Are Online Degrees Valid to Prospective Employers?

Online distance learning has gained rapid popularity with the advent of the internet, which has proven to offer great supporting facilities and convenience for online education. However, just like everything else with pros and cons, the internet has also opened doors for the widespread sale of bogus online degrees. According a report by USA Today, there were already 400 diploma mills in the year 2003 and the numbers are rising. In fact, many of these unscrupulous operations are run by organizations in an industry that is worth $500 million a year.

However, amidst the negative hype about online education, there are actually many distance learning colleges offering valid degrees and diplomas. These institutions do not sell bogus certificates, but actually aim to provide quality education as alternatives for on-campus higher education. Valid online courses with online video lectures as well as online library facilities and test examinations conducted are often deployed to ensure that students truly qualify in their areas of study and graduate legitimately. Sadly though, many employers only see the negative side of things, and easily brush off online education degrees as equivalent to bogus degrees.

In view of the confusion, the National Education Board of the U.S. government has authorized 6 accreditation agencies to provide institutional accreditation to education institutions, as a measure to differentiate legitimate universities from the crooks. This means that students choosing their universities will be assured that these universities would have met minimum criteria set forth by these agencies for learning institutions. Additionally, there is also The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) which provides accreditation specifically for distance learning institutions. The DETC is an accreditation agency that is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Furthermore, there is also specialized accreditation for specific programs of different areas of specialization. These programs which are found to have attained excellence will be awarded accreditation by various professional accrediting agencies depending on the area of specialization. For instance, the International Association for Management Education (AACSB) gives accreditation to accounting related programs while health programs are accredited by the American Health Information Management Association. It is also important to know that only accreditation agencies recognized by the Department of Education or CHEA are considered accreditation agencies which are acknowledged.

What does accreditation mean to a student? An institutional accreditation agency evaluates the various aspects of universities or colleges against minimum standard criteria to determine if the particular institution meets their list of basic requirements and quality of education. College accreditation is necessary to ensure that the education, facilities and support provided by a college or university adheres to basic levels. On the other hand, specialized accreditation evaluates excellence in individual program regardless of which institution the program is being delivered within. In this type of accreditation, course content and program curricula is evaluated against pre-set standards of the institution.

All accreditation does is to assure employers, students and parents that the graduates who are awarded degrees from accredited colleges have undergone quality and adequate training in their respective areas of specialization. This also means that colleges that are not accredited by the proper accreditation body would not have met the standards imposed by the agencies. However, courses taken by prospective employees that are accredited by the respective agencies would have met standards imposed on the respective specialized areas.

It is totally up to the judgment and decision of the employers on evaluating the validity of an online or on-campus degree. With the recent hike in bogus degrees, employers can't help but be stringent in their applicant screenings and consider those with degrees that have been accredited. This may prove tedious and sometimes employers may get confused. Therefore, if your accreditation is provided by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education, then you will need to explain to your prospective employers on the background of the accrediting bodies. This way, you can avoid employers from sidelining your application based on something that they may be unclear about and increase your chances of being short listed for a job interview

The Advantages Of Online Continuing Education For Yoga Teachers

These days, many wellness experts are acknowledging the fact that continuing education for yoga teachers empowers both the instructors and students to get the most out of exercise classes. Moreover, instructors that opt to enroll in ongoing educational classes afford themselves the opportunity to gain a plethora of great benefits such as raises, bonuses, and promotions. As a result of technological advances, continuing education courses are now available online. Teachers who are interested in taking ongoing courses should know that the online format can bring them many advantages. Some of them include:

1. Scheduling Flexibility.

Now as always, peoples' schedules are oftentimes full as they attempt to juggle a job, school, and/or domestic responsibilities such as child-rearing. With that idea in mind, many yoga instructors find the idea of enrolling in continuing education courses advantageous yet impossible to accomplish because of their full schedules. Yet by enrolling in online courses, teachers gain access to flexible study schedules and are oftentimes not required to be in a physical classroom at specific periods of time. In many cases, this scheduling flexibility enables teachers to take and excel in their yoga courses while maintaining a full-time job and/or taking care of their responsibilities within the home setting.

2. Acquisition Of Transferable Skills.

In a world where people are increasingly reliant on information technology and the online realm, individuals who are skilled in using either or both of these modalities acquire a valuable skill set that employers view favorably. And as many online education experts know, individuals who opt to participate in online educational courses typically gain substantive transferable skills such as the effective and expedient use of e-mail, Microsoft Office, internet research, and more. Each of these skills is of great value and is often integral to the effective functioning of gyms, recreational centers, and other facilities where yoga teachers offer classes to students.

3. Ability To Save Money.

Oftentimes, online courses are offered at cheaper prices than those that take place in the traditional learning format. Additionally, many students find that they are able to save money through online learning because they don't have to spend money fueling their vehicle and driving it to a physical campus.

Getting Started

Once a yoga teacher recognizes the great value of pursuing online continuing education courses, she or he may be ready to get the process started. To ensure that one has great success in this endeavor, it's important to keep a few key things in mind. First, it's important that the online courses taken are offered by a reputable institution. If the institution is a university, it should have regional accreditation and an established brand. In addition to ensuring that the online learning courses are being offered from a reputable institution, teachers should take time to learn what type of value the course will bring to the classes they teach. Finally, teachers should look into whether the type of online course they want to take will be perceived as value-adding to their employer. Once these assessments are made, teachers will be ready to select the ideal ongoing learning courses.

Summing It All Up

Yoga teachers who are interested in expanding their knowledge and building their career should know that investing in online continuing education courses can help them realize their goal. In taking online courses, teachers will likely find that they enhance the value of the classes they teach and also give their careers a substantive boost.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive