by Melissa D. Ing

Created on: August 05, 2008   Last Updated: January 28, 2012

The recession of the early 1990's and the Internet explosion of the mid 1990's have brought about a new generation of educational opportunities; born out of both necessity and the advent of new technology. Not only have new educational courses, programs and diplomas led to new career's that are parents could only dream of, how we now deliver educational opportunities has changed as well.

Gone are the days are only commencing College, Community College and University every September. While Britain enjoyed Open University' via BBC television since the 1960's, up until the early 1990's, (ending in late 2007) Canada and the U.S.A were not as lucky. In fact, it was only in the early 1990's here in Canada when both private trade schools and University's began offering January enrollment into educational programs.

With the explosion of the Internet, and computers in the mid 1990's, computer skills no longer became a commodity only executives and computer programmers possessed. Offices and Industry across the Western world saw the benefits of having Administrative Staff become computer literate through continuing education programs, and private trade schools and college's began tailoring Accounting and Secretarial programs around word processing and advanced computer skills. A huge growth in night courses offering basic computer literacy skills emerged, and the world began to get online.

As computer skills became the norm, correspondence schools saw the benefit of offering at least some portion of their classes and diplomas through online learning. Thompson Education Direct (previously ICS) and Stratford Distance learning began allowing students to login and do their tests online. Now in 2008, these US based distance learning institutions offer full certificate and diploma programs online. These programs are delivered through online tutorials, static web pages that hold assignments and forums which allow distance learners to interact with each other through the use of smart board technology.

Not to be outdone, Canadian universities slowly got online and began offering courses, diplomas and some whole degree's through online learning. Now people were beginning to train for career advancement, and whole new careers through online learning. While Canadian universities have primarily concentrated on computer, business studies and the sciences, including Nursing degree's through online learning, the Art degree's are slowly making their way wholly online. Now Canadian universities

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