Kevin,
Perhaps a school catalog or a course syllabus is what you would be looking for?
Probably the best evidence that your employee has received a quality education will come from the performance of the employee.
Thanks,
Jane
I have dealt with individuals who have recieved their education through both methods. Just as in the acedemic community there are good and bad college programs so is there in the online community. I would look at both programs and decide based on content. If the programs are well written and online course can have just as much value as the acedemic program.
This reminds me of the same questions regarding technical schools and traditional academia. Technical schools were at one time not viewed as being in line with the academic acheivements of a traditional school. Being that technical schools focused more on application of subject material than in depth knowledge. I believe that online education is similiar to technical schools. It teaches not just the in depth knowledge of the subject but the application of that knowledge and how it applies for the subject matter.
For both applicants I would structure my interview towards the application of the job rather than just knowledge and choose according to those answers but I would not disqualify an individual just because their received their degree online vs traditional education.
John
Your answer is encouraging to me in that it reflects that online learning is gaining acceptance in the business world. Not too long ago, a degree earned online was not perceived to be as value as one earned in a traditional manner.
Thanks for your thoughts :)
Jane
Jason,
Oh, I remember the days when a technical education was seen as substandard. Today, because the job market is changing, technical education has gained a higher level of respect.
Do you think there is a difference in the type of student who chooses to earn a degree online and one who prefers traditional learning?
I am interested in your thoughts :)
Jane
I believe that the student earning an online degree is no different than a student in a traditional learning.
I do believe that their expected outcomes are different. The online degree student is more focused on attaining the degree for their specific career path whereas a traditional learner might not have a specific career path that they want to follow but reguires a more indepth understanding or the subject matter beyond it's application.
In short, online learners want more application of the knowledge and less theory and traditional learners want more theory and less application.
Jason,
It sounds as if you are comparing career colleges with traditional academic institutions rather than online learning with classroom learning. Today, all types of education and training can take place online.
Many of those seeking to earn degrees online are nontraditional students so, in that respect, I agree with your analogy. Online students do tend to have a much better idea of what they need to get from their educational endeavors.
Good post!!
Jane
First, I would make sure that either the traditional or the online program was accredited by comparing the school to the Department of Education list on their website. If the school was accredited, I would regard the online and traditional courses equally. By that I mean, I would look at the course descriptions or ask the candidate to bring them to the interview. I could then determine if the content applied to the Bookkeeper position. Then, I would ask the candidate questions regarding how their education has prepared them for the Bookkeeper position. I think that today, online and traditional courses are viewed more equally, but it does seem that employers are still checking the online courses more carefully to make sure they are legitimate.
Hi Sherri,
I believe that you are correct; some employers are still a bit skeptical about online learning but, for the most part, it is gaining acceptance.
Do you think that there are some characteristics of an online that could make them better employees? Just wondering...
Thanks for your response,
Jane :)
Jane,
I do think there are characteristics that could make them better employees. I would expect that they would be better at managing time and prioritizing tasks. They also would have demonstrated that they are technologically savy. In my work environment, this is always a sought after trait!
Sherri
Sherri,
I couldn't agree more. Being technologically savvy is no longer optional in today's work environment.
Thanks for your response :)
Jane
All things being the same, I would hire the online candidate. Harvard wasn't accredited until the late 1990's. Accreditation does not speak to the quality of the training nor does the "name" of the school. A student who studies online is, in my opinion a self-starter, able to work with minimal supervision and goal oriented.
Marcia,
You make a terrific point about the qualities of an online student. Your response shows just how far online education has progressed in the past few years.
I don't know that we're at a point, however, where we can totally ignore the "name" of the school or the accreditation. Diploma mills still exist and students, as well as employers, need to do their homework when evaluating an educational institution's quality.
What do you think? I am interested in your thoughts :)
Jane
We cannot ignore a school's name or its accreditation but it cannot be the determining factor. It has been my experience that in smaller schools students get more one-on-one, either web-based or classroom and that kind of nuturing makes for better students. It would be interesting if a study was done with the same instructor preparing and implementing the exact same program and delivered it in the classroom for a regionally accredited school and web-based for a nationally accredited school and see the response of other regionally accredited schools when the students of the nationally accredited school tries to transfer those credits to their regionally accredited school.
Employers (their HR departments) should do due diligence in verifying each applicant's information prior to the offer of employment.
Good points! I would love to get a look at the results of the study you propose.
:)
The question asks whether I would hire the candidate who was online educated? Yes, I would, but this fact cannot be the deciding factor. Given the statement that all else is equal, then we really have situation where everythings is equal up to this point. Now I must consider reputation. If either school is noted for producing top-notch bookkeepers, then my choice is clear. If either school has a traditionally excellent math, accounting or bookkeeping history, that will decide it.
If the question is (as it seems to be) whether or not I would select any candidate for any position based upon online vs in-building education, the answer is firmly no. Would I select a candidate from a school (online or otherwise) with a known track record in producing high quality bookkeepers over one with a lesser reputation? Yes.
I tend to agree here with Ms. Gilcher concerning the loop-holes. However, my online courses have tests that are pretty much like the paper tests handed out in class, and if the test is created and timed sufficiently close, it tends to make cheating darned difficult. The exams have a short amount of time per question, and it becomes impossible to look up an anwer on each question. Is it still possible to look up the occasional sticky point? Sure. Can someone look up every question? No. People who spend too much time checking out the answers or looking up the answers also tend to not complete my exams. Either you know it or you don't.
Therefore I still prefer onsite testing, but I am working on online accountability issues.
Hi Howard,
Your response shows the progress that online education has made over the past few years. You bring up a good point that schools can produce quality graduates, whether they are traditional or online schools.
One of the things I have noticed is that, unless a school only operates via online, transcripts don't designate how classes were completed.
Do you think that online students make better employees? I am interested in your thoughts.
:)
Jane
There is also a product available called ExamGuard. Are you familiar with it?
ExamGuard (and similar programs) take over a student's computer during an exam. The student can't access any other parts of the computer such as the Internet, printer, files, etc. It protects the integrity of the test and prevents cheating.
I suppose you can't prevent the use of books and notes but, I'm not sure that referring to them is all bad. Being able to find information is as important, or possibly more important, than being able to memorize it.
What do you think?
:)
Jane
Yes, I am familiar with a program that is similar to Examguard and I appreciate that facet of controlling the testing environment. I do agree with your point that it is important to be able to solve a problem or arrive at a solution by quick research. In some of my courses it is allowed to use the program to check the answer. It has been my experience that those who check many answers often cannot finish the exam. Those who check only a few fare rather well. Most tend to check one or two sticky points and move on. I firmly believe the help features and skill with them are a valid part of the program.
Howard
