3 On Your Side: Public Remains Skeptical Of Online Courses
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Technology could be poised to take a big bite out of the cost of college. Though you would think that'd be a good thing, 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan finds that many Americans aren't willing to give up the traditional halls of higher learning just yet.
As educators innovate with new ways to put classes, coursework and textbooks online and into the mobile realm, a new report finds that most Americans aren't ready to give up lecture halls just yet. A Pew Research Center reports finds that educators have a more positive view of online coursework than the average American. Just 29 percent of adults agreed that online courses have the same value as those taught in a traditional classroom -- versus 51 percent of college presidents. Of those surveyed who'd taken classes online -- 39 percent said their experience was on par with those they'd taken in-person.
Despite the current perceptions, there is expected to be big growth in online offerings over the next ten years, and that has the potential to cut some of the most common costs of college, like room and board, while also offering students more flexibility to work while they pursue a degree. By the way, nearly two-thirds of college presidents expect the majority of their undergraduate textbooks to go entirely digital within the next decade, saving students more money still.
To learn more about the Pew Research Center report, click here.
Reported by Jim Donovan, CBS3
