How Does an Online Master’s Program Work?
An online master’s program allows students to build new skills without going to campus. Nowadays, many employers consider online degrees as viable as those earned exclusively through on-campus attendance. There is a massive demand for people to learn online.
The world is changing rapidly, so there are various platforms for people to do so.
Think about where you are in life; if you are new to the workforce, and if it is important for you to get a master’s degree for your career goals. A master’s degree can certainly help get you a job, but you may realize some specializations that are available and motivators in your decision-making. Do your research before making the commitment to maximizing your options and the flexibility that will work best for your continuing education.
How Did COVID Affect Online Master’s Degree Programs?
The pandemic forced colleges and universities to go online. Faculty were required to transfer their on-site work to the “virtual classroom”, working through the process of developing and teaching classes remotely. This helped faculty become great online teachers.
One adverse effect of COVID on higher education was the significant decline in enrollment across the board. Consequently, to attract students, many universities are offering incentives such as a 50 percent reduction in tuition costs for enrollees or free summer courses.
Whether reframing instructional modalities or broadening the menu of coursework offerings, COVID spotlighted the need for a critical look at the effectiveness and practicalities of classroom, higher education, and has spurred innovative and proactive responses which appeal to students considering the master’s degree program.
After two years of pandemic-related unpredictability and financial uncertainty, college and university administrators are cautiously optimistic about summer enrollment prospects. While administrators may be hesitant to predict whether enrollment will rise or fall this summer, institutions offering free and reduced tuition are seeing steady increases (David Steele, 2022).
Benefits of an Online Master’s Degree Program
Flexibility for Full-Time Teachers
Taking an online master’s program offer a lot of flexibility to full-time teachers. Some of the benefits include the following:
- You can stream classes to fit your schedule
- Real-time access enables one to progress and respond to observations in a timely way
- Capability to organize your course work and map out individualized ways to complete the assignments
More Degree Options
There are several degrees available online for librarians, administrators, corporate trainers, tutors, and school counselors. There are also numerous affordable online master’s programs and top online master’s programs.
Below are some options:
M.A. in Education
With this degree, students learn to analyze research, construct effective teaching methods, and learn about digital citizenship, curriculum and instruction.
M.A. in Early Childhood Education Leadership
Graduate candidates prepare for leadership in early childhood education and focus on meeting the developmental needs of young children.
M.A. in Special Education
This degree prepares the incumbent to work with students with learning disabilities.
M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology
Candidates will prepare systems of one-on-one, group, direct and indirect services delivered to various audiences associated with the student population.
Maximizing Technology
Highly qualified educators pre-plan their lessons, write up a list of course assignments, due dates, materials, and contact information. Virtual learning tools have transformed the way all instructors teach.
When educators receive their personal education online, they can pick up and learn of new opportunities to interact with their own classroom using technology. Instructors use several tools to enhance their instruction with technology:
Conferences
The instructor can conduct a conference with their students because live discussions help students to interact with one another. This gives educators the option to teach or share a guest speaker with the students. Students can work in groups, record, or store lectures.
Teach-Nology
This educator’s resource app features free and easy to use instructional materials.
Quizizz
Quizziz offers “millions” of quizzes for classroom instruction and allows teachers to design individualized quizzes easily and effectively.
GitMind
This app features templates which are adaptable for brainstorming, note-taking and visualization and are easy to share through URLs.
Personalized Learning
Taking masters’ level courses online allows the incumbent to personalize materials presented and provides a way to balance school, employment and home life in a relaxed forum with peers and instructors. For example, in the app Microsoft Teams, learners and instructors have access to various digital tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, etc., allowing their work product to be augmented by tutoring, writing assistance features, and other supports that maximize the time students apply to course requirements.
The online master’s program offers convenient access to the classroom at any time through “streaming” capability. You will have access to resources like tutoring, writing assistants, and other support. Although there are other benefits to master’s in education online programs, these are just a few for students to consider in their planning for graduate degrees.
Interested in an online graduate program? Check out our online master’s degree options and get started today!
