Ten Trends for 2006 in Online Education from Online Graduate School Pioneer; University of...

LOS ANGELES -- The USC Viterbi School of Engineering, one of the top engineering schools in the U.S., forecasts dramatic growth in students and offerings at online colleges this year. Established in 1972, USC Viterbi School of Engineering's Distance Education Network (DEN) is a pioneer and

Kelly Goulis, executive director of DEN, forecasts the following:

--The majority of distance learning students will shift from domestic students to those residing outside of the United States.

--The use of mobile technologies will be commonplace and will truly enable "anytime, anywhere" learning as universities make their content downloadable in rich media.

--More top universities will provide online offerings than ever before. As brick-and-mortar schools prove that quality education can be sustained the perception of "online degrees" improves.

--There will be no "typical" distance learning student profile, as the Internet helps people overcome geographical barriers. Working mothers, individuals with full-time jobs, people who have financial difficulty, the physically handicapped, and those living in remote areas will now be able to advance their education online. This will give true meaning to "lifelong learning."

--Distance learning will shift from a passive learning environment to an interactive learning environment where students engage with the faculty and other students in real-time.

--Students will benefit from an increasingly extensive source of learning materials, as guest lecturers and other resources are archived each semester. Students may even be able to customize their own learning experience by pulling out content defined by their own learning objectives.

--More employers will support distance learning, especially since students can have immediate access to experts in fields in the industries in which they work.

--There will be an impetus to create high quality virtual lab simulations - rich learning environments in which those who can't physically access a lab can participate remotely.

--Traditional businesses will use distance learning as a marketing tool to create a loyal customer base.

--Distance learning is here to stay. It enables people to participate in lifelong learning: from professional development, to helping people change careers, to enabling professionals to keep their licensures current each year. The assimilation of the Internet into our everyday lives confirms that distance learning is the natural next phase in education.

Kelly Goulis can be reached at 213-821-0812 or goulis@usc.edu.

For more information about the USC Distance Education Network (DEN), visit http://den.usc.edu.