This is a very broad based question as the wording of it can vary the context of it in a number of ways. In this instance, we're talking about experience v. education, and therefore it does matter greatly where your education came from.
Since we're all online students here, let's evaluate an online education and where it can be most beneficial. The online education is typically accelerated, meaning that the student is primarily only going to touch base on the primary core concepts of the topic during the shortened course. This implies that the student either 1) will do the in-depth study of the course concepts on their own time, or 2) through previous experience and education the student can apply the broader concepts directly and gain insight on the specific concepts, therefore, getting down to the specifics is not necessary.
If the student has very little experience, then it's very hard to assume that he/she will choose to do the work outside of class time, and this is simply the reality of it! MOST (not all) younger students taking online courses instead of the traditional classroom format simply have not acquired the amount of discipline necessary to go the extra mile in studying the more in-depth topics normally addressed by instructors in the classroom.
Conversely, students with a great deal of experience really don't need the tedious, instructor-driven, traditional classroom format to gain additional insight from. Therefore, they desire only a brush up on the core concepts and the rest comes naturally from there.
At the end of the day, when you're sitting down evaluating a potential job candidate and you're checking out their education and their experience, it might be beneficial to view their experience BEFORE asking where they went to school. When you ask them if they did online or traditional, the answer will allow you to better evaluate the type of person you're interviewing and dealing with.
Now, with all that said, if the question is in regards to WHICH SCHOOL a student attended to obtain their education, I will argue night and day with those who oppose the online system that the content of courses between online and traditional institutions are almost identical. I mean, Algebra at Online School 'A' is the same numbers, formulas, and variables at Traditional Classroom School 'B'.
Enough said!
D.B.
I don’t that it should matter whether or not a student received a degree online or the traditional way. However, there are many who do not believe in the quality of an online education. I see this all the time at the traditional school where I work. Some of the professors who have been there 25 + years do not value an online education and do not support the department offering online courses. Some of the younger professors, however, such as myself, would jump at the opportunity to facilitate an online course. I think that some potential employers feel the same way. When I first started facilitating online, which was about 6 years ago, I had a student who said her boss did not believe that an online education was valid. Twenty years ago, the nay-sayers said online education would never prosper. Look at it now. Just about every traditional university/college in America offers an online course for something or another. I think that those who oppose online education are the one’s who will be sitting at home in 20 years bashing themselves on the head because they did not get with the program and support online education, when they are obsolete because they chose traditional education over the growing field of online education. Just my two scents!!! :-)
DB,
Very thoughtful post - thanks for your perspective!
Jon
I agree with your statement. I too hire for my company, my interest are based on job performance and duties as well. I do check education but with so many instiutions out there, not to mention "diploma mills" its hard to keepup. The worst part of it all is that these "diploma mills" are now starting to offer transcripts.
I normally check the US Department of Education's website on which institution is trully in existence. When it comes to education unless someone comes from a large university you're really on your own determining if the diploma is valid or not. Without checking the upteen million diplomas/transcripts how can you tell which are valid and which are not ? Does it really matter if the person is doing the job extremely well and gets along with his/her co-workers ?
Experience vs Education? Personally, I pick experience everytime. Reason being, there are alot of "book learners" who like to follow the book to the "T" not realizing that in the real world, the book doesn't always work.
Great post - thank you for sharing - Jon
Does it matter where the education came from? Yes. Does it matter if it's online or onground? Probably. But it shouldn't. Why not? Because dishonesty has existed in academia for centuries. And yet, academia is characterized by honesty. There are now, have been, and always will be those people who try to get the credentials of education without doing the work of becoming educated. But this doesn't diminish the online format anymore than Ted Kennedy's attempt to cheat on a Spanish text diminishes Harvard.
In due time, as the online environment becomes more and more accepted, any stigma now attached to online learning will be obliterated. Why? Because so many of us will have had online experience learning either in high school or at the college level. And those of us who take these classes are familiar with how rigorous they truly are. And the larger, more widely known and respected institutions are actually leading the charge into online education. As a result, our society will become more and more accepting of it.
I agree, especially when you are dealing with adult learners in the career college setting. They are more likely inspired by instructors who have actually worked in and love the field they are seeking to enter, rather than one who has an educational degree but no experience. In my particular field, the highest degree that can be achieved is an associate's, but I feel I can teach my students just as well or better than someone without any experience but a master's in education, b/c it is a very specialized field.
Adele,
I agree - adult learners really are looking for practical application (not just theory).
Thanks,
Jon
As a manager I have hired hundreds of employees over the years. Often I am given minimum educational requirements through the job description provided by HR. While these are important and must be followed, I find experience to be the better indicator of job performance. When looking at a new graduate without experience, a degree indicates little more than that the individual was able to stay with the task of completing college.
Ken,
Good to hear that experience does pay off!! Staying on task can be challeging for some people that I have worked with!
Shelly Crider
I think especially in the hospitality industry, hiring managers are going to go with experience over education.
Yet, having a degree is what will allow you to enter a management position once you have worked your way up. I have found this to be true with corporations as well.
I am currently watching a friend who went back to school for nursing, but doesn't have the hands on experience since she was raising her children for 20 years. She is now having a hard time getting hired because she only has the degree and not the hands on experience.
What positions have you experienced where the hiring manager will hire because of education versus experience?
Ali,
This is an interesting thread going on. As a manager, you want someone who will go above and beyond...so education is what you want as these people have shown they want a career vs a job. On the other hand, having someone with experience is a nice quality as well. This is why it is great when students can do an externship or some sort of job shadowing.
Shelly Crider
