In its fifth annual survey of online learning, the Sloan Consortium has found that enrollment in online education continues to outpace general college-enrollment growth.
The report, titled Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning, indicates that about 3.5 million people took at least one online course in the fall of 2006 — up from about 3.2 million the year before.
But the rate of growth in online education has slowed compared with previous years. From the fall of 2004 to the fall of 2005, the enrollment grew by 36.5 percent. And from the fall of 2005 to the fall of 2006, enrollment increased 9.7 percent. Still, it’s growing faster than general college enrollment, which grew by 1.3 percent from 2005 to 2006. —Dan Carnevale
Developing online and blended learning programs requires research and collaboration. Learn how top technology companies are partnering with campuses across the country to advance online learning as it becomes an increasingly important aspect of higher education.