The Chronicle of Higher Education released news that that Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers, Republican of Michigan introduced legislation that will put online learning into scientific scrutiny. The legislation is known as the Independent Study of Distance Education Act of 2007, H.R. 412. This will task the National Academy of Sciences to run a study that would compare distance-education programs against classroom instruction.
Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers is said to be the critic of distance education but he offered this legislation with a good motive: to eradicate meaningless or worthless college online degrees that are offered through the Internet. If this will pursue, fraud institutions offering degrees for sale will soon be banished and this will likewise help legitimate online education to prosper and gain the reputation it deserves. Online education despite of controversies is still rising because of the real benefits of valid online learning and its undisputed advantages to adult learners and working professionals. I am a personal believer of online education and I too would like to eliminate those bogus online schools that are ruining the essence of learning.