Vault survey: Utility of online degrees shows more acceptance

Vault survey Utility of online degrees shows more acceptance

http://www.vault.com
Vault did a survey of 100 employers in 2005 showing online degrees are more acceptable now than they were 5 years ago.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20051019005998&newsLang=en
Key points:
1.85% of employers feel that online degrees are more acceptable today than they were just five years ago.
2.have ever encountered a job applicant with an online degree, 34% of respondents said they have, and 20% said they have hired applicants with online degrees.
3.Most employers (54%) said they still favor job applicants with traditional degrees over those with online degrees, but 45% said they would give job candidates with both types of degrees equal consideration.
4.Even though the majority of employers (86%) would be willing to accept a job applicant with an online degree, 14% responded that both online bachelor's degrees and graduate degrees are not acceptable.
5.when employers were asked what they would do if they found a job candidate who had everything they were looking for, but that candidate only possessed a degree from an online university, an impressive 91% said they would go ahead with the hire.
This survey shows nice improvement in online degree acceptance when compared to the 2001 survey they did available at:
http://www.vault.com/nr/newsmain.jsp?nr_page=3&ch_id=402&article_id=19393&cat_id=2112

 

The following quotes from the article clearly show, once again, that one of the biggest problems is that people, by and large, just don't understand accreditation:

• Selected quotes:
  
  [*]"Of course, an accredited University, such as Yale or Harvard, is probably favored above a degree from an online University right now. People may frown upon online degrees simply because of the stigma that follows. Reputable online Universities ensure that their students earn their degrees and are not simply handed one after paying the initial costs."
  
  [*]"The disadvantage of an online degree earned at an Internet-only institution is the question of just that. Who are they? What do their programs and standards consist of and at what level? Without this public knowledge, it may be a long time before they can gain credibility. Individuals may have to go to extra lengths to be able to assure and prove to an employer that their study and/or degree from an Internet-only program merits the same weight of an accredited University."

"Online" is not the antithesis of "accredited." What makes a "reputable online universit[y]" that ensures that students actually earn their degree; and that they are not simply "handed one after paying the initial costs," is accreditation... of online schools, as well as Yale or Harvard.

And it is accreditation -- even, and perhaps especially, of online schools -- that answers questions like "who are they?" and "what do their programs and standards consist of and at what level?" It is accreditation which provides the very "public knowledge" which, right now, and not "a long time" from now, provides credibility.

And individuals should not have to "go to extra lengths to be able to assure and prove to an employer that their study and/or degree from an Inteernet-only program merits the same weight of an accredited University." If the employer truly understood accreditation, and knew how to look-up a given Internet-only university (see the two links for determining if a given school/program is accredited in my signature) to see if it was accredited, all the assurance and proof said employer could possibly need would be right there in front of him!

Oy.

One person quoted, however, did seem to get it. In response to being asked whether candidates should be required to reveal if their degrees were earned online, one said:

• "Absolutely not. A degree is a degree ... from an accredited University. I can't speak for the validity of Internet-only institutions. However, if someone has a degree from an accredited University, you better believe they met the University's requirements."

Good. So, obviously, not all of the 100 people surveyed were dolts.

It's too bad that:

• the survey sample wasn't several times larger; and that,
  
• the question of regional accreditation versus national accreditation wasn't also discussed.

Here's another quote from the article that's both true, in my opinion; and is consistent with Machiavelli's suggestion that "it is not the degree that makes a man great; it is the man that makes the degree great":

• "Elitism in education is one of the most ridiculous entities I can think of. Surely we all can think of a dozen 'Ivy League' graduates that we have encountered that would have a hard time finding their way out of a wet paper bag. After all, it really is not the school but the individual that is important."

Great thread-starting post, laferney. Thanks! If this thread goes the way I think it's gonna' go, it will end-up being a real "keeper" that everyone should bookmark.

 

I've cited the 2000 survey many times in conversations and even in my dissertation. I'm glad they've updated it.

