Online education and distance learning

About a year ago, The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article titled, “Lectures on the Go,” which outlined the benefits and drawbacks of professors using ‘coursecasting.’ One professor of American University commented, “If you make your lecture available as a podcast, students can relisten to troublesome passages, and it’s easy for them to slow things down.” The University of California Berkeley took coursecasting to a new level last week, by making over 250 hours of symposia and whole courses available to the general public for free.Last Tuesday, September 26th, 2006: the UC Berkeley announced that it “will be the first university with its own page on the Google Video Web.” Course topics include Physics, Biology, and Information Technology with Humanities features like poetry readings and discussions regarding current global affairs. The Executive Director of Public Affairs and Google Video project manager, Dan Mogulof, commented: “Now, through our collaboration with Google Video, we can more easily share those resources and bring extraordinary value to the people of California, the taxpayers who help support our institution. This is a perfect example of how technology is expanding our idea of what it means to be a truly public university."UC Berkeley’s latest addition to the World Wide Web only reiterates the trend to make education available to a wider audience. An article last week from the Arizona Daily Star highlighted the benefits online learning. Students interviewed for the article mentioned that they are able to find the courses that best suit their career goals, continue working as they earn their degrees, and are “able to balance every important part of … life.”A survey from Northern Arizona University finds “students are just as satisfied with online classes as they are with the on-campus programs.” NAU’s vice-president for extended programs and dean of distance learning, Fred Hurst, commented, “The bread and butter for universities is providing access to students to degree programs so they can get a degree and better their lives. As we continue to build up additional (online) programs for students to enroll in that’s the big payoff.

The Chronicle of Higher Education. "Lectures on the Go." 28 October 28 2005.Arizona Daily Star. "Web option offers flexibility." 29 September 2006.UC Berkeley News press release. "UC Berkeley offers courses and symposia through Google Video." 26 September 2006.

When applying to colleges and/or universities, it is best to do so as early as possible. The earlier you apply, the better chances you will have of being accepted into your program of interest. As expected, many college courses fill up quickly, which is why early applications often stand a better chance of acceptance.Before applying to certain colleges and/or universities, it is a good idea to review their freshman enrollment requirements. These requirements generally pertain to anyone who has graduated from high school within the past five years. Beyond that, required high school courses are not as highly considered due to the fact that so much time has passed. Therefore, even if you did not take the necessary high school courses, you may be able to attend the college of your choice if you are willing to wait for five or more years before enrolling. Almost every college and/or university charges an application fee when applying. This fee is generally very reasonable and is often less than $50.00. This is a non-refundable fee, which is not refunded for any reason including a denial of acceptance. Applications to colleges and/or universities will often be under advisement for several weeks. At that time, the school will either send a letter of congratulations or one of denial.Many modern colleges and universities have websites and even allow applications to be submitted online. This is believed to speed up the application process and may result in a quicker decision than if submitted by mail. In the case of online applications, the application fee will generally be charged to a major credit card. If you do not have a credit card, you may have to mail your application along with a check or money order. It is important to remember that, under no circumstances, should you ever send cash through the mail.Once you receive the college or university's acceptance, if applicable, it will be time to begin plans for enrollment. Many do not know this, but there is a big difference between acceptance and enrollment. Being accepted does not automatically mean the student is enrolled as this is just another step in the quest for a college education. During enrollment, a class schedule will be granted and, if requested, a campus room will be assigned. There are a number of living arrangements for college students, which may include on-campus housing, living with roommates, living alone or living at home with family. Living on campus is not a requirement of colleges or universities, but it does make for an easier commute to and from class.

