Higher education should be accessible for all who want to pursue it. As our communities and programs continue to assess ways to better achieve equality, we learn new solutions to old challenges. By combining availability, understanding, and education, we open more doors for more people to pursue their goals; this leads the way to flexible education.
What is Flexible Education?
Flexible education is an approach to higher learning that puts you in greater control of how you earn your degree. TopHat.com, a student engagement and active learning platform, defines flexible learning as “the ability to customize one’s pace, place, and mode of learning.” This means you’ll have the opportunity to balance your life and schooling because your education is built around the needs of your day-to-day activities. Non-traditional avenues like evening classes that you can be attend after work; accelerated programs that take into consideration what you’ve already learned; weekend courses or online programs that you can participate in while you care for your family members, provide balance to students who have equally important responsibilities. Lauren Attenello, a graduate of our bachelor’s program in Human Services, says it best, “While enrolled, I worked two part-time jobs and took accelerated classes and standard classes — allowing me to finish my BA degree in three years rather than the typical four.”
What are the benefits of Flexible Education?
The great thing about flexible education is the benefits that weigh heavily in the students’ favor. If you rather explore online education, you’ll gain more from universities that offer quality programs that can be completed entirely online or the best of both worlds through a hybrid schedule. If you are a student that needs to go at your own pace, you’ll benefit from open structured classrooms. As our recent Master’s in Education (M.Ed.) graduate Gabriella Pappalardo puts it, “The greatest asset of [my] program was the flexibility. I had two jobs when I was going through the program, and the professors were very supportive and made it go smoothly.” When you have an instructor who understands you, the way you learn, and the pressures you’re under outside the class, the classroom can be a space of communication and opportunities.
How does Goodwin promote Flexible Education?
Goodwin University strives for an approach to education beyond the traditional methods. Flexible education has been an inherent part of our make-up. We are constantly assessing and adapting our programs to meet the needs of today’s students. This includes programs that can be completed entirely online, on a hybrid schedule, or on campus with state-of-the-art career-related equipment. We also make sure our classrooms are arranged for open, inclusive, and engaging instruction. As Goodwin continues to introduce Universal Design for Learning practices into the everyday interactions between professors and students, the new and effective methods for learning continue to grow. “My professors took the time to ask me questions and get to know me; they were genuinely available to help and were willing to adjust to my needs,” Veronica Rosario, a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) program graduate, recounts.
Life has a way of shaking, bending, twisting, and changing. Attending a university that is open to accommodating these changes is essential. Goodwin University is ready to provide you with the flexible education approach that suits your needs.
Interested in learning more about Goodwin’s flexible scheduling? Visit us online, call: 800-889-3282, or text: 860-467-1511.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.