EXPERTS DISCUSS VALUE, FUTURE OF ONLINE EDUCATION
When it comes to higher education, does it matter to a hiring manager if someone got a degree through a traditional college or an online program? The answer is no, according to three of Utah’s online education experts.
Sally Johnstone, vice president of academic advancement at Western Governors University; Jonathon Nichols, associate director for online programs at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business; and Claire Peterson, professor and eLearning task force member at Salt Lake Community College, made up the panel of online education experts at the Women Tech Council’s monthly Tech Talk meeting Tuesday, where they discussed several facets of online education, including costs, class sizes, types of online education and the value of online education to hiring companies.
Nichols said about two-thirds of hiring managers see no difference between an online education and an in-class education.
“In the hiring world it’s a concern, but [online education] is becoming more accepted,” he said. “Even with a traditional institution, you can come across an education that doesn’t provide the rigor and quality you’d expect, and I think the same thing exists online. It’s important [as a hiring manager] to do your due diligence and legwork to make sure you’re getting [someone with] a quality education experience.”
By Rachel Madison, Utah Business