distance education

Simple Facts You Want to Know About Distance Learning

Distance education or distance learning is a means of acquiring formal education and learning without physically attending regular classes in school campuses. This type of learning is not really new. In fact, the first distance education course started in 1840 by Sir Isaac Pitman. It eventually evolved as new forms of communications developed. The internet allowed a more efficient means to deliver instruction materials to students taking a distance education program.

The advancement of the internet made distance education more popular. More and more students acquire a formal education thru this type of learning. Here are some facts that you want to about distance education programs.

It’s a practical and convenient mode of education
Students enrolling in distance education programs often choose this type learning because it’s practical. It’s also the most convenient way of acquiring a formal education. Students can save time, money, and energy from acquiring formal education, if they attend online classes right in their homes. A student taking the traditional method of education must take daily trips to a school campus to attend scheduled classes. And if the student must miss class for some reason, there is no alternative to reschedule the lecture, unlike online classes where the lectures are often recorded and made available for later viewing.

Credits earned are valid and transferable
Many hesitant students do have this thinking that the credits or the degree earned in online school is not recognized by an education board. However, legitimate online schools do grant a student transferable credits which are transferable in many colleges and universities. A degree earned with an online school is also recognized and accepted by many employers and companies.

Provide an educational opportunity to people who can’t attend traditional classes
Students who are not capable of physically attending regular classes in school campuses will still have an opportunity to finish an educational course. This is very useful to students who are busy working in the workforce and full time parents.

Three Ways to Minimize the Time in Earning a College Degree

College education can be time consuming. Normally, the maximum time consumed for a bachelor’s degree is four to five years. This can be a lot of time for a person who is in a hurry for a career. A student most of the time choose the traditional path towards earning a degree by attending the four year regular classes in colleges and universities. Yet, there are means to lessen the time consumed by a student. He or she can adapt methods that will reduce the time spent in earning a degree course.

Here are three of the top ways to lessen the time spent in earning a college degree course.

Taking advance placement courses
Many colleges and universities often grant advance placement courses to high school students who earned high scores in exams. Advance placement courses grants a student with college credit that is transferable to many universities. This earned advance credits allows a student to defer from enrolling in the required equivalent college subject. This helps a student to cut down on time from spending one particular subject.

Enroll in advance in other subjects
Another ways to lessen the time you consume in college is thru taking some subject in advance. A student can take college subjects that don’t have a prerequisite. These are usually minor subjects but are still required for the entire course. A student can enroll to these subjects ahead than suggested if he has still available allowed units available.

Take short term courses
College short term courses usually take lesser time than a normal full term course. A student has the option to choose a short term course in college. It usually take two to three years for a student to finish a short term college course. This reduces the time consumed in college as much as 50 percent.

How to Prepare and Pass a Credit by Exam

One of the popular means to gain college credits is thru taking credit by exam test. These type of examinations awards a student transferable credit to many colleges and universities. One widely used credit by exam test is the CLEP exam or College Level Examination Program test. Once a student passes this kind of exam he or she will be given college credit that can be used in his or her chosen college degree.

A person should be able to pass this kind of exam in order to acquire the college credits that he or she needs. These types of examinations can be challenging and passing it can be difficult. It’s appropriate to prepare in advance before taking the actual test. Preparing ahead of time will improve your chances of passing the exam and getting those transferable college credits. Here are some tips on how to prepare yourself for a credit by exam test.

Do Self Review
Conducting self-review and studying can prepare you for these type of exams. Create an outline of the subjects that will be included in these exams. This will help you identify which subjects you will be studying and reviewing. Use it to guide you on your self-review.

Join in a Tutorial Class
Fortunately, there are institutions that offer tutorial classes for CLEP exams. This can be a great help in achieving your goal of passing credit by exam tests and earning college credits. These Institutions often have effective tutorial programs that will ensure a passing grade. Enrolling in tutorial classes like this is the best preparation for a CLEP exam.

Acquire Review Materials
You can also buy review materials that will help you prepare for the credit by exam test. These review materials are often similar to the actual test material for the CLEP exam. However the questions in the review material is not the same as on the actual CLEP exam.

Great Reasons To Take Distance Education

Education is an important qualifications needed to practice a specific career. Although earning your formal education requires personal efforts, some education programs permit students to be not physically around during classes. This kind of educational programs are often referred to as Distance education or e-learning. This kind of education is not new yet the popularity if this type of program reach its peak in the recent years because of the development of modern technologies particularly the internet.

The number of institutions offering distance learning education today has risen. More and more students earn their formal education thru schools that offer distance education. There are a lot of reason why some individuals choose this kind of educational program. Here are the top reasons why many students consider mode of education.

