Straight Talk: June 8, 2011

Straight Talk:  The StraighterLine e-Newsletter Issue #12, June 8, 2011
Edited by Jeffrey Lee Simons

In this issue…

StraighterLine Named “New Company of the Year”

StraighterLine has just been named “New Company of the Year” in the 11th annual Maryland Incubator Awards. Among the factors that go into the award are innovation, impact on the region, and technology or product development. You can read more about it here.

This is the second accolade we’ve received in the last couple of months. Back in March, StraighterLine was named one of “The 10 Most Innovative Companies in Education” by Fast Company magazine. You can read find that article and more here in our Press section.

Win an iPad2: Announcing the StraighterLine Summer Slam Contest

Did you know you could take college courses at StraighterLine this summer? Of course you did. But did you also know that two smart, talented StraighterLine students who sign up for online college courses using the special Summer Slam code will win an iPad2 this summer? iPads will be awarded for Best GPA and most courses started and completed during the contest. Get the code and contest details here.

Best of The StraighterLine Blog

Commencement Speeches from J.K. Rowling, Will Ferrell, Oprah and more:
Special Today! Two Million Dollars Worth of Wisdom for Free
Barry Lenson has collected links to 10 celebrity graduation speeches from Michelle Obama to Ellen DeGeneres, at schools from Harvard to Stanford… and you don’t have to pay a dime in tuition to benefit from their wisdom. Click here to hear them now.

Why Smart Students Are Using Online Courses to Prepare for Medical Careers
At a time when job creation in America has slowed to a crawl, the number of jobs in medical careers is growing fast. Projected growth rates are between 14% and 36%, depending on specialty like Lab Technicians or Medical Assistants. Barry Lenson takes an in-depth look at the opportunities, and how you can take advantage of them. Read Full Post

How One Student Uses StraighterLine to Prepare for Medical School
Meet Inessa Volkonidina, an energetic, determined woman who recently graduated Long Island University and is using StraighterLine online courses to prepare for medical school while also working a full-time job. She’s currently taking her third StraighterLine course, Anatomy and Physiology 1. Here’s an excerpt from her recent interview on the StraighterLine Blog:

“I had heard different opinions regarding online courses. However, I disregarded what people said and took the course and it was amazing. The syllabus was identical to the course offered in my college. However, the explanation that was provided by StraighterLine was amazing compared to the explanation given to me by my college professor.” Read the rest of Inessa’s interview here.

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Science and Medical Courses at StraighterLine

If you’re planning on a career in science or medicine, then check out the following distance learning courses. Click the subjects below for more information or to get started:

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Online Education in The News

Community Colleges Can’t Meet Demand for Online Classes
Community College Spotlight.org, Joanne Jacobs, 5/26/11

The demand for and enrollment in online college courses is increasing at a higher rate than enrollment in community colleges, according to a recent survey by the Instructional Technology Council, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges. As reported in CommunitySpotlight.org, “enrollment in online courses grew by 9% from fall 2009 to fall 2010, outpacing the 8% growth in community college enrollment.” They also report that 68% of colleges can’t offer enough online college courses to meet student demand. Read Full Article 

Where Is the Value in a Four-Year Education?
The HuffingtonPost.com, Marian Salzman, 6/1/11

Looking at the results of a recent Pew Research Center survey of 2,142 adults ages 18 and older, which showed that “a majority of Americans (75 percent) believe higher education is unaffordable for most people and that 57 percent believe it fails to give students a good value”, the Huffington Post asks, “Is it surprising, then, that the more cost-effective arena of online education is enjoying megagrowth? According to University Facts, each year 30 percent more students enroll in an online university...” Read Full Post

Arizona State University seizing online future
The Arizona Republic, Anne Ryman, 6/5/11

According to The Arizona Republic, Arizona State University is “plunging deeper into online education…in a push to attract more students and generate money.” The school projects 30,000 fully online students by 2020. “ASU's goals are to provide more older, working adults access to a college degree and generate more profit to help fill increasing gaps created by state budget cuts.”

But like so many other traditional schools that enter the online education arena, the University profits disproportionately from online-only students, even though costs are lower. Online-only students pay by the credit hour, but offline students who take online courses don’t pay more if they take more than 7 credit hours of courses. And of course, this discrepancy hurts alternative and adult students more, too: “Most of the online-only students would be older and attend part time, but a significant share, including younger students, are expected to go entirely online." Read Full Article

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Get a Perfect Fit with Our No-Risk Free Trial

Would you ever buy a new pair of jeans or sneakers without trying them on first? At StraighterLine, we want you to be sure we’re a perfect fit, too. That’s why we offer a risk-free trial of 6 StraighterLine courses. Try us on… you’ve got nothing to lose, and thousands of dollars to save.

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 StraighterLine Welcomes New Partner Schools