college credits | Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

The Power of Online Learning: The Benefits of Instructor-led Online Courses

Online education continues to create new opportunities for high school students about to graduate to get a head start on earning college credits, college students seeking to fulfill prerequisite and general education requirements, and working adults juggling their careers and education. Online instructor-led classes are a popular choice among these groups, thanks to all the advantages and because they can significantly enhance academic success and the various benefits they hold.

Why Choose Instructor-led Online Classes?

The online education model, particularly instructor-led classes, offers numerous benefits catering to diverse learners. These classes break down geographical barriers, allowing you to earn college credit from the comfort of your home or any location you choose.

When an instructor leads online classes, it offers a structured learning environment, much like traditional classroom settings. The instructor guides students through the course, clarifying doubts, and facilitating class discussions, creating an interactive and engaging educational experience.

Furthermore, online courses can be a practical solution if you’re a high school student contemplating earning college credits before graduation. Similarly, online courses offer a flexible and convenient option for college students needing to fulfill certain prerequisites or general education requirements or working adults aiming to finish a degree.

Top 3 Advantages of Online Instructor-led Classes

Flexibility and Convenience

Balancing school, work, and personal life can be challenging. The flexibility offered by online courses is their most significant advantage. They allow you to learn at your own pace, at a time that suits your schedule. You can catch a lecture during your lunch break, complete an assignment late at night, or engage in discussion forums over the weekend. This flexibility is perfect for working adults, college students with busy schedules, and high school students looking to get a head start on college credits.

Wide Range of Course Selections

Online education often offers a broader range of courses than traditional on-campus programs. The possibilities are endless, whether you’re interested in fulfilling general education requirements, exploring electives outside your major, or seeking specialized courses. As a bonus, these courses can often be transferred for credit at your current institution, making it easier to meet graduation requirements.

Cost-Effective Learning

Online learning often proves to be a cost-effective alternative to traditional education. Not only are online courses typically less expensive, but they also cut down on commuting and housing costs. Furthermore, digital resources can often replace costly textbooks, further saving on expenses.

How Online Classes Improve Student Success

Online instructor-led classes have been shown to improve student success in several ways. First, they offer a more personalized learning experience. Instructors can provide immediate feedback through digital platforms, and students can review course materials as often as needed. This direct, ongoing feedback loop enhances understanding and retention.

Second, online learning often requires greater self-discipline and time management skills. Students must take initiative in online learning, enhancing skills like organization, critical thinking, and problem-solving. These skills are not only beneficial academically but are also highly valued in the workplace.

Lastly, online courses facilitate global classroom experiences. You can engage with classmates from different cultures and backgrounds, promoting diversity and fostering a broader worldview. Exposure to different perspectives can lead to richer class discussions and an enhanced understanding of the course material.

The continual rise in the popularity of online learning, specifically instructor-led online courses, is transforming the education landscape. Its advantages—flexibility, broad course selection, cost-effectiveness, and potential for increased student success—make it an attractive option for high school students, college students, and working adults.

Written By: Justin Hart

Course Placement and Credit by Exams

Earning credits through examinations can determine the course placement of students at a university. Many credit by exams are recommended when enrolling for a particular course, while others are optional. A high school graduate can earn an elective undergrad course if they are able to pass these exams.

Credit by exams have eligibility criteria set, so not everyone aspiring to go to a University are able to earn credits for a preferred course. The requirements are established by the academic department with the approval of the dean.

Earning credits by passing a course is equivalent to passing a credit by exam. The only exception is that credit is not earned in residence. Failure of passing credit earned examinations does not threaten their chances of getting scholarships during the first year of college and does not reflect on their official transcript.

Students with a score eligible for credit has the option to either get a placement only prerequisite or credit only. If the latter is preferred, the Registrar’s office reports the credit the student qualified through credit by exam given that the student is not prohibited from enrolling in the said university. If the students would like to use the qualifying score to enroll in a course, he may do so. A credit-only may later be used as a placement for a course upon student’s petition, but a course credit cannot be changed to placement only. Students who are officially enrolled or former students are allowed to take examinations to establish eligibility for either placement or credit only.