Flexibility of time

People who don’t have the luxury of time are more likely to take distance education programs. Enrolling in this kind of education allows a student to learn and study lessons within their time availability. They won’t have to adjust to pre-chosen and fixed class schedules. Most people that are currently employed take this educational opportunity to improve their qualification on a particular job position. Busy working people have the chance to earn advance subjects in Psychology and mathematics right in the comfort of their home.

Allows a person to study in their own comfort zone

Students with very low self-esteem and are afraid to be in a school community will be given a chance to get a formal education and get a career. People also have a higher chance to excel in academics if they are within their comfort zones. Students can focus on learning and studying their lesson when they are in their most preferred environment. Distance education grants people an opportunity to get a formal education from their location without spending time and resources for traveling.

Correspondence and Distance Education Differences

Nowadays, distance education is much popularly known as online education because of its use of the Internet as an instructional delivery model. And while correspondence education is part of distance education, they have differences in delivery methods, academic rigor, and convenience and flexibility factors.

Correspondence education was first developed in the mid-nineteenth century in Great Britain, France, Germany and the United States to make education available to those who do not have access to a university. The course materials in correspondence education are given to the learner via mail or electronic means. Meanwhile, distance education takes advantage of the fast Internet technology in delivering instructional materials. It typically uses emails and live chats, as well as audio or video recording.

Distance education is far more rigorous compared to the traditional correspondence education. That is because it offers a more interactive environment. The teacher and the student, even student-to-student, despite being in different locations, can have a quasi-face-to-face environment that enhances the academic rigor. Traditional correspondence education, on the other hand, is done through mail delivery that fails to offer any type of interaction among students, all the more student-to-teacher interaction. In other words, correspondence education is static while online education is fluid and dynamic.

As for convenience and flexibility, both distance education and correspondence education offer a good autonomy to learners. The difference is that one has limited freedom while the other has too much of it. Online education, although flexible, still has deadlines for posting reactions on discussion boards which makes it not as flexible as correspondence education that has a “hands off” approach. There is a downside to too much freedom in correspondence education though. It may not be a good thing to all learners as it requires self-motivation and self-discipline.

The origins of distance education can be traced to mid-19^th century Europe and the United States. The postal system was the best technology that pioneers could use in their day. It was started to open educational opportunities to people who wanted to learn but were not able to attend conventional schools. Those with physical disabilities, women who were not allowed to enroll in institutions open only to men, people who had jobs during normal school hours, and those who lived in remote regions where schools did not exist are the people who most benefitted from distance education.

In 1872, American university level distance education began at Illinois Wesleyan University. Bachelor and graduate degrees could be obtained in absentia. The Chautauqua movement in about 1882 gave the popular push to correspondence education.

In 1915, accreditation of college and university distance programs fell to the National University Extension Association. And in 1926, the National Home Study Council (NHSC) was formed to address the issues of quality and ethical practice that arose due to the popularity of the teaching of academic and vocation courses by correspondence in 1900.

Distance Education has developed as technology changed. The invention of education radio in the 1920s and the advent of television in the 1940s created important new forms of communication for use in distance education. The development of reliable long-distance telephone company in the early 1900s also increased the capacity of distance educators to reach new student population. But telephone systems only played a prominent role in distance education with the development of teleconferencing technologies in the 1980s and 1990s. And, with the spread of computer-network communication in the 1980s and 1990s, it allowed teachers to communicate in conferences through computers.

Today, distance education makes use of the internet where teachers and students present text, pictures, audio, and video. File sharing and communications tools like email, chats, and audio and video conferencing are integral part of the internet setup.

Distance Education: Another Way of Learning

It would surprise you that distance education started as early as mid-19^th century Europe and the United States. During those times, the best technology that the distance education pioneers can use was the postal system. Today, distance education has become increasingly popular and one of the reasons is the technology we have available, the internet.

To open educational opportunities to people who wanted to learn but are not able to attend conventional schools, distance education was established. Geographical or time concerns are mainly the reasons that prevent the student from attending an on-campus course. This gap is bridged by electronic means and by distributing educational materials through distance learning programs using printed and mailed materials.

Today, most distance education takes place using the internet because it is the vastly accessible means for majority of the students. Through the internet, the learning materials can be distributed, students can keep in touch with teachers, and provide access to communication between students. Other technological formats are also used in distance learning like television, DVDs, teleconferencing, and printable material. However, distance education through the web is the first choice for many learners.

Distance education makes it much easier for a student to complete a degree or get additional job-training while balancing work and family commitments because class work hours are flexible. Most distance education programs allow their students to work at their own pace and on their own time. Distance learning is also great for students who do not have readily available access to educational facilities or those who want to explore opportunities not offered by their local schools.

In the past decade, distance education has become an increasingly popular way for students to learn about topics and get degrees they might not otherwise be able to pursue. And this allow students to enhance career prospects wherever they may be.

