The Journal

When I see commercials for online universities, I'm reminded of those "learn-at-home" degrees Sally Struthers hawked for the better part of the '80s. Lucky students could specialize in TV/VCR repair or restaurant management - or they could get a degree in business management or accounting.

Though I was just a wee grade-schooler when I first saw these commercials, I somehow knew correspondence education was inferior to traditional classroom learning. Now that I'm all grown up and have experienced real-world work, I still hold the same beliefs, except they now apply to online degrees.

When I say, "online degrees," I'm talking about straight-up Internet degrees from schools that only exist in the ether of cyberspace. These colleges, such as American Public University, Walden University and Capella University, have no physical brick-and-mortar locations in which students can take classes.

I've repeatedly heard people tout the convenience of online learning, but convenience can come at a hefty price and endanger future employment prospects.

In 2005, Jonathan Adams, an associate professor at Florida State University's School of Communications, surveyed hiring managers around the United States. He provided them with information on two fictional, similarly-qualified applicants, one with an online degree and one with a traditional degree. Of the 269 responses received, 96 percent of the hiring managers chose the applicant with the traditional degree.

I couldn't imagine getting to the end of my education and discovering my degree was worth little more to employers than a Cracker Jack diamond. Let the buyer beware - that which is most convenient isn't always the best option.

Apart from value, another facet missing from an online education is the experience of face-to-face interaction with classmates and professors. This socialization process aids students far beyond the classroom.

I can't think of many companies who regularly hold online interviews and hire job candidates sight unseen. Therefore, students need to be comfortable talking to people without hiding behind the glow of a computer screen.

Similarly, students should have some experience with oral presentations. Even in this high-tech, digital age, employees are still required to pitch ideas, give departmental updates and attend good ol' fashioned conference room meetings.

I can only imagine the train wreck that would ensue when a student, who has spent the last four years cloistered in the black hole of his or her bedroom, finally comes out into the light to speak actual words with other humans in the workforce.

Picture one such scenario: bright-eyed Susie Q. Knows-a-lot heads off for her first day outside the confines of her online classroom. At work, she enters a room filled with … gasp … real, live humans!

Offered an introductory handshake by a co-worker, Susie nervously fingers her right pant leg in search of a mouse. She longs for the rejuvenation of a quick CTRL-ALT-DEL, but can't seem to locate the buttons anywhere in the room.

So, maybe this scenario is a little extreme, but you get the point. The transition to face-to-face interaction could be difficult for even the brightest of students.

But let's put value and communication skills aside. Let's consider all things equal between online degrees and traditional degrees. There's still one thing that cannot be regulated in an online university - authenticity of work.

I have known at least two individuals taking online classes who had other people take their exams. While I realize cheating can occur in any setting, students face more difficulty securing a body double for an exam in a physical classroom.

In spite of all the detriments, online universities continue their expansion, hoisting their crests and flags all over cyberspace.

Maybe I'm just too skeptical and too stuck in the mud to see the true benefits of an online education. Maybe online universities are the wave of the future and I'm missing the boat.

Still, one question keeps nagging me - how do you hang an e-diploma?

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