It took a worldwide pandemic to force more people into accepting that online learning is an integral major component of today’s higher education world. 

Apart from the convenience of online learning, it also opens up the learning options for students whose schedules don’t coincide with traditional in-person learning schedules.

Online learning can meet the requirements of a variety of students, including students with professional or personal obligations, those with busy schedules at work, and those who wish to pursue their education in order to better position themselves for career advancement.

Degrees that can be used in the workplace are obtainable and flexible. With the “nontraditional” student-a person who doesn’t finish a degree in just four years after high school-growing to be the largest of the population Online learning programs that cater to the demands of this group are highly sought-after.

The University of Massachusetts Global is determined to meet the needs of students who are seeking opportunities to improve their education and increase their career competitiveness.

UMass Global is a private non-profit organization recognized through the WASC Senior College and University Commission that provides undergraduate graduation, graduate, credential and certificate programs that are designed to meet the needs of over 90 career pathways. UMass Global serves nearly 23,000 students, of them are on academic credits programs.

the chancellor for UMass Global. UMass Global, sees online learning opportunities as a crucial component of the next generation in higher-education, especially in the areas of. In a live chat in a chat with eCampus News, he shared useful insights and ideas for the future.

The development of the workforce and related degree programs are crucial.

UMass Global students are incredibly diverse and come from different backgrounds and backgrounds. 95 percent of the students work full-time. The majority of UMass Global students are at the undergraduate level and have attended college.

Some students possess 3 to 5 transcripts, 100 credits, but not a degree, and some are in debt.

“The concept is: How do you help them cross the line to earn not just an academic degree, but an education that can be used to enhance their the potential to be useful for the workforce? A majority of adults working are looking to complete their degree for reason related to their work: for a better job, or to switch careers,” Andrews said.

“We’ve been clear in our pursuit of work-related degrees that are online in an accessible environment. We’re taking the hassle out of the process so that students can apply in a school, return and not be able to accumulate more debt, and complete with an advantage in terms of the possibility of a better job.”

According to how Andrews believes the institution he works for is helping to create an era of educational technology. “Online learning was heading toward this direction and institutions that serve this particular student population have recognized that it requires extremely flexible, on-demand possibilities,” he said. 

“Can you offer an online platform that is accessible to students at their own schedules, and that’s not synchronous, and also ensure that your synchronous interactions are beneficial? We must use these effectively and make use of predictive analytics to communicate with students and help them get to the next step.”

Accessibility

One of the major aspects of making sure that students don’t go to school to finish their education, but actually complete it is ensuring that they have access to educational opportunities. These opportunities must accommodate students with different time and commitments.

“I was able to talk with a student working late at 2 o’clock early in the day. She works full-time with three kids as well as a husband who is disabled and this is when she’s able to perform her job,” Andrews said.

 “She said to me: ‘If I don’t complete my associate’s course, I’m likely be fired from my position. This is a compelling story. If we were to offer courses only after 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Tuesdays, even the courses were available on the internet, it’s not serve her. They’re not accessible to the group of people.”