Though the benefits of getting education or earning an online degree are many, I will discuss just a few. The major reason many people are going for online education is because of two things. One is the present job or vocation they’re engaged in. The rate of unemployment in our society is high. Therefore, if you have a job you cannot afford to leave and head back to school to get a degree. So, many people like you look for online education while keeping their job. Secondly, many people are raising a family. They can’t afford to leave the comfort of their family. Most of the people going for online education are the bread winner of their family. Now, let’s move to some of the benefits of having an online degree.One, you stand to learn at your own pace. This is good considering your busy job schedule and family commitment. Your present mode of operation cannot allow you to follow stringent class schedules like in the traditional universities or colleges. You attend the class and do the assignment anytime and anywhere via the internet. However, you have to complete the work within duration. Two, you don’t have to abandon your present job or family to head back to school. You get your degree online in the comfort of your living room or office. It’s not easy abandoning your job. That is where you get the money to finance your education. And breaking family ties is not advisable. Online education makes it possible to be in the comfort of your family while earning a degree. Three, your career can either be changed or uplifted with an online education. It’s not easy changing career with traditional universities or colleges. It means you have to go back to school and enroll for a new course or programme. But with online education, changing of career is very easy. Your career can also receive a great boost when you have an online degree. Many employers are happy when you progress, when you’re not stagnant in your field. Employers are willing and ready to pay people who have solutions to problems and who have current knowledge of events in their field of endeavor. Online education is what you need to get among the top hierarchy in your organization. Though there are many benefits of online education, I believe these few will be enough to drive home the point that online education is ideal for you and your loved ones.

These twelve tips will help you get through any test and as long as you prepared adequately for it, you will certainly get an A.
1. Come to the test prepared and feeling confident that you know the material. Make sure that you are not very hungry or very full and that you are well-rested. Avoid eating sugary or processed foods before the test. Avoid items such as candy, carbonated soft drinks, junk foods, and fried foods. Snack on fresh fruit or veggies immediately before to get your mind off the test and give you some sustenance.
2. Breathe. Relax. Imagine yourself acing the test. It is amazing what a little positive imagery can do for you.
3. Read ALL of the directions carefully. Reread them again once you have finished. Look through the test to see what types of questions are asked, how many questions, if there are any major essays, if you have choices about questions that you can answer, etc. Make sure you know how much each section is worth so you can budget your time.
4. If the test involves specific equations, conversions, dates or anything else that you must memorize, write it on the top or margin of the test paper as soon as the test is handed out. Remembering complicated equations and dates before you have answered any questions is a lot easier than trying to remember them after you have answered half of the test questions and you brain is starting to get tired.
5. Answer all easy questions first. This will help you get into the test taking mood and build confidence. Circle the numbers of the questions that you really have no idea about. You can come back to these later. Often times questions you answer later in the test might trigger something and help you answer a question that you were previously stuck on.
6. Narrow multiple choice answers down to the two you believe might be correct by crossing off the ones you positively know are not correct. This will improve your chances of guessing the right one.
7. True-False questions are often a favorite of some teachers and can be quite complicated at times. Keep in mind that every part of a true-false statement must be true in order to answer it as true. If any part is false, mark the entire statement false. You may want to underline the portion of the statement that you believe is false. If there are negatives in the statement such as “no or not”, and you are still not sure whether to mark it true or false, try re-reading the question without the “no or not”. Decide if this statement is true or false then answer the opposite on your test. Words indicating absoluteness (never, always, entirely, every, only, none) often tend to be used in false statements.
8. Try to construct concise answers that target the question and prove to the teacher that you know the material. Get right to the point in the first sentence or two of your answer. The rest of the answer should contain proof that you know what you are talking about. Give enough evidence to support your thoughts but don't over-answer the question. Writing a lot of fluff will usually leave the teacher thinking that you are writing for the sake of filling the space and that you really don't have a good handle on the correct answer.
9. Before you begin writing an essay, make sure you know exactly what the question is asking. Try to restate the question in your own words. If you can't do this with confidence, make a quick visit to the teacher and have him or her clarify it for you. Once confident in what the question is asking, take a few moments to get your thoughts together and write some notes in the margin or even create an outline on scrap paper if you have time.
10. If you find that you are running short on time and still have some open-ended questions left to answer, write something rather than leaving the space blank. Create a brief outline to show the teacher that you do know the answer, but you didn't have enough time to write an entire essay. You maybe able to get say more in an outline form than you can if you were only able to write a few opening sentences of your essay. Partial credit is better than no credit at all.
11. Once you believe you are finished with the test, reread everything again to be sure that you answered every question fully and completely. If you have time, cover up your answers with your hand or another sheet of paper and ask yourself what answer you would give if you had to answer the question again. Compare this answer with what you have already written down. Only change the original answer if you find that you made a silly mistake or originally misinterpreted the question. It is usually best to go with your original instinct when you are truly unsure of an answer.
12. Be neat. The last thing a teacher wants to do while correcting mounds of tests is to spend time deciphering what a student has illegibly written.

