Interest in online education is growing fast. In fact, according to a survey report by the Sloan Consortium, a group of institutions and organizations who follow online education trends, over twenty percent of all students who were enrolled in higher education in 2007 were taking at least one course online. The report also stated that the current economic recession is driving more people to turn to online education as they look for ways to increase their employability. So why is online education so appealing? Here are ten reasons why online education is on the rise.

1. Convenience: The one thing that people love about online education is that it is perfect for busy people. Online learning is provided in a format that allows you to work it around your schedule. If you have a full-time job and/or children, this type of flexibility is crucial.

2. Smaller Classes: Many traditional colleges have classes where the number of students can be over a hundred. With this many students, it is very difficult to receive any individual attention. Online classes, on the other hand, tend to have between 15 to 25 students.

3. Books Included: Unlike at traditional schools where book costs can be an expensive surprise every semester, online colleges often include the fees for books in their tuition. This way you know how much they are going to cost.

4. Learn at Your Own Pace: Online education creates an atmosphere where you can learn at your own pace. They often have accelerated programs if you would like to learn faster or, if your learning style is at a slower rate, then they cater to those needs as well.

5. Open Notes and Books: One of the great things about online education is the exams tend to be open note and open book. This increases your chances of succeeding.

6. Anonymity: Many people do not like to have the entire class’s eyes on them when they answer a question or contribute to a discussion. It is because of this that these people do not get involved in class. The online environment strips away that inhibition.

7. More Interaction with Students: Because of the structure of online classes, chat forums and online discussions are a major part of the online learning strategy. In a traditional classroom setting you may or may not interact with your fellow students. With online classes, it is a necessity, and there are many online students who claim that this is one of their favorite aspects of online learning.

8. More Interaction with Instructors: One of the issues with online learning is the isolation of the student. Online instructors are well aware of this and take every opportunity to reach out to their students to bridge that gap. At a traditional college, you may never speak one on one with your professors.

9. Free Tutoring: Online colleges often make tutoring available to their students at no extra cost. This is of great value since tutoring can cost anywhere from $20 to $100 per hour.

10. You Can Learn in Your Pajamas! And last but not least – you can learn from the comfort of your own home. This means you can go to class in sweats, boxers, even your pajamas. It also means that if you are hungry, you can get up, fix a snack and eat it – without having to worry about how loud that potato chip bag is.  More information along with free enrollment forms are available at Masters Degree Teacher, Masters Degree Salary or Masters Degree Science.