In recent years, online education has become "a whole new environment, fueled by a combination of things," said Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor for online learning at the UI Springfield.
Those include "the economy and the lingering effects of recession (it's difficult for students to come to campus or pursue their education without working if not full time at least half time) and the wide variety of technologies available" to teachers and students, he said. Because obtaining a college degree costs more compared with previous years, many students are interested in completing the degree requirements quickly or while working as much as possible.
At the same time, mobile technology, such as smart phones and tablets, helps students become more engaged, virtually that is, with their professors and with other students.
Schroeder was featured in an April 22, 2012, article in the Champaign News-Gazette.
Read the article online
