In response to rapid growth within the industry of online
education, UC Irvine Extension, the continuing education arm of the
University of California, Irvine, has developed a new series of online
courses entitled, "The Business of Teaching Online." The program is
comprised of seven courses that explore new opportunities for
professionals interested in earning income as online instructors, and
focus on helping them develop a business in online teaching. The
courses are designed to assist professionals new to the field, current
educators, and corporate trainers create content for marketable courses
and position themselves for paid instructor work -- to expand their
horizons and their earning potential.
Online education is booming. For the past several years, online enrollments have been growing substantially faster than the overall higher education student body; and over 80 percent of students today have taken at least one online class. In fact, a recent study of more than 2,200 higher learning institutions showed that nearly 3.2 million students were taking at least one online course -- reflecting a substantial increase over the 2.3 million reported the previous year. It's a growth trend that shows no signs of leveling off, and it is opening the door to boundless opportunities for those interested in tapping into the business potential of online education.
"Online learning is such an advantage for non-traditional students -- including working adults, students in remote locations and those with other extenuating circumstances. It's a forum that allows both learners and educators to operate from the comfort of their own homes at times that are convenient to their varied schedules," said nationally-recognized author and online teaching expert, Dr. Danielle Babb, Ph.D, MBA -- a key instructor and content developer for the UC Irvine Extension program and the co-author of Make Money Teaching Online. "As a result of the industry's rapid growth and extreme popularity, the way has been paved toward online education becoming highly-profitable for those with expertise in any given field -- allowing them to make extra money and do something fulfilling with their knowledge base."
Babb has been featured by top-tier media such as MSNBC, "FOX and Friends," "Good Day LA," "Good Day New York," "Smart Money" and "Your World with Neil Cavuto." She is also the founder of Teach Online Training Center, Inc. Her broad expertise and business savvy is expected to lend itself to the success of UC Irvine Extension's new program. Babb is one of the program instructors and developers as is Dr. Sheri Beasley, who began teaching online courses in 1999. Beasley successfully made a career transition from 28 years in the healthcare industry to teaching online courses full-time. A true expert in her field, Beasley currently teaches more than 40 online courses at various universities across North America.
"Online teaching opportunities abound not only for those with experience in education, but increasingly for everyday professionals with vital on-the-job experience," says Beasley. "Today's learners are eager to glean real-world applicable insight from instructors who possess a mastery of the fields they are seeking to enter. With so many schools becoming more and more career-focused, professional experience has become exceedingly valuable. With a minimal commitment of time and energy, many professionals are finding online teaching to be a lucrative endeavor."
"The Business of Online Teaching" series will feature seven courses including:
- Learn to Have a Career Teaching Online
- Engaging Students Online
- Setting Online Goals and Philosophies
- Moving Back and Forth: Transitioning Tools from Classroom to Online
- Managing Virtual Teams
- Online Teaching: The International Marketplace and Expectations
- Online Teaching: Across State Lines
- Tax, Risk Management and Legal Implications of Online Instruction
Taught completely online, learners needn't leave the comfort of their homes to either begin a new career in online teaching, or to supplement their current income with online teaching positions.
Beyond instruction in breaking into the industry, developing course content, and getting jobs -- this program also offers the tools online course instructors will need to be successful. It's a review of "best practices" that offers tips and tricks for success -- information that isn't taught in any other university program. This is well suited to current educators, who can choose to take one or two courses, or all seven to complete the series.
"As the industry becomes increasingly competitive, those with advanced education in the field of online education are likely to be more successful," Babb said.
The first course, "Learn to Have a Teaching Career Online" will be offered from July 7 to August 15, and will be led by Babb herself. To enroll today, or for more information, please contact Nancy Salzman at (949) 824-5524 or via email at nsalzman@uci.edu.
About the University of California, Irvine Extension: As the continuing education arm of UCI, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a university-level learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience, from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities. For more information, please visit www.extension.uci.edu.
