The following is an excerpt from an August 19 study published on the website OnlineColleges.com. Mark Porcaro, executive director of online learning for Wichita State Online, contributed to the article.

Wichita State University’s Mark Porcaro, executive director of online learning for Wichita State Online, was featured in a study of the “Best States for Online College Students” on the website OnlineColleges.com. The study ranked Kansas the No. 5 among U.S. states, citing high rankings for upload speed and Internet availability along with high marks for adjusted income, low unemployment and positive long-term industry forecasts.

Porcaro was featured in the following Q&A:

OnlineColleges.com: What are the top degree programs offered at the school?

Porcaro: At Wichita State University the RN to BSN program is our most successful degree so far, but Wichita State Online is growing quickly. We are launching 15 new degree options for Fall 2015. We are already seeing some great interest in our BS and MA degrees in Criminal Justice, and our degree completion programs in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) and our Bachelor of Business Administration in General Business.

OnlineColleges.com: What advice would you give prospective online students?

Porcaro: When looking for an online program, look beyond just the courses you are able to take; look at what services the programs provide for you. Are they going to be able to give you the student services you need to complete your degree when and where you are available? Also look at what the total costs will be for you. When you graduate, are you going to be strapped with a debt you won't ever be able to repay? If you are ever considering changing schools, do their credits transfer, or will you have to start all over again if you need to make a change?

OnlineColleges.com: What do you think is the future of online learning?

Porcaro: For many Americans, traditional school structures just aren't an option because of work, dependents, or where they live, but online programs can help many of them study when they are able and where they are. Although online learning is about 20 years old, it has really taken off because of the increasing ability for people to access broadband Internet in the last 10 years in the United States and abroad.

The most recent innovation in online learning is competency-based education (CBE). CBE allows students to demonstrate competencies directly instead of completing a series of courses toward a degree. This is helpful to those who have years of concrete experience in certain areas, but have no formal education. The CBE movement combines the decades-old prior learning assessment (PLA) learning structure with that of online medium and the new paradigms of on-demand and personalized learning.

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