Posts Tagged ‘online schools’
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 »
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 »
The advantage of top online schools
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008
Some people just do not have any idea what are advantages that there are when considering top online schools. To join in top online schools is much less intimidating than “in the classroom.” Anonymity provides students a level playing field undisturbed by bias caused by seating arrangement, gender, race and age. Students can also think longer about what they want to say and add their comments when ready. In a traditional class room, the conversation could have gone way past the point where the student wants to comment. The top online school environment makes instructors more approachable. Students can talk openly with their teachers through online chats, email and in newsgroup discussions, without waiting for office hours that may not be convenient. Because there are no geographic barriers to online learning, students can find diversity of course material that may not be available to them where they live or work. This is especially true for professional training such as medical billing training or purchasing training and for students in remote rural areas that cannot support college or vocational training centers. This option for communication provides enhanced contact between instructors and students. Course material is accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Students have the ability to read and re read lectures, discussions, explanations and comments. Often spoken material in the classroom passes students by due to a number of distractions, missed classes, tiredness, laziness or boredom. Students can “attend” a course at anytime, from anywhere.
Tags: education, online courses, online schoolsPosted in College Tips, online courses, online education | No Comments »
Studying Through a Virtual Classroom
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
A lot of people have been giving good feedback about the practicality of online schools. Enrollees to different online courses and programs have increased over the past couple of years and this is just proof that online education is now gaining momentum and is being seen as the next best thing to traditional schooling.
So what does it entail to survive online studies? First and foremost, technology plays a very important role in being able to survive taking up an online degree. It is essential that one has a high-speed internet connection, such as broadband or T1, so that the virtual classrooms will be easier to load and time will not be taken away because of slow download speeds. Different types of software are used by different schools using powerful servers so that the classrooms will be easy to use and downtime is minimal.
Most online colleges and universities have archives where course outlines and materials are kept - ready to be accessed by students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no matter where you are in the world. This enables the students to study at their own pace and time from anywhere in the world.
As for student interaction, this is done through online community forums, discussion groups or e-mail. Although writing is the main form of communication through these venues, there are classrooms where virtual chat rooms are in place and it is possible that real time talk can be done, with some rooms even having access for web casts depending on the instructor’s methods of discussion.
Although there are people who are technologically-challenged, what’s important is that these things can be taught and they are simple to learn. Online education is fun and it need not be very complicated.
Tags: education, online degree, online schoolsPosted in College, online degree, online education | No Comments »
Living the Online Student’s Life
Monday, November 17th, 2008
You are never too old to go back to school if you want to. My father studied law when he was 50 and became a lawyer seven years later. During that time, the internet was still practically unknown to us except for the US military. What if you want to go back to school but you feel that you are already too old to that?
That is the beauty and benefit of online schools.
The fact that you do not have to spend much on transportation for your daily school commute has been a well-accepted benefit of online colleges and universities. But more importantly, whether you are just shy, you feel inadequately inexperienced or simply scared or afraid; the online classroom can be your solace. The classrooms come to you so you do not have to be mindful of the people watching you walk across the campus or see you read at one corner of the library. Internet-based education has made shier students more at home with what they are doing.
Lectures and class discussions may be streamed via online videos making it more accessible and easier for one to study in the comfort of one’s own home. Missing a lesson is not even a problem since your classes are archived and can be accessed at any time from your virtual classroom.
The online student has fewer pressures to face since these courses are there to be studied at your own pace. One does not even need to let everyone know that you are enrolled in an online school but you may want to seek out the support of your family, friends and even colleagues when needed. What’s important is that you have started to equip yourself with something you can use to further your career and maybe even land you the dream job you have been waiting for.
Tags: College, College Life, online schoolsPosted in College, College Life, distance learning, online education | No Comments »