Online Distance Learning Forum

Posted by fran @ 1/27/2005 04:47:01 AM  

Fran

I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts about social support for people doing online degrees. I did a Masters about ten years ago which was a mixture of online and IRL, and found that I really missed the face-to-face interactions with other students. Do you think this is a common experience?
 

I would really need to hear from more students who have pursued a distance learning mba or degree online to properly answer your question Paul, as I have never undertaken a distance learning mba myself.

However, the nature of my work and home commitments means that I undertake most of my communication and learning by email and the Internet, and this has become second nature to me. I suspect that this would become the case with a distance learning mba.

However, it is certainly true that I gained a great deal from IRL tutorials while studying my own degree. I suppose that the distance learning mba or degree is all about compromise - trying to fit additional learning into your existing life.

With the distance learning mba or degree, the lack of IRL human contact has to be weighed against the benefits of flexibility, technical support, and in-depth curricula which isn't dependant on how your tutor/lecturer is feeling that day. In addition, a distance learning mba might prevent possibly detrimental personality clashes.

However, this is only my short-term reply. I am going to do some research to try to find feedback from graduates of distance learning mbas and degree. After all, you guys would know best.

best wishes

fran
 

Paul’s query last week got me thinking about some of the ways online students might miss out. Most of us would agree that interaction with and feedback from other students is a valuable part of the learning process. I don’t think that this means that there is no future for online education, though, rather that the students will learn to adapt over time. If you are a professional undertaking such courses as an online mba or online teaching certificate, I would assume that you would bounce ideas off some of your co-workers. In the areas of business and education, it may well be the case that many or your colleagues are also pursuing an online mba or online teaching certificate.

In the case of younger students - such as recent high school graduates, online degrees would require maturity and dedication. Athabasca University is a well-established distance learning university providing online education such as the online mba and the online teaching certificate all over the world. Last year they conducted research on distance and online education called Blended Learning and Sense of Community: A Comparative Analysis with Traditional and Fully Online Graduate Courses.

The research suggested that online education is not suitable for every student, some of whom can lack motivation without face-to-face contact. It discovered that the dropout rate for online degrees is currently higher than for those in traditional degrees. However the report does suggest that the dropout rate could be down to the individual educational provider, and their level of technology and pedagogy, rather than the nature of online learning itself.

The report had some very positive comments on online education being set at the individual’s own pace.This allowed valuable reflective thinking and extra time to process information before the subject became open to discussion. This helps to promote critical thinking skills. This is a study well-worth reading.

I would guess that the online education experienced by a recent high-school graduate pursuing a bachelor’s degree would be very different from that of a professional undertaking an online mba. Their goals, methods and motivation would be very different. For these students, the report has plenty of positive data on blended learning. This is a combination of online and traditional learning, and is one way to bridge the gap from traditional to online education.

The study also cites the lack of community as a reason for high dropout rates, and this can be as much the case in a campus-based college than an online institution. In fact, if a student feels they do not fit in with their peers in an IRL situation, this can be even more crushing than in an online discussion. In short, I think there are positives and negatives for both sides. If you are a mature professional considerting such courses as an online mba or online teacher education, you have to fit the study around your day job. The flexibility afforded by the online mba and online teacher education, along with the career benefits, makes them ideal for professionals. For recent high school graduates considering online education, the road may well be harder. But there are benefits nevertheless.

It would be great to hear from some younger students pursuing or considering online education, or taking part in blended learning.
 

The success stories in online teaching and learning

Having researched online teaching and learning, it is plain to see that some online universities are better than others, or at least currently have better resources to provide quality online teaching and learning. The take-up of online teaching and learning in the US increased by amost 20% in 2004; one in ten postsecondary students in the US will undertake at least one online teaching and learning course.

The foremost online universities in the US are currently the University of Phoenix and DeVry University. These universities speciaize in online teaching and learning for certain professions that suit the medium. The online mba and the online teaching degree are both very popular - and successful methods of online teaching and learning.

Traditional universities have had widely varying levels of success in online teaching and learning. New York University (NYU) had to close down its online section in 2001, while the online branch of the University of Massachusetts has gone from strength to strength. The ones that have succeeded in online teaching and learning have done so not by looking for profit, but with sticking with what they know.

The online mba and online teaching degree suit professionals who already have a bachelor degree, perhaps through a traditional campus, and who are ready to take their degree at their convenience using online teaching and learning . They are therefore some of the most popular programs. I have discussed the online mba in some length, but I plan to look into the online teaching degree in more detail.
 

