As early as mid-July, U.S.News & World Report will begin a first-ever effort to collect in depth data from all online bachelor’s and five master’s degree level education programs in the United States.

Degree mills (sometimes referred to as diploma mills) are becoming increasingly problematic worldwide. These “schools” offer college degrees to students for a price, not for academic performance. In fact, many of these companies don’t require anything from students – simply pay the money, and a degree is yours! The problem with these degrees is that employers will notice the fraudulent school, so not only does the student not gain the required skills, but they would then be unemployable.

The following infographic displays some really intriguing statistics about online education today in relation to technology. It’s interesting to see how college faculty utilize (or don’t utilize) certain social media sites in the classroom. Social media is growing in leaps and bounds, and as the infographic shows, more and more teachers are getting in on the action and see at least some value in many social sites.

There has recently been a lot of debate in the news regarding new legislation which will further regulate for-profit colleges. This new “gainful employment rule” seeks to eradicate government funds for for-profit schools who fail to show that a certain number of their students graduate with the ability to repay their loans.

While many online schools do not require physical textbooks, others still use traditional hardcover and paper-paged books! Why is this important to remember? Textbooks are considered to be a “hidden cost” as most students, and parents, when saving for college do not budget for the hundreds to thousands they will spend on college textbooks.

News and Events from Walden University’s website – Two Online Psychology Degree Programs added to their offerings at the Master’s level.

Central Penn College is a great school that offers a lot of career focused courses both online and in the classroom. Recently, the college has expanded to include 3 new hybrid programs, bringing together online and traditional learning formats.

Online degrees are increasing in popularity, but there still seems to be a stigma around online education. Many students find that they have questions about the ease and/or quality of the program or even want to know a little about other students’ experiences first hand. In order to bring you some real-life examples, we’ve sought out a student who graduated from Kaplan University Online with a Master’s degree, and asked her to share her experience with us.

I just read a recent post on the Associated Press’ website from a recent University of Phoenix graduate. She discusses her experience and emotions as she graduates from the popular campus, and online school, the University of Phoenix. Of those who gave a graduation speeches was Shaquille O’Neal’s mother Lucille O’Neal. I can only imagine this was a great ceremony and special day for all

Congrats to Imogen Rayne, and all of the 2011 graduating class!

One of the most asked questions regarding online education is how do online classrooms function in terms of technology and software. Online classrooms typically rely on learning management systems that allow students to take their classroom on the go and are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.