There are also other credit by exams, that upon the approval of the academic dean and department head, a student may take the exam offered by the University. Those who are officially enrolled in the said University will have the chance to take the exam. IF they receive a qualifying score, they will receive credit for their preferred course.

Credit by Examination and CLEP

According to the Department of Education, only 40% of learners graduate in 4 years, with the average closer to 6 years. This can mean a large number of extra dollars of additional college tuition, room and board, and even lost pay. Here is some smart ways to generate college credits, guaranteeing you graduate on time and within your college budget.

AP/IB Programs in High School: Take AP (Advanced Placement) or IB (International Baccalaureate) courses while in High School. These double credit ranking courses can mean that you actually start college with credits already gained. Be sure to check which is approved by your colleges of choice and know that you must successfully pass the final examination with a passing grade to get the credit. Please note that for IB courses, many universities and colleges only give credit for exams at the HL (Higher Level) courses and examinations.

Earn College Credits over the Summer: Spend summer season before you begin college or between semesters by making credits. Whether you are studying to take a test for credit (like a CLEP or DSST test), or making some General Education credits at your local college, a large number of universities agree to a passing test or course score for credits.

Test for Credit: Speaking of credit by examination, did you know that there are over 50 college courses that provide you with credit if you successfully pass a test? Called CLEP (College Level Examination Prep) or DSST (originally created for the military), these courses can reduce your path to a degree and are approved by over 3,000 universities in the United States. Here are some pretty great reasons to consider testing for credit:

Test for credit saved an average of over 6 months toward their degrees.
91% of CLEP test-takers said CLEP made a distinction in helping them finish their degrees.
70% of CLEP test-takers said their CLEP credits made a distinction in their ability to finance college tuition and other costs.
CLEP learners have considerably greater collective GPA than non-CLEP learners when controlling for demographics and prior accomplishment.
Students who receive credit by examination through CLEP for an introductory course are much more likely to get an A or B in succeeding courses than learners who finish the introductory course.

Passing the College Level Examination Program

As the economy tightens up everyone’s straps, it becomes more important for you to find a way to get noticed, head and shoulders, above your competitors in the job market. For some individuals, this means putting on a snappy outfit, practicing their smile and handshake, or writing the perfect resume. You know that when it comes to getting the job you really want, it’s about the quality you bring to the company as an employee and an individual. Education is the best, most comprehensive direction to developing the skills for which companies are searching. Getting ready for your academic and working future begins as early as high school, with AP or advanced placement tests offered by schools for college credit.

High School Students can take AP exams to speed up their graduation from high school. The trouble is, they are difficult. What is the solution to this problem? Research and take AP practice tests! There are a lot of sources where you can take AP practice tests for free. If you plan to get a passing grade on your AP test, you absolutely have to take AP practice tests to find where your strong and weak points are, and know what to review.

Speaking of getting college credit quick and simple, there is a little known benefit you can get in college that will save your funds and accelerate your graduation: CLEP exams. Known as the College Level Examination Program, CLEP exams are for particular credits at colleges and universities. By taking specific CLEP exams, you are offered credits to the programs those exams cover. Basically, you are revealing, “I know all these things already. I do not need to take the course, and here is the evidence. Just give me the course credits so I can proceed!”. Unfortunately, CLEPs are quite hard. After all, each one includes an entire term of excessive college-level study. That’s why, as with AP assessments; you should take College Level Examination Program practice exams before you ever take an actual CLEP. Practice test options are offered on the Internet as well as at review facilities, and at local book stores. It’s simple to research for a CLEP examination if you simply keep an eye out.

