A recent report conducted by SRI International for the U.S. Department of Education seems to indicate that it might be.

This report compared online and traditional classroom students and their academic performance levels between the years of 1996 and 2008. Its conclusion? “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.” This means an average percentile rank of 59th for online learners compared to 50th for traditional classroom learners.

While this report followed some students at the K-12 level, most of the subjects were college-level students. Could this be the end of classroom learning as we know it? Educational experts don’t think so. But they do think our country’s educational institutions will need to keep up with the online learning trend in the coming years. Today’s online learning environment is especially tailored to meet the student’s needs, and technologies such as email, video messaging, instant messaging and collaboration mean that many students will find unique chances to be engaged in their learning. Schools who stay hip to new technological trends can attract some of the best and brightest students.

Education experts see the exciting potential for learning communities and student collaborations that online education can create. They predict that more and more universities and colleges will offer online programs to their students.

Think learning online is the right choice for you? Search for online colleges and universities on Career Explorer today!

Summer is often thought of as the season of light, breezy reading. Romance novels, exciting page-turners, and other carefree types of books are out in full force at beaches, lakes, and pools all around the country. But this summer, you are more likely to see some books with a little more weight. We’re talking career advice books.

People young and old, employed or unemployed are finding words of wisdom in these books. In general, it’s a tough time for the book world. This year, overall book sales have been down 4.1%, according to the Association of American Publishers, but many retailers are reporting increased sales in the career improvement and advice category.

No matter your current professional situation or future goals, there’s a book out there designed to motivate and inspire you. Interested in exploring some of your reading options? Here’s a list of some of this summer’s most popular choices:

· What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles. 10 million copies have been sold since it was first published in 1970, and the text is updated with new information annually.

· Knock ‘em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide by Martin Yate.

· Moms who are returning to the professional world should check out Back on the Career Track by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin.

· Members of the baby-boomer generation might appreciate the advice in Finding Jobs After 50 by Jeannette Woodward.

· Job seeking “green” lovers could find good advice in Green Jobs: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Employment by A. Bronwyn Llewellyn.

· Classic motivational books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey are a good choice for anyone looking for a boost of confidence.

As you browse the shelves in your local library or bookstore this summer, you’ll find countless other sources of advice and encouragement tailored to fit nearly every situation. And while buying a new book won’t guarantee you an instant job offer, you may learn new strategies or ideas you hadn’t previously considered.

Have you read any career improvement books that really made a difference to you? We’d love to hear about them!

When the financial aid runs out – how do you survive on little to no money for expenses while in college? Since the economy has taken a bit of a nose dive, students are starting to see the signs of struggle when it comes to living and going to school on a budget. There is a resource that can help when financial aid doesn’t cover all expenses – work study.

Established as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, work study programs fall between a loan and a grant. Students can work up to 20 hours a week in libraries, residence halls or dining halls for money that then can go to college-related expenses.

President Obama wants to ensure that at least 25% of college work study funds are used to support public service opportunities instead of jobs in dining halls and libraries. This means they are trying to open up private and public sector roles so you can gain valuable work experience while in school. The opportunity may be there to even choose how to contribute your service to emerging Energy Technician or Green Job corps and get practical experience in fast-growing career fields.

Start exploring your possibilities today with Career Explorer.

Will universities ever become obsolete? One professor thinks so. Dr. David Wiley, a professor of psychology and instructional technology at Brigham Young University, believes that some universities will become irrelevant by 2020 because they wont adapt to the ‘open’ course method of teaching.

This ‘open’ course teaching method revolves around taking advantage of technological advances such as the internet, iTunes, podcasting, wikis and different forum and chat application to share and discuss published information, including textbooks, papers and lectures. Wiley thinks that the schools that don’t adapt will eventually lose students to the ones that do embrace this new way of higher education. In addition to this free flow of information and education, Wiley wants it to be presented to everyone for the same low price: for free.

Institutions can still charge tuition if students want to earn college credits for their diplomas or degrees. However, if anyone wants to learn more about an anthropology class, under this new movement of education, they can simply go online and enroll without paying for the class.

Will we see more universities succumb to this new movement? So far, Utah is the only state in the union to provide state-level funding for this type of open courseware. Although, when the bill came to vote for the funding in 2009, the legislature didn’t choose to renew the project.

What are your thoughts on opening educational doors and sharing information to the public?

When you step into the world of Homeland Security, you may have several opportunities to see and hear about some really strange stuff. And what’s started to become more and more commonplace is that toys are continuing to be considered security risks.

Anyone remember last year when the entire city of Boston was put on hold while police, homeland security agents and bomb squads chased down, removed and “defused” threats that ultimately turned out to be nothing more than an advertisement made on a child’s Lite-Brite toy? Well this year, crime fighters are going about it with a bit more pre-emptive gusto.

A few weeks ago, police seized a board game from homes and store shelves because it contained items that “could be used in a criminal or terrorist act.” What’s the game? Why, “War On Terror,” of course!

When questioned by game owners and the press, the police claim that the ski mask that came with the game could be used in a criminal act.

The game’s creators, Andrew Sheerin and Andy Tompkins, web designers from Cambridge UK, have expressed total shock at the inclusion of their toy among “criminal” items.

Andrew said: “I saw pictures of the board game in papers and was absolutely baffled. Surely no member of the public is going to believe that a board game could be used as a weapon?” Well, actually…

War on Terror, similar to games like Risk, revolves around creating empires that compete and wage war. And of course, someone has to be the bad guy. That person has to wear a balaclava (included in the game) with the word “Evil” stitched on to it.

So in order to keep public order and safety at an optimum, you may not even PRETEND to join the “Axis Of Evil.” So you might as well join the other side and enroll in a Criminal Justice program or Homeland Security program at a nearby college.

True story.