| The online education setting mirrors tomorrow's corporate environment. The lessons of online learning extend far beyond the subject matter. Ask those involved... especially since there are striking similarities between eLearning and the workplace. In fact, the online delivery model of education mirrors today's - and more importantly - tomorrow's corporate environment. 1. It helps you think globally.
According to Rich Baich, CISSP, CISM, chief information security officer at ChoicePoint Inc., a provider of identification and verification services, earning his online graduate degree broadened his horizons. The University of Maryland University College (Adelphia, MD) student was encouraged to think of territory as "boundaryless," a thought process frequently associated with online degrees and virtual corporate offices. "We often get caught up in international vs. domestic leadership," Baich explains. "Motivating an individual in Georgia is different from motivating an individual in California or Germany." The 2004 recipient of Georgia's Information Security Executive of the Year Award had the opportunity to lead a global team in his classroom and spend time getting to know the students. "Their countries and cultures have been enlightening," he notes. 2. It enhances your critical thinking.
While the majority of eLearning focuses on deadline-oriented projects and online bulletin boards, Lee Junkans, director of career services at Kaplan University (Davenport, IA), indicates that weekly "live" seminars emulate weekly meetings in a boardroom. "Critical thinking is required on the spot, not unlike a business meeting at work," he says. In addition, as in other online courses, Kaplan students find themselves constantly corresponding via computer, and are required to hone their communication skills via e-mail, instant messaging, and message boards, an attribute of value in today's cyber-powered corporations. 3. It strengthens your electronic business communication.
For Linda Couch, the virtual aspects of her MBA studies at the University of Maryland University College, which she pursued while working in Japan, were nothing new. She was accustomed to working remotely in her global role as position business unit strategist for IBM. The challenge, however, was coordinating a virtual team that did not have experience working with colleagues from around the world. As such, Couch frequently took a leadership initiative and sent specific e-mails to elicit efficient and timely responses to team assignment duties. Most importantly, she learned to plan ahead. If a project were due Monday morning, she would complete it prior to the start of her workday and have it done by Sunday night to factor in the 14-hour time difference of her fellow students. She often took such a lead with succinct communication, a characteristic she says has already translated into accolades... | 