Online Learning is as Good as Being There

(Washington, D.C.) From the Ivy League to tiny community colleges, a majority of institutes of higher education say online learning is just as good as traditional, face-to-face classroom instruction. Nearly three out of four academic leaders say learning online may be better within three years. A comprehensive survey released today by Babson College and the Sloan Consortium concludes that online learning is at historically high levels and will continue to grow at a rate of nearly 20%. (Read the Survey Overview or download the complete report at right.)

"Ten years ago online learning was nearly unheard of. Today, 11% of all students are taking classes online and what they are learning is just as good as if they were sitting in classrooms and lecture halls."

Dr. I. Elaine Allen, Babson College
Associate Professor Statistics and Entrepreneurship

The 2003 Sloan Survey of Online Learning polled academic leaders and was weighted to allow for inferences about all degree-granting institutions open to the public. When asked to compare the online learning outcomes with those of face-to-face instruction a majority said they are equal. Two out of every three also responded that online learning is critical to their long-term strategy.

Sizing the Opportunity: The Quality and Extent of Online Education in the United States, 2002 and 2003 also looks at characteristics of online learners, student and faculty perceptions as well as how private and public institutions approach online learning. It can be read online at http://www.sloan-c.org/resources/survey.asp.

The study was supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and conducted by the Sloan Center for On Line Education at Olin and Babson Colleges and The Sloan Consortium (see www.sloan-c.org). Sloan-C membership is growing rapidly and includes over 380 institutions and organizations that share knowledge about effective online learning.

Babson College (see www.babson.edu) in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is internationally recognized for its entrepreneurial leadership in a global environment. Babson offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as distinct executive education programs.

Olin College is a new undergraduate engineering institution in Needham, Massachusetts offering an innovative, hands-on curriculum incorporating the arts and entrepreneurial thinking. (See www.olin.edu).

Contact: Babson College, Director of Public Relations Michael Chmura (781) 239-4549, mchmura@babson.edu or Patti Giglio, PSG Communications, LLC (202) 903-7869, psgcom@starpower.net.