Distance Learning
Distance Learning
Communications technologies and the internet have extended the boundaries of learning. Students formerly limited to classrooms now can utilize alternative forms of delivery systems to pursue their studies with few limits of geography or time. The challenge for students is to identify the institutions which deliver the learning programs most suited to their learning styles and goals and that do so with maximum efficiency and support for students. Choosing a distance learning program begins with students knowing what they want and finding the right schools for their needs.
You should be aware that some occupations are not receptive to students who have studied in distance learning programs. Some professions and employers will prefer traditional educational preparation at the graduate level. The reputation of the institution will be important in terms of how a distance learning degree is viewed as well.
It is important to assess your personal learning and study style to ascertain whether distance learning is right for you. Are you self-confident and self-motivated? Are you precise in identifying areas of specific intellectual guidance and assertive in seeking assistance? Are you comfortable with the technology being used for communication within the program? Is the program's communication time synchronous or asynchronous? Will you be in a remote classroom receiving instruction via satellite link, or will you be studying material on-line at any time in any place? Will you periodically meet with a cohort of fellow students on-line, through teleconference, or face-to-face?
With respect to the variety of distance-learning options, you need to scrutinize a distance program much the same way you would assess a program administered on a traditional campus. Graduate programs require maximum interaction between professors and students. For this reason few universities offer graduate programs which are offered entirely by distance. Most universities that offer graduate study by distance format retain some residency requirements. It still may be best to choose an institution within affordable commuting distance. Any program is worth exploring further if it provides individual interaction with professors teaching and publishing in your field of study through the use of communication technology with which you are comfortable.
When exploring a distance learning institution, use the technology on which the program relies to deliver its content. For example, if you are seeking a program that uses web based instruction, explore the online interactive functions they provide to ask questions of both administrative and academic staff. This is the best way to test how comfortable the administrators and professors are with the technology and will indicate how well and frequently they will communicate with you when you become a student. Also, you might want to contact former students to inquire about the amount and quality of academic and administrative support they received when they were in the program. The Internet provides resources to contact schools and get the most current information on their distance offerings. Perhaps a combination of residence classes and distance learning will be possible in your program.
Additional Distance Learning Resources
http://www.gradschools.com/programs/online
GradSchool.com’s index of distance learning graduate and post-graduate schools.
Site was originally created by Dr. John Bear and Mariah Bear, authors of Bear’s Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning. Site is now operated by QuinStreet, Inc, a direct marketing firm representing the participating institutions.
Home page for The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), a private, non-profit organization founded in 1926 that operates as an institutional accreditor of distance education institutions. Accreditation by DEAC covers all distance education activities within an institution and it provides accreditation from the secondary school level through professional doctoral degree-granting institutions.
www.geteducated.com/articles/dlfaq.asp
Site discussing distance learning, accreditation, and on-line college degrees, including how to recognize diploma mills and how to understand program accreditation and school accreditation.