What are the current trends in online education? This 5th annual project with Best Colleges includes feedback from 451 online program administrators and 1500 students, and presents the latest in learner demographics and program management practices to inform decisions related to design, marketing, and retention in your new online programs.
What are the current trends in online education? This 5th annual Online Education Trends Report presents original survey research designed to help higher education administrators make the best possible decisions about current and future online degree programs. Our goal is long-term tracking and identification of trends related to:
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Online learner demographics,
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Online program marketing and recruitment, and
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New program design and development.
This year 451 online program administrators and 1,500 online students (current, prospective, and alumni) responded, providing detailed information about their experiences in online education. Key findings include:
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Career goals continue to drive enrollment decisions: This year, 69% of online students identified employment as their primary goal for entering a program.
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The”typical” online student is increasingly harder to define: School administrators reported trends in students getting younger, and older. Other trends involve student location and support needs.
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The college campus is often part of the online experience: 46% of online students said they visit campus, either by choice or to fulfill a requirement.
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Financial considerations impact student decisions about college: For three years in a row, estimating actual costs and finding financial aid topped their list of challenges.
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New online programs bring benefits and challenges: 70% of administrators said they launch new programs with enrollment in mind, but “meeting marketing and recruitment goals” was also their top concern.
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Student perceptions of online learning quality and value are high: This year 77% said distance education is better than or equal to on-campus options, and 88% said their degrees have or will have a positive ROI.
In addition to a summary of survey findings, this presentation will also include specific recommendations about how they might impact decisions to offer new programs, help prospective students find good-fit options, and provide current students with the ongoing support that leads to successful program completion.
Session Goals
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Develop an understanding of the challenges faced by today’s online students, from their perspective, and current trends in student demographics.
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Increase awareness of specific strategies for making decisions about new online program offerings.
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Provide an opportunity to share experiences and gain insight from the questions and lessons learned shared by other attendees in the session.
Interactivity and Audience Participation
Attendees will be asked to share their lessons learned in developing new online programs and working with different populations of online students. Attendees will also have the opportunity to share how their experiences are similar to or different from those described by our survey respondents. A handout will be provided to allow attendees to capture key points and take-aways that may be relevant in their online education settings.