I'm sad to see the point Gregg aptly notes. One has to think the writer had diploma mills, not accredited DL schools, in mind when that was written.

 

Re: Vault survey Utility of online degrees shows more acceptance

Am I the only one who sees a conflict in the above two statements?

 

Something I meant to add to my previous post...

The following things, it seems to me, are worthy of serious discussion in this thread... and I encourage others to chime-in with their opinions of agreement or disagreement with:

• When asked what the potential drawbacks of online degrees, respondents answered as follows (respondents were able to choose more than one answer):
  
  [*]61% said students don't socially interact with peers
  
  [*]53% said that it is too new to gauge effectiveness
  
  [*]39% said that there is a loss of real time pedagogical exchange
  
  [*]37% said that there is a higher potential for lower admission standards at online Universities
  
  [*]33% said that the curriculum is diluted
  
  [*]30% said that students are not taught to think critically
  
  [*]6% said other (including concerns that there was a greater chance students would cheat
  
  [*]6% said they saw no disadvantages with online degrees

Have at it, everyone!

No. Good eye.

 

The quote regarding the validity of online institutions is what gets to me. I have almost completed my degree requirements at Walden for the MBA. Personally, I have had a good overall experience with the school in general and was pleasantly suprised as to how it actually exceeded my expectations. However, I may have to go back into the work force really soon, and the fact that it is "virtual" in nature, tends to worry me somewhat. I know its too late to worry but it does tend to get to me from time to time. Do you guys think that a physical campus helps with the perception of the degree to a great extent?

Thoughts....

 

Noting that you used the word "perception," I would guess probably yes, generally. But you also used the phrase "great extent," and I'm not sure it helps with the perception of the degree greatly... and I only say that because of the compelling -- and I dare say trumping -- 91% statistic in item 5 of the thread-starting post, balanced against the statistics in item 4 of the thread-starting post... the seeming incongruity of which DTechBA astutely pointed-out earlier, herein.

But that's just my opinion. Others?

 

Having a "physical campus" can be misleading. I received my BS and M.A on an Air Force Base in Spain. Universities send teachers over there to provide classes. Although The U.Of Maryland and Ball State U. are real brick and morter schools I've never been to either campus.No employer has ever questioned how I got degrees from schools in states I've never lived. I would hope the same would apply to Walden or any other online or distance school. I drive by "the U.Of Phoenix" sign frequently here in Massachusetts. So most employers , esp. with these off-site campuses and the internet can understand how education can take place at a distance. (although some quotes in these studies indicate a "few " can't!)

 

Kit

 

OK, missed the 10-minute edit time.

Regarding the survey method, the statement "(respondents were able to choose more than one answer)" was included before the listed questions.

How many respondents would have the opinions listed in the specific questions without possibly being lead to those opinions by the very specificity of the choices?

Kit

 

Absolutely. Perception is king. That's why diploma mills try to dress themselves up as real schools, with "real" often being described in physical terms (buildings, campuses, etc.) This was the diploma mill norm back in the day. It's only with recent, increasing acceptance of DL that we've seen some diploma mills lead with their "virtual" identities.

One of the conclusions of my dissertation research was that employers can be fooled easily by a fake school's real-sounding name. In my survey, Columbia State University (a notorious diploma mill) did better, in terms of acceptability, than did all the other schools on the list, save one. (Southwest Texas State U., as it was called then. STSU was and is a B&M.) The fake school did better than Capella, Education Direct, etc. I'm convinced it is because the fake school had a great-sounding name, while people wondered what a "Capella" was.

(If I had my way, you'd see a battle between Capella and Walden for who gets to be called the "University of Minneapolis.")

 

RICH, Rich, rich, ... Don't tease us like that!

 

No tease. But if I had the ear of either school's administration, I'd stand on their chests until they paid attention to the name issue. It's really a big deal, both for degree acceptability and for students choosing a degree. And geographically based names, IMHO, are the strongest.

