Online Education credibility?

I wish to learn the basic to advanced concepts of hardware and networking. Perhaps I wish I could do that online. However, I have some queries. Is online education a good way to go for hardware education. Another question is, does accredited online schools help you give good jobs in fortune 500 company? What does it take to learn hardware? Please let me know. Thanks!

 

I'm not an IT guy, but my son teaches all kinds of it at the high school level -- hardware, programming, networks -- the whole nine yards - or roughly 8.3 metres if you prefer. To quote him, on learning hardware:

"You have to touch the stuff."

He's right. If you have no experience at all and want to learn hardware, get somewhere where you can do so "hands on." Remove stuff. Replace stuff. Observe voltages, etc. Run diagnostics. Configure. Make cables. Perhaps before you seek a degree involving hardware, do a certification such as CompTIA A+. By that time, you'll know whether you really want to work in the field and advance your knowledge.

I think learning networking/hardware without "touching the stuff" is like learning to build houses without any practical work-hours in the field. First, you have to know what it's like... THEN you seek a degree.

There are good on-line schools and poor ones. I don't believe there is such a thing as a degree that will guarantee someone a Fortune 500 job. It seems there are far more job-seekers than Fortune 500 jobs. Such employers can generally have their pick - if they prefer grads of certain schools -- or disapprove of other schools, then there are plenty of applicants to choose from.

If you are seeking an on-line degree in IT, then two relatively inexpensive (and good) options come to mind:

http://www.worldcollege.edu
http://www.wgu.edu

I believe both schools will give you credit for A+ or similar certification - and both are on a pay-by-semester basis, i.e. the more courses you can complete in a given time frame, the more money you save.

IT people in the forum are free to disagree with me. As I said, not really my field. I do wish you every success.

Johann

 

This is very similar to the situation that has led to so few BA engineering degrees offered by DL.

 

Actually, there are few "BA engineering degrees" offered by any modality, DL or B&M. An ABET undergraduate engineering degree is normally a BS, or occasionally a BE -- but not a BA.

But apart from that detail, your point is basically valid. ABET wants engineers to have supervised hands-on experience as part of their education (and engineering employers generally want the same thing). This is hard to deliver by DL. The DL engineering programs at University of North Dakota are ABET-accredited -- but they require summer residencies for the lab work.

The same is true for undergraduate-level science degrees in general.

 

First of all, I would say YES and NO. Also, there is no such as school guarantees you to land a job at 500 fortune companies. Even though traditional (brig and mortar) schools are in the same way. You can learn theorical at distance learning school, but you have to have your own lab at home for practical. If you want to have practical classes, you have to attend Vocational schools locally (i.e: ITT Tech, Global Knowledge, ECPI, and etc).

 

Great post Johann. Do you think are some kind of hands on adult education classes he can take while doing his degree online?

Abner

 

Thanks, Abner!

Yes, at least there are around here - but this is Canada, eh? :smile: The Community College I'm sitting in right now teaches hands-on hardware and networking --all at reasonable prices. There are private career colleges here that do so too, but some of them (like Everest) are, as I see it, insanely expensive. There are a couple of still expensive, but 'way-less-so than the "big-boys," private schools around here that offer labs and prepare people for A+, Network+ and similar certifications.

Myself, I've got a couple of graveyard computers, the Internet, the Mueller book -- and my son, if everything "goes bad." :smile: That'll have to do for now. But then again, I'm not seeking a degree in hardware - or a job - just want personal skills.

Johann