JET_V4_N1_A2 Brent Muirhead Journal of Educational Technology 2230 - 7125 4 1 19 23 Life-Long Online Learning, distance education, online degree programs, informal learning Online colleges and universities are experiencing rapid growth as more traditional organizations are investing in distance education. There has been a steady increase in the number of online degree programs and online classes at traditional universities. Technology advances have increased student access to library content through e-journals, e-books and databases. Online education is entering a new phase of development that places a greater emphasis on academic quality in degree programs.The author will briefly discuss recent enrollment trends in online education and highlight ways to integrate informal learning can into online classes. April - June 2007 Copyright & copy; 2007 i-manager publications. All rights reserved. i-manager Publications http://www.imanagerpublications.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=625