Online Distance Education Degree Programs

What has influenced the growth of online distance education degree programs? The current rapid growth of distance education as well as e-learning has occurred in both private and public tertiary education level.

In addition, organization and business are also expanding their training opportunities through e-learning opportunities. As you can imagine, open and distance learning has refocused higher education, making college degrees more flexible and accessible to more students, traditional and non-traditional. For instance, self-paced educational opportunities are more available for working adults and parents with young children. Information and communication technologies have made much of this possible, in addition to extensive research in education and instruction. Online distance learning programs use a blend of online and multimedia technologies to provide various instructional strategies using current technological applications, approaches, and breakthrough instructional methodologies. As online education becomes a part of postsecondary and tertiary education, the demand is increasing for educators who are specifically trained to develop, manage, and coordinate distance-learning programs.

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Instructional Design & Technology Degree Programs

University of Phoenix

• MA in Education/Adult Education and Training
• Doctor of Education in Ed. Leadership/Educational Technology
• MA in Education/Computer Education

Capella University

• PhD - Training and Performance Improvement
• PhD - Information Technology Education
• MS - Training and Performance Improvement
• MS - Postsecondary and Adult Education

Walden University

• B.S. in Instructional Design & Technology
• Ed.S. in Educational Technology
• M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology
• Ph.D. in Education - Course-based - Educational Technology

Jones International University

• MEd in Adult Education
• MEd in Corporate Training and Knowledge Management
• Master of Education in Instructional Design & Technology
• M.Ed. in K-12 Instructional Technology
• M.Ed. in K-12 Instructional Technology: Teacher Licensure

Strayer University

• Master of Education - Adult Education and Development
• M.ED.: Teacher Leadership
• M.ED.: Technology in Education

Boise State University

• Master of Science (M.S.) in Educational Technology
• Master of Educational Technology (M.ET.)

Kaplan University

• MS in Education in Instructional Technology - Adult Learning - Higher Education
• MS in Education in Instructional Technology - Adult Learning - Organizations
  

American InterContinental University Online

• Master's of Education (M.Ed.) in Instructional Technology
  

Kaplan University

• MS in Education - Instructional Technology (K-12)
• MS in Education in Instructional Technology - Adult Learning-Higher Education
• MS in Education in Instructional Technology - Adult Learning-Organizations
  

Liberty University

• M. Ed. in Teaching & Learning in Education Technology

DeVry University

• Master's - Educational Technology (Online Only)

Northcentral University

• Education Technology and E-Learning - Master of Education
• Educational Technology & E-Learning - C.A.G.S. in Education

Full Sail University

• Education Media Design & Technology, Master of Science (Online)

Instructional Design Education and Training

Online distance education degree programs vary in structure but typical courses may include: Distance education theories, distance education models, instructional design, curriculum design, adult learning theory, instructional strategies for online instruction, e-learning design, multimedia design, program assessment and evaluation, project management, educational psychology, and courses related to educational management.

Distance educators typically hold a graduate-level degree in education. Distance education programs are available at the master's or doctoral-degree level. Typical onliine distance education degree programs at the graduate levelinclude:

• M.S. in distance education
• M.S. in Instructional design with a concentration in e-learning
• M.S. in instructional systems technology
• M.S. in Instructional technology

Instructional Design Careers

What can you do with an online distance education degree? Distance educators teach online courses, instructional design teaching strategies and online curricula depending on the particular program, and they also research and evaluate program effectiveness. With the fast pace of technology change, distance educators must also remain on top of new technologies and educational research.

The trends in distance learning trend are creating a demand for qualified professionals to work as subject matter experts, curriculum designer, multimedia design, instructional developers, and e-learning specialists. Earning a degree in distance education will prepare you with comprehensive and practical knowledge that is needed to work in the distance education enterprise in the military, non-profit organizations, K-12 education, traditional colleges and universities, online colleges and universities, business, and government. Some of the roles of distance educators are:

• Leadership and change management
• Developing strategic goals for distance learning in an organization
• Designing, implementing, and assessing support services for distance education programs
• Analyzing and recommending distance education technology plans
• Managing implementation of technology in distance learning delivery

Graduates of online distance education degree programs work in curriculum design, educational technology development, distance education policy, and distance learning management. They also teach courses online. Some jobs in distance education are: Online instruction coordination, distance learning librarian, production management, distance learning project management, multimedia design, etc.

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

According to the United States Department of Labor, opportunities for postsecondary teachers remain positive, especially with the expansion of online distance education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job growth of 235 from 2006-2016. In general, postsecondary educators earn a median salary of $56,120 and instructors earn about $42,609. Administrative jobs in higher education should increase by about 12% from 2006-2016. The average salary for postsecondary administrators is around $85,870 and for program directors the average is over $67,000. Online distance education degree will therefore continue to play an important role with the growth and development of online distance learning.

Online distance education degree programs and adult education degrees