Not Yet Sold: What Employers and Community College Students Think About Online Education

  • 07/08/14

Online education holds the promise to increase access and decrease cost of higher education. Yet many community college students and employers remain skeptical about the value of online learning, according to recent research in a report from Public Agenda (www.publicagenda.org), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps diverse leaders and citizens navigate divisive, complex issues and work together to find solutions. “Not Yet Sold” raises important questions for the future of online education, even as it quickly becomes part of the higher education mainstream.

While employers and students recognize a niche for online classes, degrees and certificates, for now at least, they do not trust it as much as they do traditional education. Findings from this research, which was supported by The Kresge Foundation, include:

  • The majority of employers (56 percent) prefer a job applicant with a traditional degree from an average school over an applicant with an online degree from a top university (just 17 percent say they’d prefer the latter).
  • At the same time, 80 percent of employers say that online-only degrees and certificates provide opportunities for older students to get valuable college credentials. Half say online degrees help younger, first-time college students get a high-quality education.
  • 61 percent of community college students say online classes require more discipline from students than traditional classes, yet four in ten (42 percent) believe students learn less online.
  • Many community college students currently taking online classes wish they took fewer of them.

Just as online education itself is rapidly changing, we expect student and employer attitudes to shift as well. Still, we need to consider the skepticism of those on the ground, especially if we hope to avoid any unintended consequences.

As key decision makers face this changing landscape, this research provides important insights from some of those on the ground, in order to ensure that online education can better meet the needs of students and society. This research brief is part of a larger project surveying the attitudes of various student and employer groups toward issues in higher education, including online education, for-profit colleges and the needs of nontraditional students.

Download a PDF of the report: http://www.publicagenda.org/pages/not-yet-sold

Featured

  • Fayetteville State University Opens New Residence Hall

    Fayetteville State University (FSU) in Fayetteville, N.C., recently completed construction on a new $50-million residence hall, according to a news release. The university partnered with KWK/Jenkins • Peer Architects on the design of Bronco Pride Hall.

  • Construction Begins on East Austin CTE-Focused High School

    The Del Valle Independent School District recently announced that construction has begun on a new CTE-focused high school in Austin, Texas, according to a news release. Del Valle High School will measure in at 473,338 square feet and have the capacity for 2,400 students.

  • Kimball Showroom Earns WELL Certified Platinum Distinction

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced that its showroom in New York City has achieved WELL Certification at the Platinum level as dictated by the International WELL Building Institute, according to a news release. The certification demonstrates a continuing commitment to creating environments that promote health, well-being, and productivity.

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.