Hi Fran

How much time do you think on average an online Masters course would take up each day. Are we looking at a couple of hours or more?

Also - is it possible to do international course, even if you are based in the UK?

Thanks
 

Thanks for your query Natasha.

What masters degree are you thinking of studying?
Online universities tend to cater for the masses, but you only have to look at this site to see the range of online degrees on offer.
If you are thinking of undertaking a popular masters course such as an online mba or online teaching degree you will find a massive range of online univerities to choose from. I will use the online mba as my example.

You will need to check with the individual provider but you should have no problems studying wherever you live, as that is one of the benefits of an online mba.

As for the average hours - that is up to you. If you are working full-time, you will probably only have a few hours a day to devote to your online mba. This is true for most people undertaking an online mba, and most online mbas are designed to take between about 9 months and 3 years.

If you have a great deal of experience in an area, such as teaching or business, you may be able to undertake an online teaching degree or online mba in a shorter time. Have a think about what you want to do and contact some institutions. There are now excellent online institutions based in the US and the UK.

Good luck!
 

Further to my queries from Paul and Natasha, I recently read an excellent article about online degrees and online mbas:
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/departments/elearning/?article=OnlineLearningForLoners
It makes some very interesting points about the benefits of online learning when studying an online mba, or any other online degree.
Some of cited benefits in doing an online mba is that it allows the more shy student to shine.
In addition, in the online mbas described, discussion is compulsory, rather than voluntary.
It talks about the varying response rates for tutors, and a current mba student describes their own experience and response time - currently 2 days. If I were able to get more feedback from current online mba and degree students I could engage in a better discussion, offering future online degree mba and mba students a more useful service. With all their current discussion commitments, however, it may be that current online degree and online mba students have more than enough to do!
 

Want to add your star to the walk of game? Find animation schools online.

The latest walk of game stars have just been awarded. Pong creator Nolan Bushnell and Donkey Kong maker Shigeru Miyamoto have received the first-ever 'Walk of Game' stars for video games in San Francisco. Technology has changed immeasurably since they designed their mini-masterpieces. What was once a backwater subject is now center-stage. Related subjects such as games design, animation and web design are a gift to study online, and are surely proof not only of online degrees having a future, but also of online degrees being the future.

Animation schools are big business, and are highly likely to remain so. In spite of the apparent glamour of games design and animation, these subjects require the same technical expertise, dedication and downright hard work as any other area of design. If you want to move into games design and animation through online study, it helps to be already working in a related area such as design or web design. You can start from scratch, or course, but you will need a lot of dedication to pursue courses at online animation schools alongside a full-time job. Which brings us back to our original subject - dedication and organization are what online degrees are all about.

Let’s face it. Not all animation wizards will end up with a star on the walk of game. But it is far more likely to happen if you pursue your degree - and your dream, by finding an animation school online and taking the plunge. If we are working all day in a secure job, we can choose to stay where we are or move upwards. Unfortunately, add to this the fact that the term “secure job” is becoming an oxymoron (dictionary anyone?) and anyone in an IT or design-related career should think about constantly updating their skills.

I am the first one to admit that I get sick of Sonic the Hedgehog and Simpsons Hit and run invading my house, but if my son or daughters decide they want to design the next Walk of Game icon, I certainly won’t discourage them.
 

Can you learn to teach effectively online?

I have had an interesting career in the twelve years since I finished my English degree. Looking back over that time, it is amazing how much things have changed. After I finished the program, a lot of my friends and relatives assumed I would do a teaching degree. I disagreed.

A teaching degree was the last thing I wanted to do aged 21. My reasoning was that I didn’t spend all that time learning about language and literature just to teach it to someone else. Some of my critics disagreed, going so far as to say that teaching was the only thing I could do with an English degree.

How wrong they were. After graduating in June 2003, I spent an intense six months gaining typing, computer, business and marketing skills before starting a placement marketing in small company. I spent three years there, learning an incredible amount, and wishing all the time that I had had more business or marketing training. One of the major things I learned however was that I was underpaid, and found myself working as a waitress to supplement my income. This left no time for any extra formal training, and online degrees were then only in their infancy.

After three years I left for a better paid, but ultimately soul-destroying job marketing industrial chemicals. The only element I enjoyed was learning about health and safey, and this stayed with me after I left. Still I had no desire to undertake a post-graduate teaching degree.