 

I loved this one:

from this survey:

http://www.vault.com/nr/newsmain.jsp?nr_page=3&ch_id=402&article_id=19393&cat_id=2112

Um, isn't http://www.jiu.edu ... um, like .... um ... regionally accredited?

I wonder if the question they were asked was worded as follows:

In today's world, one can find a job/contract, get paid direct deposit, across international borders, shop, educate oneself, et cetera without ever leaving the desk in the home den.

Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head, found my way downstairs and drank a cup, and looking up, I noticed I was late ... found my slippers and grabbed my mouse, made it to the den in seconds flat.... found my way to university and had a smoke, nobody spoke as I went into a dream....

 

With apologies to the Beatles, I'm sure... or at least hope.

 

Hey -- they didn't apologize to me for breaking up!!!

 

Isn't that a kick in the head? You would think the accredited schools would pay better attention to names, especially since Capella, Education Direct, and probably most of those 'etceteras offer business degree programs with concentrations in marketing.


Kit

 

Absolutely...Rich. It is amazing that people come up with these names. When I mentioned Walden ( 8 or 9 years ago) as a possibility for me, someone said "Walden Book store has a University??" Capella sounds strange as well. University of Sarasota went from good name to Argosy U.

I once asked American Christian College and Seminary why not choose a name like "Corvin Theological Seminary" (one of the founders) or some other name that had a better ring. Dr. Sheely said "We considered that but rejected it". ACCS was better than American Bible College and Seminary (your ABC'S) but not a whole lot.

Your University of Minneapolis has a great sound to it.


North

 

I think that's true.

While the 'collegiate atmosphere' thing isn't as important for adult students as it might be for adolescents, the 'community of scholars' aspect probably is. A lot of the intellectual stimulation that one finds in universities consists of personal interactions, both in and out of class. (Some of the most enlightening discussions that I had as a B&M graduate student were in hallways outside of class, or over pizza and beer after a seminar adjourned for the evening.) Professionalization is in some part a socialization process. When you spend lots of time with scholars or professionals, you start to talk, think and behave like them.

Unfortunately, many DL programs seem to turn their students into lone-rangers. It works I guess, but it isn't optimal.

DL isn't all that new, and there's all that 'no significant difference' stuff concerning individual classes.

But if we are comparing entire degree programs, DL doctorates with their full-time on-campus cousins for example, then I don't know if good head-to-head comparison data exists.

I'm not sure what 'pedagogical exchange' is. But the nature of DL interactivity is different than it is in classrooms.

Concerning the 'real time' issue, I'll say that personally, I think that threaded discussions are better than real-time discussion. I can recall many times when a class raised a point that I kind of intuitively felt was mistaken or ill-conceived, but I couldn't state precisely why I thought so. By the time I had worried my way through the problem to the point of being able to make a coherent comment about it, it was 15 minutes later and the class was on to something else. (That happened a lot in philosophy classes.)

But writing back and forth Degreeinfo-style allows me to think about what I'm going to say and to compose my responses a little bit. It's a lot better than winging everything off the top of my head, "real time".

I think that most existing DL programs serve high-demand continuing-ed markets in vocational subjects. Most are relatively open-admissions, often advertising heavily to drum up students. I don't see much of the highly selective "top tier" thing online. (Some B&M doctoral programs accept less than 10% of their applicants.)

I think that I agree. The biggest DL-specific problem is probably the large-scale deemphasizing of labs, studios and other practical hand-on experiences.

And I've gotten the impression that DL programs, like night-school and other mass-education vocational programs offered on-campus, are less apt to offer the specialized highly-advanced content that you see in more high-powered B&M graduate programs.

But that's less an inherent defect of the DL medium than it is a function of the market that most DL programs exist to serve.

I don't see that as a problem.

That was Gavin Kennedy's big issue. I'm less moved by it, but I suppose that it's real.

 

AIU

As the Comic book guy on the Simpsons would say.

"Worst. Name. Ever."

American InterContinental University Online