Success in Online Education: Creating a Roadmap for Student Success

Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design (known to the school's 2,000 students as "Sessions") is an unexpected but instructive success story in online education. Founded in 1997 in the bedroom of a graphic designer's New York apartment, Sessions has grown in 10 years from an intriguing Web site offering a handful of courses into a profitable nationally and regionally accredited school offering literally hundreds of courses and certificate programs in the visual arts. If you want to prepare for a career in graphic design, Web design, multimedia, or game art--or even develop your skill in fine arts like drawing or painting--Sessions aims to be the most cost-effective, creatively challenging course or certificate program in your Google search. Why did Sessions survive when many pioneers in online education fell by the wayside? What makes the school's programs one of the most successful art or design programs offered online? How does the school create a roadmap for student success? The following article attempts to answer those questions by sharing some insights gained in 10 years of operation as an online school. This article can be helpful not just to online arts educators but also to anyone developing educational programs for delivery over the Internet.