Distance learning on the rise

Bad times in the economy may mean good times for continuing education, especially in distance-learning programs.

More graduates and mature students are turning to distance-learning courses in lieu of the classroom as a way to brush up on their skills while working or tending to a family full-time.
Some institutions have seen significant growth: Memorial University of Newfoundland, for example, reported an overall 13.1 per cent increase in collective distance education registrations since 2007.

Not much of a surprise to John O’Brien, manager of media relations at Athabasca University, a school that has made distance learning its stock in trade since 1970. When job prospects darken, he says, people often return to school to develop new skills.

“Bad times can be busy times for us,” he said. “Perversely, as the economy falters and more people are either laid off or underemployed, we do notice that our business — and this is not a good way to put it because that’s not what we’re here for — goes up.”

The flexibility of distance education, be it online or by snail mail, is a major attraction for those who don’t have the time to sit in class, O’Brien says. Unemployed or underemployed mature students, possibly living in rural areas with little or no access to a post-secondary institution or parents who must devote time to raising their kids, may find getting an education at their own pace a viable option.

“What distance learning students can also do is apply their courses towards credit for already existing courses at universities across the country,” O’Brien adds.

The current financial downturn may increase enrolment numbers the longer it lasts. The Sloan Consortium, an online tracker of learning trends in the U.S., conducted a survey that found some 3.94 million students enrolled in at least one online course in the fall of 2007 in that country, an increase of 12.9 per cent from the previous year. According to most respondents in the survey, worsening employment opportunities contributed to the growth.

In Athabasca’s case, graduate registration rates rose by 5.6 per cent between the 2003-04 school year and 2007-08. O’Brien notes this is a double-edged sword: Revenue increases for schools offering distance-learning programs, but so do the costs of operating them and adapting them to a changing economy.

As classes grow — especially in open-university courses that require no previous requirements — more resources are needed to handle the volume of students.
“We don’t want to see the economy tank,” he added.