From Guest Blogger Devin Morrissey: Online Education is a Sustainable Industry
How “green” is your degree? What sort of environmental impact does a college education entail? While you may not realize it, if you have taken — or are currently enrolled — in online courses, you are supporting a sustainable industry.
Online courses have steadily grown in popularity over the past decade, and they are projected to see further growth in upcoming years. While students are most interested in the convenience and equal access and of an online program, administrators benefit from lower operating costs.
However, one benefit that is rarely discussed is the positive environmental impact of online learning. Here are three environmental benefits to pursuing an online education:
Fewer Printed Materials
When it comes to promoting green practices, the most obvious positive change resulting from the popularization of online education is the lack of reliance on printed materials. Textbooks, handouts, assessments, and other projects can take an enormous amount of paper. Colleges in the US are culpable for a large percentage of the 4 billion trees cut down annually for paper use. The popularization of online programs will put a serious dent into this outrageous statistic. Instead of using paper, students enrolled in online classes rely on desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices. Some institutions, like Concordia University, even offer students free e-books with the cost of tuition.
In regards to equal opportunity, replacing textbooks and paper with digital devices raises a couple problems: Some potential students do not have access to this technology, and non-traditional students may not even have the skillset needed to succeed in an online program. Fortunately, many colleges offer free training resources for those who need to brush up their technological skills before classes begin. Many online programs even offer free laptops to enrolled students.
Less Transportation
More students enrolled in online courses means fewer students enrolled in classes located on-campus. Obviously, this has alleviated some concerns that plague roads in college towns across the nation, namely fuel use, pollution, and traffic congestion. Many of these benefits have largely been ignored — but, over the long term, they could have a massive cumulative effect.
Just how much of an impact does online education have on pollution from fuel use? The scope might surprise you. The results from a study by the University of West Georgia indicate that, for every 100 students who switch from on-campus studies to a completely digital education, up to 10 tons of CO2 emissions could be prevented. Extrapolating these results to a national level, we are seeing a reduction of nearly 50,000 tons of CO2 per year. This will only increase as online courses become more popular.
Decreased Reliance on Natural Resources
Fuel isn’t the only type of energy used in a traditional college education; keeping campus facilities running — meaning continuous access to lighting, heating, cooling, and technology — throughout a school year requires an extraordinary amount of power. Solar power, which has also seen a national rapid growth in popularity, has helped to offset this drain. While many universities have attempted to combat the economic and environmental costs of maintaining campus buildings through renewable energy initiatives, online programs reduce the need for these facilities at all.
Online programs have clearly reduced pollution and energy use. Environmentally conscious prospective students should consider this when deciding on which institution to seek a degree from. While drastic policy changes will be needed to ensure a sustainable future on this planet, it is reassuring that the future of higher education is looking greener than ever.
The article did not cover the downside.
Many educators believe that an important part of a college education comes from interacting with other students and engaging in extra-curricular activities. Also, some courses, such as physics, chemistry, and biology, require laboratory work which cannot occur on-line.
Although on-line education has its place, it should not completely replace the on-site education which occurs when physically at college and universities.
Great points; it’s definitely not the correct choice for all students. A certain level of self-discipline is needed to succeed in an online program. Struggling students also benefit from face-to-face tutoring.
Devin nice Post and you make a good case for the Green benefits of online. You speak to it well .
but education is much more than that and human interaction with both professors, other students and team projects really is a good thing leads to deeper learning. project conceptualization and completion.
We tend to better working in collaboration and not isolation and some of this techy techy models can go too far and leave out th ehuman dynamics .
I do some work for 4 college Professors who run some online classes both under graduate and graduate.
The trend line after 6 years is better results with GRAD students . they have jobs so the convenience of On Line works for them. Location . they are motivated and have skill sets etc. to do the program . Seem to like it.
The failure rate with under graduates is much higher is the Trend , immaturity , skill sets and they need more interaction with professors. On line interaction can help but the in person kind is more powerful.
Depends on subject matter too has lots to do w it.
My professors are teaching Green construction and sustainability.
Frank put it well I agree with him . We will have regular colleges a long time.