Abstract
<p class="3">Although the number of online academic degree programs offered by universities in Turkey has become increasingly significant in recent years, the current lack of understanding of administrators’ motives that contribute to initiating these programs suggests there is much to be learned in this field. This study aimed to investigate administrators’ perceptions of motives for offering online academic degree programs in universities in Turkey in terms of online associate degree programs, online master's degree programs, online bachelor's degree completion programs, and online bachelor's degree programs. A qualitative research method was employed for this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 administrators from different universities’ distance education centers in Turkey and thematic analysis was applied to the data. The research found that administrators’ motives for offering online academic degree programs mainly involve in answering to the high demand of prospective students. Six major themes were identified with regard to influencing factors for administrators’ motives: demands for programs, mission to support education, readiness of infrastructure, teaching staff as well as applicability of content, overcoming the shortage of classroom space and teachers, obtaining revenue, and gaining prestige.</p>
Highlights
We are living in a world where technology develops day by day and plays an important role in our lives
A report issued in November 2013 indicated that by the 2012 Fall semester, the number of students enrolled in distance education courses of degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the United States reached about 5.4 million, of whom 83% were undergraduate and 17% were postbaccalaureate students (Snyder & Dillow, 2015)
The main factors that determine the motives of the administrators to offer online associate degree programs are willingness of teaching staff to participate in online teaching and prospective students’ demands, mainly because of receiving the same diploma as traditional on-campus students
Summary
We are living in a world where technology develops day by day and plays an important role in our lives. A report issued in November 2013 indicated that by the 2012 Fall semester, the number of students enrolled in distance education courses of degree-granting postsecondary institutions (higher education institutions) in the United States reached about 5.4 million, of whom 83% were undergraduate and 17% were postbaccalaureate students (Snyder & Dillow, 2015). According to The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC; 2017) there are currently 85 accredited distance education institutions in the United States that offer a variety of degree programs and some non-degree courses or programs. All of these numbers clearly demonstrate how distance education practices have had a global acceptance and popularity in the world
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