firms?
In this guide, I will discuss why some companies prefer to hire candidates with online study degrees while others don’t and how most businesses and faculty perceive the idea of online educational programs.
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Why Do Employers Accept Or Reject Applicants With Online degrees?
All employers have unique reasons for not hiring candidates with online study degrees. A few of which are:
- The legitimacy of the degree
- Possibility of academic dishonesty
- Lack of in-depth program knowledge
- Insufficient student commitment for the program
- No face-to-face interaction with the instructors
While many employers doubt students' credibility with online degrees, many employers hire applicants with online academic degrees. Some reasons why employers choose such applicants are:
- The institution's reputation
- Appropriate credentials
- Potential of students being self-disciplined with good time management skills
- Self-directed, dedicated, and sincere
- Candidates have prior work experience
- The batch size of the course.
College Faculty’s Perception Of Online Education
Online education is mainly for students who don’t have access to traditional forms of learning. It could be because of family stringencies, employment obligations, distance, and financial expenses. If you look at the stats,
- More than 73% of online students have enrolled for an online course for career growth and better employment opportunities.
- 30% of students sign up for a course to enhance their knowledge in the current work post
- 35% of applicants get an online degree when they want to change jobs
- 76% of college alumni found online study better or similar to traditional studies
- 73% of schools are introducing more new courses to increase student enrollment in unconventional study subjects
- 99% of online education providers confirm that the demand for online degrees has dramatically increased
- 40% of online study program administrators are looking to expand their program budget.
Most instructors and faculty members worldwide have a mixed reaction to the success and quality of online education. In a 2006 survey report, only instructors with technological knowledge were eager to take online classes, while 70% of others were concerned about education quality compared to traditional learning.
Technological knowledge has now become a necessity. From attaining online degrees to using academic tools such as an essay typer and topic generator, students and educators are dependent on technology. Many educators were also reluctant to shift due to the lack of technology knowledge, increased workload, and skepticism about students’ performance.
Despite the negative attitudes towards online classes, the enrolments in online programs have hit the roof. By 2013, the outcome of online learning increased to 74%. Even with such huge numbers, the faculty's negative attitude is a significant obstacle to program growth. A 2004 study showed that 7% of deans in the US were reluctant to accept students with online degrees.
Employer’s Perception Of Online Studies
In a survey, 87% of the pharmaceutical industry respondents hinted that there's no distinction between applicants with full-time and online degrees. However, in another study by Adams and DeFleur, 95% of employers preferred candidates with traditional degrees.
Although many employers have a negative view of online degrees, some hiring managers indicated that they would hire candidates with relevant skills and qualifications irrespective of the degree's type. 79% of employers said they hired one online candidate in 12 months.
Other reports also show that if a working individual gets an online degree, it wasn't viewed favourably. New applicants with online degrees were 22% less likely to get a call back from employers. Even though the demand for online education has increased – be it for career growth or the Covid-19 pandemic, the corporate response is underwhelming.
Conclusion
Statistics and existing studies show that the changing attitude towards online education. Due to the demand for career-oriented programs and the ongoing pandemic, more and more colleges and universities are introducing new online study programs and educational funding to implement virtual study programs and increase enrollments to meet different students' requirements.
Administrators are working on training their faculty to help them overcome the challenges of teaching online. With proper training and incorporating the latest technology, the fear of poor quality lessons will also reduce if more faculty members improve the overall program standards.
In the corporate sector, employers and hiring managers should be more accepting of candidates with online degrees. Instead of looking down on working candidates getting an online degree for improving skills, companies should encourage them and give them a better chance to prove themselves to get promoted.
Obtaining an online degree is a passport to a better future. But as the hiring managers are more inclined to hire candidates with online essay help degrees from reputable institutions, candidates must verify the institution's authenticity and reputation before enrolling in a study program. That way, students can not only avert the risks of getting rejected but also boost their chances of a better career option.
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