advantages of distant learning !

everyday I discover new advantages of distant education.
these are some:
1- it is cheaper
2-no need to leave the family
3-if you study something related to your job you can apply it in real environment.
dear members would you please add some more advantages

 

That's an advantage?

You can "attend" at any time and in any attire.

 

1. The accreditation is the same as B&M.
2. Prestigous schools are becoming DL, eliminating the stigma.
3. No Commute.
4. You can take a test in your pagamas.
5. Time flexibility.
6. International ties, without the expense.

I could go on and on, so I will let others chime in!

 

1-With the proper motivation, you can work through a course or a program MUCH faster than at a traditional B&M school.

2-The normal insecurities and inhibitions that keep some individuals from participating in class are removed.

3-Because one is no longer limited to the course selection at one particular school, a greater variety of courses are available.

Pug

 

How about from the teaching side:

you can teach in your pajamas.

students can't throw spitballs and hit you.

you can cogitate on your replies to spiffy student answers (questions) before responding.

and my favorite:

I get my own parking spot close to the classroom

 

How about:

1) Save time and gas money. There is virtually no travel time required. You don't need to drive 30 minutes one-way and spend $2.29 a gallon on fuel.

2) Class is accessible anywhere in the world. Just open your laptop and go to work.

3) Being logged on "attending" a class also gives one instant access to the Internet, which as we all know is an excellent source of information.

4) The students can participate in a discussion and express his or her thoughts without being interrupted by "air hogs." (Every class in a traditional setting has an air hog who just wants to interrupt others so they can listen to themselves talk.)

5) Goof off during the week and cram on Friday or Saturday night. Although I would never recommend this.

 

Consider this:

1) Study full-time in Malaysia for US, UK or Australian accredited bachelor or master degree program and I can assure you that it will be even cheaper than doing it through distance learning.

2) You will be allowed to bring along your family on student visa. The cost of living is very much lower as to US, UK or Australia and at the same time you will enjoy your stay in Malaysia. Consider it a vacation.

3) Distance learning is not for everyone and it requires more work than traditional education and if you are not the type who can study independently then better choice is not to go for distance learning but study part-time or full-times programmes.

4) Course work and examination is much harder for distance learning programme than traditional full-time programme.

5) If you are not focused and disciplined, you might never be able to complete your distance learning programme while with traditional education one can man manage through group study and face to face contact with professors.

6) My personal opinion is that you learn more in traditional programme as compared to distance learning programme. There is much interaction between professor and students and students to students. You have vast learning resources available at university for reference.

7) Governmental recognition could be a major problem with distance learning programmes. Like here in Malaysia even fully accredited distance learning program is not recognized unless the university provide certain number of contact hours for each course. Every course would need to be assessed not only by assignment but an examination as well. In addition the programme must be accredited by National Accreditation Board of Malaysia before it can be recognized by Malaysian government.


Lastly I am not at all discouraging you to go for distance learning but merely asking you to consider the odds and alternatives.

Peter Chin

 

1. don't have to buy meals and booze for diss director
2. cheaper by far
3. can stay in rural area (travel required for access to B&M libraries)
4. mention foreign uni to get "libarry" privileges and get complimented on how good one's English is
5. work on stuff at any hour, at home
6. parking, weather, traffic--who cares?
7. get to converse with/annoy/be inspired by degreeinfo members
8. no jebbies!
9. credit card choked when bank idiot thinks overseas charges must be fraud
10. explain to postie "yes, that is the name of the country"
11. repeat #9 and #10 a lot
12. diss director who actually likes what I'm working on
13. can fart in class and nobody cares
14. make amusing errors in foreign language amounting to new dialect

 

Advantages of Distance Learning

Other than changing my life (!) I can't think of any advantages, haha.

One of the neat things about online is the competition it offers. I remember when I started grad school it was the college in town or NOTHING. And they knew it and treated people accordingly. Online provides CHOICES.

Because of online, I am a tenured professor at a college and teach online courses myself.

B.A., University of Arizona (journalism/political science) - face-to-face

M.A., Eastern Michigan University (communication) - face-to-face

Certificate of Distance Education, Thomas Edison State College - ONLINE!

