Posts Tagged ‘online learning’
Online Education as Preparation for the Future
Friday, December 12th, 2008
There is more than one way to prepare for the future. In some countries, the educational fate of a student is essentially decided before puberty. Students are tracked and tested early in their primary years. By the middle school and high school years, college-bound students are siphoned off for entry into high schools with an academic focus. The others are given little choice but to enter an educational system that teaches basic skills for independent living, and terminates with home economics or vocational instruction. For them, an associate’s is a two-year terminable degree. The credits cannot later be applied toward a bachelor degree even if the student develops the maturity, motivation, and intellectual curiosity necessary for the rigors of academic life.
Fortunately, in America, students get a second chance… and usually a third, fourth, and fifth, too! Students take many paths to college – there is no right one. One size does not fit all. Some students are home-schooled, some are tutored, some matriculate through the public education system, some enroll in private schools, some take the requisite four years to complete high school, some opt to earn their diploma early, some drop out entirely, some go to nigh school, and some drop back in and take the high school equivalency test in lieu of earning a diploma. It is simply never too late.
Online learning makes education accessible to virtually everyone, at any stage, on the path to achievement. Students are not bound by physical disabilities, poor life choices, geographic limitations, or socioeconomic status.
Posted in Online College and University, distance learning, online degree, online education | No Comments »
Online Learning for Higher Education
Friday, December 12th, 2008
American youth who wish to return to school and aim for higher education, gets to do just that, get their chance. Some students adhere to a degree plan generated with input from their academic advisors, and choose to make steady, regular progress toward their degrees. Others may choose to reduce their course load, take a semester off here and there, or change their areas of study. Some may plan to earn an associate’s degree and later apply those credits to a bachelor’s degree. Indeed, the same holds true for certificates, which can, at some schools, be applied to a master’s degree. Online learning makes education accessible to virtually everyone, at any stage, on the path to achievement. Students are not bound by physical disabilities, poor life choices, geographic limitations, or socioeconomic status. Online learning makes the playing field about as level as it can get. A student who is determined enough can and will succeed.
Opportunities abound. If you have landed on this page, that means you are already considering an online education experience. Congratulations. You have made a smart move. Enroll and you will be in good company. According to a 2005 survey, “Growing By Degrees: Online Education in the United States, 2005”, backed by the Alfred P. Sloan foundation, online enrollments increased from 1.98 million in 2003 to 2.35 million in 2004. Over 360,000 new students are expected to enroll in online courses each year. The number of students are rapidly increasing. They are unlocking their potential and you can, too!
Posted in College Tips, Online College and University, distance learning, online degree | No Comments »
Children – Your Advantage to Online Learning
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
You see, those beautiful bundles of joy you brought into the world can not only be helpful in your pursuit of an online education, but can also assist in your home’s upkeep.
Clean and refill spice jars. Take a look at your spice rack and you’ll probably find a bunch of jars filled with faded, gray-green flecks and powders. The food experts say to refill spices about every six months for optimum freshness and flavor, but if you’re like most people, spices stick around for years. This is a fun opportunity for kids to help out and experiment with new flavors. Have your kids dump out old spices, wash the jars and write new labels. Then, have them use a small funnel to refill the jars with new spices. A small piece of paper rolled diagonally into a funnel also works well.
- Increase the Fun: Slice several apples, and have your kids taste test sweeter spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice on the prepared fruit. Or invite your kids to try exotic spices like curry and turmeric in plain yogurt with pita.
Select gently used clothes and toys for donation. Next time you ask your kids to clean their rooms, ask them to do it with “giving” in mind. There are bound to be stuffed animals, dolls and games that can be donated to a local children’s home or charity. Give your kids a box or big bag to fill with gently used toys they no longer use. Similarly, kids can dig into their closets and drawers for clothing they’ve outgrown.
- Bonus tip: Take your kids with you when you make the donation.
Posted in online courses, online degree, online education | No Comments »
Online Degree in a Troubled Economy
Monday, December 8th, 2008
When the economy is in trouble, many professionals look for other ways to get additional education they need and turn to online learning. Here are some reasons why earning an online degree is a smart way to deal with a recession.
Invest in Yourself. When stocks are down and savings accounts aren’t offering much, it’s a good time to invest in yourself. Putting money towards an online degree now may yield rewards for years to come.
Protect Your Job. Improving your skills and broadening your experience will help make you invaluable to your company. Online colleges offer many courses that prepare employees to succeed in the workplace. In just a few weeks, you may be able to improve your management style, learn basic web design, or become certified in a software program.
Prepare for the Worst. Unfortunately, some people do lose their jobs through layoffs and downsizing during a recession period. If this happens to you, your online studies will make you more attractive in a competitive job market.
Increase Your Earning Potential. Once you earn an online degree, you may become eligible for promotions and salary increases. When the economy rebounds, you may find that your earning potential follows suit.
Prepare for a Profession Change. Some jobs are more “recession proof” than others. If you’re suffering from unemployment and few job prospects in your field, now may be a good time to reconsider your options. An online degree in a field such as education, nursing, or law enforcement may help you land a more secure position.
Posted in Online College and University, online degree, online education, online school | No Comments »
Tools Used for Distance Learning
Sunday, December 7th, 2008
With the event of the rapid improvement and innovations on science and technology, so many tools and apparatuses have been very helpful in the expansion of distance learning. In the twentieth century, radio, television, and especially the Internet have all been used to enhance distance education. Computers and the Internet have made distance learning distribution very much easier and a lot faster. For example, a private, for-profit Phoenix University, which is primarily an online university, now has two hundred thousand students and expects to serve five hundred thousand by 2010, yet little is known about student success or lack of success in such a fast-growing institution. In 2006 the Sloan Consortium reported that more than 96 percent of the largest colleges and universities in the United States offered online courses and that almost 3.2 million U.S. students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2005 term. In short, there is an increasing number of student enrollees for the online courses.
Despite the fact that minimal data is available on the student success rate on on-line schools, there are some on-line educational institutions that show good student outcomes. One example is Canada’s leading distance education providers, Open Learning (TRU-OL) of Thompson Rivers University. TRU-OL educational goals are obtainable for anyone through accessible and varied courses that can be taken anytime and at an individually-determined pace. With over 400 individual courses and more than 57 programs available for completion by distance and online learning, students can take a variety of programs such as: adult secondary school completion; certificates and diplomas, including advanced and post-baccalaureate; associate degrees; and bachelor’s degrees.
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