Online enrollments continue to grow as World Campus approaches 10th anniversary

University Park, Pa. -- With the launch of the World Campus in 1998, Penn State expanded its reach worldwide. The World Campus now ranks as one of the 10 largest online learning campuses in the United States and online enrollments are increasing by more than 25 percent annually, according to Vice President for Outreach Craig Weidemann.

In a report Friday (Nov. 2) to the Penn State Board of Trustees, Weidemann said that since its founding nearly a decade ago with just 41 students, the World Campus has grown to more than 7,000 students worldwide and features one of the largest and most diverse online learning portfolios in the country. The 7,000-student figure includes not only students who are enrolled solely in the World Campus, but also students who are enrolled at a Penn State campus and are simultaneously enrolled in the World Campus as well.

Nationally, online enrollments have been growing substantially faster than overall higher education enrollments for the past several years. Nearly 3.5 million students were taking at least one online course in fall 2006, compared with 3.2 million students in 2005, according to the 2007 Sloan Consortium report "Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning."

"The drivers of growth in online learning are accelerating," said Ken Udas, World Campus executive director.  "Factors influencing this growth include an increasing acceptance of online learning within the higher education community, as well as workforce needs in today's global economy."

Weidemann said the success of the World Campus is the result of its integration into the University.

"The World Campus is a delivery unit that works in partnership with the academic colleges to extend undergraduate and graduate degrees and professional certificate programs — all taught by Penn State faculty — to adult learners who otherwise do not have access to a Penn State education," Weidemann said

The World Campus now offers 62 credit and noncredit programs and nearly 700 courses.

Students who learn online can acquire new knowledge and skills without ever visiting the university campus where they are enrolled, which can make balancing career, family and education responsibilities easier. Students still interact with their professors and fellow students, and they have access to similar learning opportunities as on-campus students do.
However, competition for online learners is becoming increasingly fierce among both nonprofit higher education institutions and for-profit institutions. To compete in this environment, Penn State is emphasizing the quality of its education programs and its commitment to providing services to meet learners' needs.

This is what attracted Brian White to Penn State's online Graduate Certificate in Disaster Preparedness. The New York City fire chief recently completed this program while continuing to do a job he loves. White is now poised to become one of New York City's elite emergency managers.

Disaster Preparedness is just one of many online certificate programs available through the World Campus. Penn State's online offerings also include two nationally recognized degree programs: the bachelor of science in Turfgrass Science, named the

2006 Most Outstanding Online Teaching and Learning Program by the Sloan Consortium, and the iMBA program, listed sixth in a recent ranking of the top 10 online MBA programs.

Next year, the University will launch three new high-demand online programs, including undergraduate degrees in Business and Psychology and a Master of Professional Studiesin Human Resources and Employment Relations. World Campus programs also are beginning to incorporate trends such as "mLearning" (mobile learning) opportunities, enabling students to use their cell phones, PDAs, iPods and other portable devices for learning. Several World Campus courses already have content on iTunes University, which students can access through mobile devices.

Programs are integrating online community technologies and projects such as Flickr, YouTube, Facebook and del.icio.us with Wikis, blogs and geographic positioning technologies to enrich learning experiences for students. Future online course experiences may include simulated laboratories for engineering and science courses, virtual studios for the arts and a virtual world such as Second Life, where business environments and political systems can provide experiential learning, Udas added.