Graduating Faster

Too many learners are focused on the classes they need to take. English, Psychology, Chemistry, Accounting are just some of the common subjects. It’s simple to see why. Pick up a college course book and you will see that degree programs are set out as series of classes to take. Complete them all and you graduate with the degree you desired. Yet this is actually a superficial way to look at college. As it turns out, classes are not the real foundations of degree, credits are. Take a closer look at your college’s course book. What you will see is that you actually need a certain number of credits to graduate, usually 60 for an associate degree and 120 for a bachelor degree. This is a key understanding, because once you move your focus from classes to credit, you can begin analyzing methods to buy them for less.

The costly classes your university provides are just one way of getting those credits, even though most learners thoughtlessly believe it’s the only way. Actually, there are three methods to generate college credit: classes at four year community colleges/private universities, classes at local colleges and credit by exam. Most learners are acquainted with the first two choices. But hardly anyone knows about credit by exam and even less understand its complete potential.

Credit by exam represents college-level topic assessments like CLEP and DSST. With this strategy, you take a large test covering a whole topic (say, English) rather than a semester-long course. Complete the examination, and you get credit just as if you had taken the class. What this means is that you can possibly cut lots of money off the cost of graduating by replacing as many of these examinations for classes as your college will allow. Unfortunately, many institutions have tight “residency requirements” restricting how many credit score you can get this way. Yet, I’ve found a few institutions that have no residence specifications.

Advanced Placement Courses

One of the top topics on the thoughts of juniors and seniors as well are the popular Advanced Placement Courses. Advanced Placement Courses are college-level programs offered in secondary school. AP programs indicate what trained preliminary college programs are. These are available for the benefit of the best and smartest juniors and seniors who wish to ease up the stress of further education by removing some of the classes that otherwise they would be doing in college. It allows learners to complete their daily activities with more complex programs when they get to the school as well.

The Advanced Placement Courses have consistent higher education testing and AP Examinations that will give them credit for the course on their college programs and cover letters and resumes. Students who do well on AP Examinations can earn credit and/or placement into advanced programs in college. Not only are AP Sessions great for learners attempting to do well in higher education, they can also spend less by reducing quantity of courses learners who have attended AP applications actually take during the course of their college years. Although the attractive thought of taking less higher education courses for less cash is a very attractive idea. The work that it requires to get into training alone is enough to have second thoughts.

AP Sessions are very essential if one desires to be effective in an aggressive profession. The more experience you have or programs you take will help figure out how further education goes for an individual. Besides the benefits that one profits educationally during contribution in AP programs, there are also public and psychological benefits a person can obtain. Learners create assurance, by getting the feel of higher education level classes they are more ready to deal with what is ahead as they go to their chosen colleges.

CLEP Advantages on Students

The CLEP, or College Level Examination Program, allows you to take up to 34 different examinations that can be used in the place of college programs. No matter what degree of school you are in, CLEP examinations can save you money. The CLEP exams were designed to help learners advance through their study more quickly. The assessments are approved as college credit by schools across the United States. Anyone at any age is permitted to take a CLEP test.

Most school programs include programs that are not proportional to your degree. If you take advantage of the CLEP option, you will be able to avoid participating in some of these common programs. CLEP qualifies as course credit, so you will still meet all of the credentials for commencement. You can study for a CLEP exam on your own time, however, and take the test when you are ready. The time that you would have invested on preparation or participating classes can be used for other sessions that are of more concern to you.

Every college and university course provides expenses that are not easily obvious. Aside from expenses, you will be accountable for buying textbooks and other class requirements that can be very costly. The common college student usually spends as much on textbooks as they invest on expenses for personal sessions. CLEP provides you an option to understand the content without having to buy particular costly textbooks. You can use any source to understand the details that is tested on a CLEP examination. The CLEP examinations cost less than $ 100, which is a simple portion of the money you would invest on a conventional higher education course. The CLEP program is an excellent way for kids to start their higher education profession early. Anyone, at any age, is qualified to take the CLEP exams. With 34 test topics available, a secondary college student could probably decrease the time they invest in higher education by one or two semesters.