Distance Education For Engineering Students

Advanced technology has made distance education a good alternative for aspiring Engineers. A number of online programs are offered. Graduates from these courses are embraced by employers with arms wide open. This acceptance have grown immensely over the years due to quality of the curriculum and qualified students from online schools.

Learning engineering principles at any level (bachelors and masters) can be done online. The increasing number of colleges offering online courses has made it more accessible to get a degree while meeting other personal needs, most especially financial. Students, who pay for their studies, can work and study all at the same time. When they graduate, they won’t have to worry about landing on a job. This is because employers are less concerned of where an applicant’s degree was completed from – traditional on-campus or online. This motivates many students wanting to earn online engineering degrees.

Well, how does this work? By leveraging technology, distance education brings integrated course materials, dedicated websites, teleconferences, and chat rooms in class directly on to your personal computer or lap top – anywhere at anytime. Because distance learning lets students work while completing a degree, many have see that they can directly apply what they’ve learned on-the-job long before they graduate.

Online engineering programs are the best option for those who are looking to get a degree, or for those adults who want to go back to school and acquire master’s or an associate’s degree in engineering. The learning process is quite easy. Students learn through tools such as DVDs, recorded lectures, videos, and live streaming. Instructors give assignments or projects by posting them on virtual blackboards or send them through email, or on a virtual blackboard. Assignments may be done at student’s own time, but during exams, they will need to log into the school’s system at a particular time.

Distance Learning Systems History

Distance education has been utilized even before the telephone, television or the computer was invented. It has existed already since the 19^th century. The founders of distance education utilized the most effective technological innovation available on their day.

Distance education was created to create possibilities to individuals who desired to study, but were unable enroll in standard schools. Individuals who took advantage of such distance learning education included individuals with physical handicaps, ladies who were not permitted to register for educational facilities open only to men, individuals who had jobs during regular school hours and people who resided in distant regions where educational institutions did not exist.

Isaac Pitman, an Englishman, is considered as the early founder. He started educating shorthand by distance learning in Bath, England in 1840. Learners were required to copy short passages of the Bible and send them back for rating using the new penny post system.

American higher education level distance education started in 1874 at Illinois Wesleyan University where bachelors and graduate degrees could possibly be acquired in absentia.

The teaching of educational and vocational classes by distance learning became very popular by 1900. However, issues on good quality and ethical exercise arise, giving bad reputation to some of the schools offering distance learning. The National Home Study Council (NHSC) was established in 1926 partly to deal with these problems. Certification of college and university distance courses fell to the National University Extension Association in 1915.

The creation of educational radio in the 1920s and the introduction of television in the 1940s open a new means of distance education. Teachers made use of these technologies to transmit educational courses to countless students, thus stretching learning chances past the walls of standard teaching institutions. The introduction of efficient long-distance phone systems in the early 1900s also improved the capability of distance educators to get to new student populations. However, telephone systems never performed a notable part in education until the release of new teleconferencing systems in the 1980s and 1990s. Teleconferencing systems made it feasible for instructors to speak with, listen to, and see their students live – that is, without any setbacks in the transmissions – even if they were situated across the nation or around the globe.

Distance education more and more uses mixture of various communication systems to improve the relevant skills of teachers and students to talk with each other. With the spread of computer-network communications in the 1980s and 1990s, many more people acquired usage of computers associated with telephone lines, permitting instructors and students to communicate in meetings via computers.

Tutoring on Distance Education

Distance education nowadays is an important learning method to reach students in distant locations and to remove geographical and cultural barriers. It offers education in online classrooms and set schedules that will meet the needs of its students who are busy with their work or career. The teacher will be behind the program, communicating with his students through programs and applications and provide lectures, assignments and activities.

Though learning is much easier since the internet provides a lot of references and learning materials, it may also need the help of a tutor. The problem with distance learning is that it lacks motivation for students to study, work on their activities or join group discussions. This is because they are just online and may lead them to do other things than going to their classes. In this case, tutor support is vital. Teachers must be able to help motivate, remind, guide and help students. They must be available to tutor students with the topics that can be hard to learn without actual explanation.

Distance education also requires alterations in behavior of the teacher and also the student. The effective student evolves persistence and self-motivation. The effective distance education teacher becomes fluent with new technology and evolves new training styles to effectively help students. Today, using the most advanced technology and also the effective multimedia interactions between instructors and students, information is easily transmitted. Efficient tutor support in distance learning is basically determined by how quickly a distance education instructor can learn new technology, devise new teaching techniques and manage student expectations.

By being passionate with the job, any instructor can be the best tutor support in distance learning courses. They must bring enthusiasm, promote involvement and curiosity and develop student’s skills and learning. Distance education can be as good or surpass the quality of classroom learning by providing enough, sufficient and effective tutoring support to students.