It was only a year later, after giving birth to my son, that a post-graduate teaching degree suddenly, and out of the blue, became a viable prospect for me. Once I started having children, like many men and women I could not face the idea of leaving them for a full-time job. At the same time however, like many people, I did not feel that my own education had finished. In fact, since having my own children, I feel that a desire for learning has been reawakened in me. I am only happy when I am developing myself, as long as it can fit in with my children. Until relatively recently, of course, this list of requirements made a teaching degree a tall order.

I began to seriously consider a post-graduate teaching degree six years ago. While a teaching degree would mean an intense period of full-time learning, the ultimate reward of the holidays would surely make it worth it. Over the next few years, however, the time never seemed right to start a teaching degree. I had another child, started doing market research and editing from home, and moved house. I then managed to get a flexible, part-time editing job for the UK Health and Safety Executive, which brought some security, and mental stimulation. It was only when my daughter was three, and starting pre-school, that I finally felt the time was right. I quit my editing job and took a lower-paid job helping English classes in a secondary school. I quickly fell in love with the profession. My favorite elements were not, as I would have suspected, helping teach Shakespear to teens, but rather helping less able students with language and literacy. Fired up, I made an application for a full-time, traditional post-graduate teaching degree for the following fall.

I felt like my life was entering a whole new phase and I was excited. At the same time, however, I was apprehensive. Would this be the right time to leave my daughter full-time, when she was only three? Would I be able to arrange adequate child-care for her and after-school care for her five year old brother, who is allergic to nuts and peanuts - a constant worry. While my commitment to teaching remained, my doubts increased. Would I be better to leave full-time education for another year? In the end, I decided to defer my teaching degree for a year. As things turned out, it was a good job I did.
 

The need for online teaching degrees

Don’t get me wrong. I hadn’t gone off the idea of teaching, but spending the year with my daughter turned out to be the best thing I could have done, especially when, after the Christmas, I realized I was pregnant. The teaching degree I had selected had an excellent reputation, but had a very rigid curriculum with no opportunity for flexiblity. It still does, which is one of the reasons, three years on, I haven’t reapplied for a teaching degree yet.

One of the many things the University of Life has taught me is that while it is advisable to plan ahead, there will always be things in life that you cannot plan. As everyday lives become more and more busy and fragmented, so the online degree continues to thrive and grow. The college I would have attended was very much of the opinion that a teaching degree and flexibility do not mix. In spite of this, there are more and more online degrees on offer every year, and these now include online teaching degrees.

So what can an online teaching degree do for me?

So far, I have made no firm plans to reapply for teaching. A big reason for this is not wanting to leave is my youngest, who is eighteen months old. Another reason is that I am now a freelance writer, and I write about online degrees for other people. It’s ironic really. Some idiot once coined the phrase “If you can - do. If you can’t - teach.” In the UK, this pejorative term has been turned on its head and the UK Teaching Training Agency’s slogan is actually “If you can - teach.” In my case, the more accurate term would be “If you can’t - write!”

The thing is, I have rediscovered my love of writing, and my so-called career has taken another turn. For the sake of my writing, however, and thinking ten years down the line, I have decided to look at what online teaching degrees are on offer.

Some people (including my would-be educators) are dubious of an online teaching degree. They believe that the nature of teaching means that you need some proper classroom experience before you can be let loose on a class of young victims. After all, a good education is at the background of any good career. My own career could never have undergone its many twists and turns without an excellent education behind it. The quality of education I have received has enable me to do what I do. I don’t say this in an arrogant sense - I make no great claims for my skill or contribution to the world. But I am able to raise my three children, be there for them, and get some career satisfaction.

I have digressed here, but I am making it my ambition to learn more about what online teaching degrees are on offer. More next time.
 

The need for online teaching degrees

Don’t get me wrong. I hadn’t gone off the idea of teaching, but spending the year with my daughter turned out to be the best thing I could have done, especially when, after the Christmas, I realized I was pregnant. The teaching degree I had selected had an excellent reputation, but had a very rigid curriculum with no opportunity for flexiblity. It still does, which is one of the reasons, three years on, I haven’t reapplied for a teaching degree yet.

One of the many things the University of Life has taught me is that while it is advisable to plan ahead, there will always be things in life that you cannot plan. As everyday lives become more and more busy and fragmented, so the online degree continues to thrive and grow. The college I would have attended was very much of the opinion that a teaching degree and flexibility do not mix. In spite of this, there are more and more online degrees on offer every year, and these now include online teaching degrees.

