Archive for the ‘Online College and University’ Category
What is Distance Education?
Sunday, December 7th, 2008
The beginnings of distance education dates back all the way from the year 1728. It sprung from a newspaper advertisement, in which Caleb Phillips, teacher of the new method of shorthand was looking for students to be sent weekly school lessons. Since then, more educators added to the demand of learning via correspondence. By the 19th century, commercial correspondence colleges became wide-spread all through out the different nations because of the development of the postal service. Distance education, or distance learning, is a field of education that focuses on the strategies of instruction, learning strategies, technology, and instructional systems design that aim to deliver education to students who are not physically “on site”. Rather than attending courses in person, teachers and students may communicate at times of their own choosing by exchanging printed or electronic media, or through technology that allows them to communicate in real time and through other online ways. Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason including the taking of examinations is considered to be a hybrid or blended course of study.
There are many private and public, non-profit and for-profit institutions offering courses and degree programs through distance education. Levels of accreditation vary; some institutions offering distance education in the United States have received little outside oversight, and some may be fraudulent diploma mills. In many other jurisdictions, an institution may not use the term “University” without accreditation and authorization, normally by the national government. Online education is rapidly increasing among mainstream universities in the United States, where online doctoral programs have even developed at prestigious research institutions.
Posted in Online College and University, distance learning, online degree, online education | No Comments »
A Happier College Degree Online
Sunday, December 7th, 2008
Being particular with the right kind of on-line school that fits your preferences and lifestyle is one of the surefire ways in which you’ll gain happiness and contentment from the time you will be spending studying.
Be sure you understand whether a certificate or degree can be completed entirely online or whether on site projects, class meetings, or residency periods will be required. If you are having monetary problems and worried that you might not be able to afford such education, investigate your financial aid options. You may be pleasantly surprised by the financial aid, the loans, and the scholarships available to you. In addition, many colleges and universities offer tuition installment plans which help make college more affordable. Ask about such programs. You’ll never know how much assistance these programs can reach out to you.
Don’t settle for less than you want. Perhaps this is the most important point to consider for selecting an online college degree program. Unlike ten years ago, when online degree options were severely limited, it is now possible for most people willing to invest a little time gathering information to find almost exactly the degree program that meets their needs. Do your homework, make a lot of research, ask other people you know who may have experiences with online education. You can start your search on http://collegematchingservice.com/find_a_college or http://collegematchingservice.com/education/c/online-education/online-degrees where you can quickly and easily request information from nearly 100 online colleges and universities. Don’t be lazy. Request information from at least 5 or 6 colleges or universities which appear to meet your requirements. Ultimately, all your inquiries will help you gain a better understanding and a bigger picture of what you want and will eventually lead you at an advantage in your on-line studying experience.
Posted in College Tips, Online College and University, online degree, online education, online school | No Comments »
Proper Online Accreditation
Saturday, December 6th, 2008
Due to the enormous amount of information available in the internet, it is possible that information on the internet may misrepresent the truth, be out of date, biased, or just incorrect. One example are hoax websites. Hoax websites may portray themselves as another organization and ask for donations of money. Often, these types of sites not only contain unreliable information but are also criminal in their activity. For this reason, the most important thing to check out before you begin any kind of distance learning program is the accreditation the school has, or claims to have. You have to make sure that the online school or learning program you are interested in is a legitimate one. Simply having a statement about being “licensed by the state” isn’t an accreditation and may not mean anything at all. There have been many violators that claim accreditation from agencies that either don’t exist, have been created by the school itself, or are legitimate agencies but have no record of accreditation for the school. Students who are enrolled or have completed degrees from schools that are not accredited have wasted a lot of time, money, and effort on a degree that may be rejected by potential employers. Credits from schools that are not accredited cannot be transferred to other universities. There are several state-based and regional accrediting bodies. Each is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To find out whether the school is truly an accredited college, contact the appropriate State Department of Higher Education.
Tags: College, distance learning, online accredited collegesPosted in Online College and University, distance learning, online accredited colleges, online degree | No Comments »
Distance Learning
Saturday, December 6th, 2008
There are different types of online schools that provide very convenient and accessible type of education for those in need compared to others. That is why it is very important for you to carefully select which online school you would want to get into.
For example, faculty/student contact at Duke University’s Global Executive MBA program is significantly greater than in other Executive MBA programs. Its Web site states that this is because of the 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week nature of Internet-mediated learning. It states that the faculty hold weekly real-time office hours, as well as monitor class and team bulletin board discussions and respond to e-mail on a regular basis. On average, faculty will respond to questions from students within 24 to 48 hours.
Depending on the program and institution, distance learning may consist of synchronous (live) sessions or asynchronous (non-live) sessions. Transcripts and notes from lectures are archived, so you can always go back if you missed something. If there are live sessions with discussions among students, you can go back to those as well. Assignments may even be returned with audio clips so your instructors can convey their tone of voice along with their comments.
Printed documents may be sent to you through the mail, or you may have the options of printing them yourself or reading them online.
Some schools require an initial “boot camp” held at the campus (if there is one), where you will meet the other students, instructors and support personnel. You’ll learn how to use the technology, learn about the library and reference systems, and begin your coursework.
Posted in Online College and University, distance learning, online education, online programs | No Comments »
Online Learning Programs
Saturday, December 6th, 2008
If you are one of those persons who want to earn quality education but are unable to because of location, time and money constraints, don’t lose hope. An online learning program is fit for you. With a computer, an Internet connection and a little self-discipline, you can earn a degree from home, work, or anywhere else for that matter. Online degree programs follow much the same routines as traditional learning, with a few twists. There are lectures, but they won’t be in person. There are assignments, but you won’t hand them to your instructor. There are exams, but you won’t be able to look at your neighbor’s paper. There may be a set time that “class” begins, but you don’t have to be there then. In most situations, you are free to “go to class” when it fits your schedule. If you get a phone call during class, you don’t have to miss anything. If you get sick, you don’t have to ask for someone’s notes, you just visit the lecture later.
You’ll communicate with your instructor by e-mail, chat rooms, bulletin boards, and instant messaging. Your classroom will live in a special software program that uses text chat and bulletin boards, as well as streaming audio or recorded lectures. You may be put into a virtual workgroup with other students and be required to solve a problem. You may have to work through interactive puzzles and quizzes. Contrary to popular belief, you will have contact with other students and the instructor.
Posted in Online College and University, online education, online programs | No Comments »