The Technology Source Archives - Educating in a Time of Changing Student Demographics

May 1997 // Online Learning

Educating in a Time of Changing Student Demographics

Note: This article was originally published in The Technology Source (http://ts.mivu.org/) as: Toby Richards "Educating in a Time of Changing Student Demographics" The Technology Source, May 1997. Available online at http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=1034. The article is reprinted here with permission of the publisher.

It is estimated that roughly 40% of all students in higher education today are considered non-traditional, averaging an age of 25 years and older. These students are working part-time while obtaining a degree, returning from the workforce for a second degree, or even complimenting their business skills through professional development programs. Added, with the explosive growth of rich Internet technologies, these students are demanding flexible learning options that cater to the restrictions of time and place.

Institutions have a unique opportunity to utilize the Internet to stay competitive and reach this new breed of connected learners. More importantly to some schools, the technology is allowing for an exploration of new teaching and learning styles that is revitalizing the institution's faculty force, whereas the professor was once the expert and is now a coach in a class-wide collaborative effort.

Your institution most certainly recognizes these and other challenges that are leading you towards distributed learning programs and systems. At Microsoft, we are committed to solving those needs with intuitive and scalable technologies that are easy to use and are flexible enough to meet your changing needs.