So what can an online teaching degree do for me?

So far, I have made no firm plans to reapply for teaching. A big reason for this is not wanting to leave is my youngest, who is eighteen months old. Another reason is that I am now a freelance writer, and I write about online degrees for other people. It’s ironic really. Some idiot once coined the phrase “If you can - do. If you can’t - teach.” In the UK, this pejorative term has been turned on its head and the UK Teaching Training Agency’s slogan is actually “If you can - teach.” In my case, the more accurate term would be “If you can’t - write!”

The thing is, I have rediscovered my love of writing, and my so-called career has taken another turn. For the sake of my writing, however, and thinking ten years down the line, I have decided to look at what online teaching degrees are on offer.

Some people (including my would-be educators) are dubious of an online teaching degree. They believe that the nature of teaching means that you need some proper classroom experience before you can be let loose on a class of young victims. After all, a good education is at the background of any good career. My own career could never have undergone its many twists and turns without an excellent education behind it. The quality of education I have received has enable me to do what I do. I don’t say this in an arrogant sense - I make no great claims for my skill or contribution to the world. But I am able to raise my three children, be there for them, and get some career satisfaction.

I have digressed here, but I am making it my ambition to learn more about what online teaching degrees are on offer. More next time.
 

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Whichever way you look at it, to become an effective school teacher, you need to spend a substantial amount of time practising in this environment. After all, I wouldn’t want a teacher for my own children who had never taken a class. Is the only answer to becoming a school teacher to undertake a full-time teaching degree? The answer is yes - and no.

Having researched online teaching programs, most of them are aimed at existing school teachers who want to further their career and improve their skills. Here are some examples of the degrees on offer:

· Educational leadership
· Early childhood education
· Educational administration

Theses courses are, of course, an excellent idea, and with all or their existing commitments a teacher would need an online degree to do them.

They are not, however, what I am looking for. If, like myself, you do not have an existing teaching degree, there are not currently online programs which can fulfil all the criteria you need. I do, however, have an existing honors degree in English, so that is a good place to start looking for alternative routes into becoming a school teacher.
 

Online routes into teaching

During my recent research into teacher education online I have come up with several possible alternatives for learning to teach online.

A good route into teaching English may be to take an online course in teaching English as a second language. There are plenty of these courses offered online. You will probably need some sort of college degree to be eligible for these courses, but it does not need to be in English. You should have a good command of English language and grammar yourself, but you will also be trained in these areas during your online course.

There is such a demand for professionals trained for teaching English as a second language that you can learn your skills fully online. You can use the qualification gained to get that important first teaching job, which will get you on the road to teaching experience.

With the number of races living in the US, you can probably use your online diploma in teaching English as a second language to teach at colleges near to you. The important thing is to get that valuable first experience. Online programs offering teaching English as a second language will cover lesson planning and classroom management, but the real test will be when you take your first class. This may be quite an ordeal by fire, but you will quickly learn if you are cut out for teaching, and you will never look back.
 

Having started to investigate the possible methods of a distance learning teacher certificate for the benefit of others, I have once again been bitten by the teaching bug myself. I have found a distance learning elementary school teaching program within my own area.

While my first love is the ideal of teaching English at secondary level, I have started to investigate an elementary school distance learning teaching qualification in my area. This is a two-year program, requiring a commitment of around two days per week, with two full-time block sessions in the second year. Like any distance learning or online program, the emphasis is on offering training to students who live further away from the educational institution, but who cannot commit to full-time education.

I am sure that similar programs must be available in the USA, and with the high number of online degrees available there, it must surely only be a matter of time before there will be post-graduate teaching programs available on line, making use of local colleges and schools for classroom experience.

If my first love is teaching English, you may ask, why would I opt for an elementary school teaching certificate instead? There are several reasons:
· The teaching of literacy is a vital part of elementary school teaching – possibly the most vital element;
· There is the possibility of studying a specialty in English;
· I can do the program part-time!

I am passionate about education and literacy, but I also passionately do not want to work or study full-time. Is this a crime? I enjoy working from home, earn a good second income, and do not feel able to commit to full-time study and work with three young children. I have also started writing a novel, although Lord knows when I will be able to fit that in!

Right now, if this means I have to give up the idea of teaching English at High School, then so be it. I might just become a part-time or substitute primary teacher instead.

