Courses in College

College is expensive, but at least one community college is looking for a way to help students cut the cost of a college education. Tidewater Community College in Virginia has announced plans to debut a textbook-free degree program next year. College officials estimate the pilot program could cut the cost of the degree by as much as a third by the time graduation rolls around.

Learning Business without Textbooks

The Richmond-Times Dispatch reports that Tidewater Community College will be offering an associate of science degree in business administration this fall that will require no textbook purchases throughout the program. Instead, students will use open-source educational materials, known as OER, which they will be able to access through the school’s learning management system on smartphones or tablets. The college will be the first to offer a complete degree program without any textbooks required.

The program was developed as a partnership between Tidewater Community College and Lumen Learning; an Oregon-based company that helps schools across the country incorporate OERs into their learning plans. The founder of Lumen, David Wiley, has advocated for open education for the past 15 years, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. However, no school has been open to the concept of a completely textbook-free degree program until now.

“It’s frustrating to watch these resources keep getting created, and then watch nobody use them and the students get no benefit,” Wiley stated at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

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Online education has been increasing in popularity for adult students over the past decade. Yahoo Education reports that in 2010, 27 percent of adult degree-granting institutions were seeking their degrees online and that number is predicted to go as high as 39 percent by 2015. Today, adult students can find a wealth of options for in-demand degrees that they can earn almost exclusively from the comfort of home. Check out these online degrees you can earn in just two years or less.

Business Administration

Business degrees are relatively easy to earn online and offer a variety of options in today’s workforce. Online education is an appropriate replica of the current business world since much of today’s administrative work is handled via the Internet. For those interested in a professional career in this field, business administration offers a solid foundation that opens the door to a variety of business occupations. With studies in accounting, human resources, and management, you can hone your professional skills for the 21st-century workforce without ever straying far from your home computer.

Paralegal Studies

The paralegal field is one of the fastest-growing occupations today, according to Yahoo Education. The website cites numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that predict this field to grow by 24 percent between 2008 and 2018. Paralegal professionals work alongside attorneys in their practices, conducting research, writing briefs, and educating clients about their cases. The average annual salary for paralegals today ranges

Community colleges strive to operate as institutions of higher education that meet the needs of many today. Convenience and flexibility are the watchwords of these schools that host adult students with a wide range of family and professional responsibilities. To achieve those goals, many community colleges across the country are increasing their selection of online and hybrid courses, allowing many busy students to get in at least a portion of their study time from the comfort of home. As the demand for online coursework continues to grow, community colleges grapple with how to provide ultimate flexibility to students without sacrificing instructional quality or completion rates to give students the education options they are asking for.

A Look Back at The Growth of Online Options

Historically, online courses have been increasing at community colleges nationwide since 2005, according to a recent report at Santa Ynez Valley News. The publication cites a report, titled, “Going the Distance: Online Education in the United States, 2011,” which showed that 32 percent more students took an online course during the fall 2011 term. That means more than 6.7 million community college students took advantage of online opportunities during that semester alone.

The number marks a significant increase in online courses from the same semester in 2008 when just 4.6 million students at community colleges took an online course. The 2008 numbers were a 17-percent increase from 2007, suggesting an uptick in the demand for online courses overall. In fact,

STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) has become the edge the U.S. needs to compete in the global workforce of the 21^st century. How to get that education is now a source of discussion for business and education leaders. The shift from four-year schools to a two-year degree is a pronounced one, and while it may not be right for everyone, it is a key component in the economic health of this country. Are community colleges becoming the new leader in STEM education?

The Rise of STEM

Community College Week reported on 2012 data released by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology that suggested that if the U.S. is to remain a STEM leader, the country must produce one million more STEM graduates than current rates projects. The Atlantic reports that according to a 2011 STEM report from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University, 92 percent of STEM workers will need post-secondary education by 2018. Around 35 percent of that number will require training at the community college level, while another 65 percent will need baccalaureate degrees.

STEM fields are extensive today, including a wide range of engineering and science industries. Some of the fields currently being transformed by innovations in science and technology include construction, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, biotechnology, transportation, and energy. STEM might include work with computers, electricity, biochemistry, statistics, engineering, and geography. There will also be a demand for teachers who can

As community colleges across the United States strive to improve dismal completion rates, one factor stands out as a stark obstacle for degree-seeking students – remedial math. Many students find they need remedial math classes after taking placement tests for community college. However, semesters of remedial math prove to be costly and time-consuming for those students. Sadly, many community college careers both start and end with remedial math. Fortunately, schools across the country are devising new systems to give students the math instruction they need without jeopardizing their ability to earn the degree they want.

New Math Pathways Match Instruction to Needs

In California, community colleges are trying a whole new approach to remedial math classes. Instead of requiring students to take courses in subjects they may never need or use, math classes are customized to a student’s specific major and area of interest. For example, aspiring engineers may need remedial algebra if they are to properly prepare for the math required in their degree program. However, English or history majors might be just as well suited to a class in statistics that teaches basic math concepts quickly and effectively.

According to a report in the Sacramento Bee, at least 16 community colleges across the state have adopted this approach to remedial math – so far with great success. The publication reports that students in the new pathways program are completing math classes at a rate two to four times higher than