Ed.S., Valdosta State University (instructional technology) - ONLINE!

M.B.A., Morehead State University (and now AACSB accredited!) - ONLINE!

 

Re: Re: advantages of distant learning !

On 6 - I think this might depend on the person, I actually learn more via DL, due to environement.

On 7 - I think when you say fully accredited, would they question Harvard. (Of course all transfers usually need back up paperwork, but I mean the DL classes only?)

 

For some there is no alternative. I am active duty military, and to be honest I have been busy my entire career (spans 15 years now) and even more so since the war on terror, espeially being combat arms. I must seek education where I can find it, the introduction of the internet and distnce learning and the gradual general acceptance year after year is an important factor to me as I must enter the civilian sector right at the age where age discrimination begins; 40 years old. I must compete with my peers with a different set of core competencies, but education and experience I believe this can be done.

William Parker

 

Re: Re: Re: advantages of distant learning !

6. That's my point exactly thats it really depend on individual but in general we asian will face greater challenge becuase of the language barrier. Even with full-tme classes many of these asian students find it hard to absorb the lecture but then they follow up with professors and fellow students for advise. In case of distance learning just reading alone from books and study materials is even more harder unless they engage a local personal tutor for each course.


7. Malaysian Government currently only recognized RA institutions and NA are yet to be recognized by Nationa Accreditation Board. Off course the US universities operating here are of bottom league becuase to be honest how many here would qualify to get into Harvard?

Peter Chin

 

I totally agree with you and a situation like yours DL is the best and good wish you all the best in your pursuit of education

 

BIGGEST reason - NO GROUP PROJECTS!!!!!!



WOOT!


peACE,


ACE

 

Aceman, almost every undergrad course I have had in a structured, eight week term had group projects as a large part of the grade. I do not disagree with team projects, they do teach some good team based leadership skills, though at times it is easier to do an individual project.

William Parker

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: advantages of distant learning !

I don't think you know your audience well. I am sure you didn't mean this sentence how it reads.... right?

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: advantages of distant learning !

 

Re: Re: advantages of distant learning !

Any attire? Try no attire. I think I took my entire POLS 1000 class at UWyo in the buff.

Now that I've sickened the entire forum, I'll go back to lurking...

 

Biggest advantage to me is actually learning something. Try learning when you are in an auditorium classroom with 200 other students and a TA instead of a Professor. So much for some B&M colleges (this was UCB - I don't see what you can learn in this type of atmosphere).

 

Agreement

I agree with Fred, except from the student side. I get to think on my own time, to respond to instructor queries. I don't have the pressure of being labeled a "show-off" or a "smarty-pantys" by my classmates. If it's in writing, and you don't like it, too bad (so long as it isn't defamitory, I guess).

I agree with Mr. Chin. I would guess that for Malaysian students, online learning is a luxury right now. I'd expect that if demand for faster, cheaper, more utility oriented degrees increases (as it will) online learning will eventually become one of many different avenues to a degree the world over. For American students, we've got our wives/husbands and kids, we've got our jobs, we've got our churches, temples, synagogues... Just like everyone else in the world, we've got lives. For many American students earning a degree with the constraints of modern society is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

I also agree with Pugbelly. One of the most powerful uses of distance learning (I'm not even focusing on online learning right now) is that it creates "life-time learners". What this means in the real-world is that if I work for 10 years as a computer programmer and want to do something else, I can use the degree in environmental engineering I just finished to work for the EPA. That's a prime advantage of distance learning; relatively quick, inexpensive degrees that allow a person to escape the pattern of life demonstrated below:
My father was a miner (nothing against miners, I could have used anything)
My father's father was a minor.
I'm going to school to be a minor.
I'm a minor for the rest of my life (until I retire and then I can do what I really love, chemical engineering)
My child goes to school to be a minor.
He's able to use distance learning to get a degree in say physics or computer science and then move from field to field.

Distance learning allows people to be more flexable/versital(sp!).

For me I can perform online components of my degree at work during lunch (using the company's high speed internet access) and then study at home every night.

The uses outweigh the limitations.