Unfortunately there is only limited research I can do for would-be teachers in the US. If anyone is reading this and interested in/knows about distance learning teaching certification programs in the USA, please let me know.
 

Hello,

I came across your email address when trying to understand more about technician programs. I don't know if you can assist me with a quick question or not............

I am inquiring about getting a certificate to perform ultrasounds during pregnancy. Is this a specialty? What type of schooling is necessary??? Is this the same as an X-Ray tech?

I apologize if you are not the appropriate person to address my question.

Thank you in advance.

Gina
 

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Gina's query was posted to my private email address, but I have chosen to answer her query here in case it is of use to anyone else.

Gina

I think it is wonderful that you are contemplating a future career contributing to the public health - in particular that of mothers and babies.

Firstly I must tell you that I am not an expert on this area of public health, but I have done some research on the net and I suggest you do the same.The Bureau of Labor Statistics is invaluable, as are online degree websites such as this and our sister sites.

The first thing - and your main question, is that ultrasound technology is not the same as Xray or radiologic technology. In fact althought they are often confused, they are very different areas of medicine and public healthcare. The simple reason for this is that ultrasound uses sound wave and Xray uses radiology. When you get an Xray, the radiologist usually leaves the room. One burst of radiation is fine for the patient, but 20 or 30 per day might be dangerous! To this end, as a woman you will always be asked before you are pregnant before you get an Xray - even on your teeth! An Xray can be very dangerous for the growing foetus - and therefore should never be confused with ultrasound technology!

Ultrasound, on the other hand, is completely safe. I will tell you something about it. Ultrasound Technology (aka Diagnostic Medical Sonography) is one of several available careers in medical imaging. Sonographers work with equipment using high frequency sound waves to view the human body and assist the physician in diagnosis.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs available from a School of Sonography vary in length from one to four years depending on the program design and the public health degree or certificate awarded. Program entry requirements for the Schools of Sonography range from a high school diploma to specific qualifications in a clinically related health profession for public health.

You will be required to successfully complete certification exams, after which you will be awarded the credential of 'registered sonographer' and ready to start your public health career in ultrasound.

The sonographer or technologist operates sophisticated electronic equipment that collects reflected ultrasound “echoes” and Doppler signals and uses them to form images of many parts of the body. Ultrasound imaging is used to view organs within the abdomen, fetuses in the womb, and spectral tracings in the heart and blood vessels. As well as examining foetuses, diagnostic medical sonographers, cardiac sonographers and vascular technologists use high-frequency sound waves (i.e., ultrasound) to diagnose, treat and prevent disease.


Ultrasound is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to radiologic procedures. Sonographic technology is expected to evolve rapidly and will generate many new ultrasound procedures, such as 3D-ultrasonography for use in obstetric and ophthalmologic diagnosis. You may well have heard that 3D images of babies in the womb are now possible. That would be some photo to show your kids!

Diagnostic medical sonographers held about 33,000 jobs in 2000, in varying careers in public health. Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2010 as the population grows and ages, increasing the demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology. Hospitals are principal employers, but increasing outpatient care has seen more ultrasound technology in clinics.

According the U.S. Department of Labor, median annual earnings of diagnostic medical sonographers were $44,820 in 2000. Salaries ranged from $32,470 to $59,310.

Accredited courses now are available at Schools of Sonography in over 35 States.

I hope this has been of help!
 

After posting my reply to Gina, I thought I had better present the other half of the equation and write a little about radiology. I think I might have made it sound a bit scary!

Careers in medicine and public health in general are on the rise, mostly due to the population living longer and getting older, and also the growing role of technology in public health treatment and administration. While some of the more handson areas have to studied at a campus, there are many areas of public health that can be studied as an online certificate, diploma or degree. I will return to this at a later date. In the meantime, here is a summary of the work of a radiologist.

Formal public health training programs in radiography range in length from 1 to 4 years and lead to a certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree.
Principal employers will be hospitals, physicians’ offices and diagnostic imaging centers. Job prospects in this area of public health are generally good.

The most common face of radiographers (aka radiologic technologists and technicians) is that of those who take x rays, producing x ray films of parts of the body -most commonly to ascertain broken bones. However, radiographers also administer nonradioactive materials into patients’ bloodstreams for diagnostic purposes. As technology has advanced, some radiographers have specialized in diagnostic imaging technologies, such as computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

As I said in my earlier post, radiographers have to work to prevent unnecessary radiation exposure both in the interest of the public’s health, and their own.. In the case of the patient, the radiogapher surrounds the exposed area with protection devices, such as lead shields. They place the x ray film under the part of the patient’s body to be examined and make the exposure. They then remove the film and develop it. Experienced radiographers may perform more complex imaging procedures.

