Disadvantages of DL

Frangop: "Indeed, DL is (unreasonably) hard work. As a DL student for more than 10 years I have discovered that a 1 hour face-to-face lecture/tutorial is equivalent to 3 hours of DL solo reading. Traditional humans learn through interaction – lets not confuse “education” with “meditation” ;-)

So the question still remains – yes, DL is Convenient, but is it Effective and Efficient?"

Distance learning is not for everyone. If you can get to a campus, fine. If it suits your learning style fine. But what if you can't get to a campus? Distance learning is the alternative to no learning (other than from 'life' - which may not give you the competence and its proofs, the qualifications to pursue the career you want).

However, if you suffer a distance learning programme that is really a distance teaching programme, you may find it inappropriate for your learning. I would dispute that campus teaching - especially if lecturing dominates it - makes for learning. We learn by correcting our errors and confusion and that can be done on our own with the appropriate distance learning materials. Distance learning is also scalable (campus teaching is limited by finite space - let alone the restrictions placed on it by faculty unions and pampered staff) and as all those who have the ability to succeed in learning will never be accommodated on all the world campuses, even if they increased tenfold, the answer must be distance learning.

Is it efficient. yes; is it effective, yes (there is no difference, predictable or recognisable, between the performance as measured by tough but fair examinations between campus students and distance learning students).