Online Classes Offer Flexible Options for Earning Credentials Outside the Classroom - Marilyn Campbell, Alexandria Gazette

Opportunities for continuing and professional education abound for the intellectually curious. One trend in continuing education that local educators say is on the rise is online learning. A study by the Babson Survey Research Group shows the number of students enrolled in distance learning courses increased each year for the past 13 years. Driven by advancements in technology, the explosion of online learning is making education — once available only to those with extra time and the funds — accessible to anyone with a tablet or laptop computer.“Our online courses have increased at about 20 percent a year for about three years,” said Stephen Nodine, Ph.D., associate vice president for E-Learning and director of Distance Education at George Mason University. http://www.alexandriagazette.com/news/2016/jun/27/online-classes-offer-flexible-options-earning-cred/