Radiologic technologists and technicians held about 174,000 jobs in 2002. Almost 1 in 5 worked part time.

Formal training programs in radiography range in length from 1 to 4 years and lead to a certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree. Two-year associate degree programs are most prevalent.

Median annual earnings of radiologic technologists and technicians were $38,970 in 2002.
 

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A daughter of a friend of mine has recently completed a a psychology degree, and followed it up with an elementary school post-graduate teaching program. You may think she is a glutton for punishment, but it has long been her ambition to be a child psychologist. Armed with her psychology degree and teaching practice, her career in psychology is secured.

There are a great many careers available in psychology, with or without further qualifications. It was only when I was researching a recent article that I found just how many areas you could go into with a pscyhology degree.

In addition to this careers in psychology are some of the hottest around today. In the UK, where I live, child psychology is particularly popular at the moment, with a whole raft of programs dealing with the management of unruly children.

This is, of course, only one element of a career in child psychology. A psychology degree is the first step in preparing yourself to help children who are suffering the breakup of their parents' relationship and other life-shattering events.

Counselors and psychologists have a role in most industries today:
police work; education; medicine; rehabilitation.

With a psychology degree in you are opening up a stunning array of well-paid careers. With your subsequent career in psychology, you are giving others the chance to open up their lives and minds to new possibilities, and to make a change for the better in their situation.
 

More on psychology degrees

I forgot to tell you last time one of the best things about psychology degrees; they are readily available online at both bachelor’s and post-graduate levels. If you decide to take a psychology degree and follow a subsequent career in psychology, you can choose from careers for which a psychology degree is essential, and from others where it can enhance your career and prospects.

Here are some careers in psychology for which a psychology degree is essential:

Clinical Psychologists
Counseling Psychologists
Educational Psychologists
Forensic Psychologists
Health Psychologists
Occupational Psychologists
Psychotherapists Psychologists
Research Psychologists
Teachers of Psychology

Any one of these careers in psychology are fascinating enough to devote pages to them. If you are interested, you will find plenty of information on this site and on websites devoted to careers in psychology. In my humble opinion, all of these careers in psychology seem to be aimed primarily at making things better for the individual. Occupational psychologists differ slightly, however, as their psychometric testing and involvement with personnel departments also make them adept at making things better for whole organizations.

I will look at them in more detail another time. In the meantime, here are some other careers in which psychology can be a plus, but isn’t essential:

Marketing and market research; social work; healthcare and nursing; advertising and sales; personnel and organizational management; career guidance.

I have another friend who recently undertook a distance learning degree in psychology. His prime motivation has been self-improvement. However, since he works in IT, he has found the experience invaluable in informing his work in online and organizational questionnaires. I truly believe that psychology degrees are some of the most worthwhile, versatile and potentially satisfying bother emotionally and financially. I feel a bit envious actually...
 

Hi There
I am thinking of pursuing a career in healthcare techology, but I am worried about fitting training in with my existing job. Also, I have heard that this is a popular area at the moment. Is there a danger of it reaching saturation point?
Thanks, Liz
 

Thanks for your query liz.

If you decide to pursue a career in healthcare technology, you would certainly be jumping onto the right bandwagon! This is a popular area at the moment, but with very good reason. Undergoing online training in healthcare technology, which is a massive growth area at the moment, could offer you a great career in public health. Careers in healthcare management are also on the rise.

Healthcare and technology is a winning combination. Eight out of ten of the BLS' fastest growing careers through 2010 are in technology, and the other two are in healthcare! The good news is, with the population living longer, and technology, the Internet and databases becoming increasingly sophisticated, this area is set to grow way beyond 2010.

As you probably know already, the is a growing number of careers available in healthcare technology, due to the ongoing changes in patient care. You might choose to work on the administrative side, dealing with patient records, or become a healthcare technician, assisting doctors, nurses and surgeons through your particular expertise. Here are some examples:

Health information technicians
Medical laboratory technician
Ultrasound technician (see one of my previous entries)
X-ray technician

There a wealth of excellent information on this site about training for healthcare technology, careers in healthcare management and other careers in public health, most of which can be studied online to fit in with your busy schedule.

I think it will be a long time, if ever, before these careers reach saturation point, so go for it!