Formal education is getting very important in today’s competitive world. Proper education and reputed college degree can help one grab better job opportunities and demand higher salary from employers. But owing to certain circumstances or due to lack of funds one is usually restrained from getting a college degree. Online universities present a lucrative option for people with time constraints. Amount of benefits achieved from completing online courses greatly depend on the reputation of the online university. An erroneous choice of online training institute results in your wasting precious time and invaluable money. Hence it is very important to choose a competent university that provides maximum knowledge with minimum cost and time involvement. Factors governing the choice for online institution of higher education are-
Accreditation of institute
Genuine accreditation of institute is a prime factor while determining its creditability. Being accredited from regional authorities renders universities a higher reputation. Students graduating from these places stand a better chance to obtain higher salaries and better jobs. Also eligibility towards student loan gets higher if concerned authority accredits the enrolled institution. Inter course student loan transfers are possible for transfers within similar regional universities.
Research the quality and relevance of course offered
Learning anything that is irrelevant in today’s scenario would result in useless accumulation of knowledge that does not turn to be fruitful. An enquiry about the university’s capability of adaptation towards changing technologies is important. Analyzing the syllabus offered by proposed university by comparing it with other online institutes presenting similar coaching would help determine whether the curriculum is exhaustive or not. An examination about the course being suitable to one’s capabilities and interests is again very important.

Cost involved

Online universities offer personalized education program for adult learners. Hence at times they might occur to be more costly. A considerably low fee charged by online university is a matter of concern as that may be due to low quality education imparted by them. Untalented faculty members are available at low costs and that may be a reason behind reduced fee structure. Sometimes even if the cost of education is higher it is worth the effort as availing student loans is easy. Expected increase in money earned after completion of the course would help repay the loan amount.
Admission requirements
Formalities and academic qualification that are essential to enroll for a particular course are indicative of the universities standard of education. Imparting admission only on the basis of money payment capacity should lower the credibility of the university. As certain minimum academic qualification must be mandatory prior to enroll for graduate courses. Not having any such restrictions results in accumulation of unworthy students who would latter be one’s fellow mates.
Investigate the faculty and alumni
Enquiry about the faculties, educational qualifications are indicative of the online universities competence to impart training. Also the university must have technological infrastructure to carry out the distance-learning program. Usually Students are required to log in for minimum number of times during the week. Although timings for logging can be adjusted in accordance with one’s comfort.

Is Online Education Right For You?
Some Universities and Colleges have opened a whole new line of education for today's busy people and for people in smaller cities and towns. You no longer have to sit in a classroom for 8 hours a day in-order to study for a Diploma, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree or Doctoral Degrees such as PhD's.
There are many Colleges and Universities in the UK and elsewhere that are now offering online courses. Of course if you're interested in the more traditional distance education courses and programs, there are some well established institutions where you can enrol. These online and distance education courses allow you to complete your degree or diploma course at your own pace. So before you take study leave from work or change your career just because your local college doesn't offer what you're looking for, find out if there are some accredited courses being offered online or through distant learning. You'll be surprised.
To reach the very top of any profession, you need to gain the right qualifications, and with a good degree course or diploma you'll be giving yourself the perfect start in your professional life. You'll learn in your own time, at your own pace and from the comfort of your own home - so whatever your circumstances, you'll have a much better chance of succeeding!
The great thing about online education is that with most colleges and universities, you can enrol at any time of the year. The courses are structured in small, manageable units, so you'll find learning very easy and enjoyable.
A growing number of physical universities as well as newer online only colleges have begun to offer a select set of academic degree programs via the internet. These programs range from Diplomas and Certificates to Doctoral programs with available emphasis in everything from Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. While some programs require students to attend some campus classes or summer classes, many are completely online. In addition, several universities offer online student support services, such as online advising, student governments and student newspapers.

In this era when education is more than mere literacy every individual wants to acquire it from the best place possible. A surge in the number of people aspiring for education and internet as an abounding source of knowledge in all areas have given birth to online education. Today there are countless online universities that offer numerous degree and diploma courses through internet and so bring education at your doorstep. So a person might be situated in any corner of the world he/she can acquire best information on a subject by mere sitting at home. The online universities serve you with proficient teachers who conduct online classes and exams. By sending an email or via conference with the teacher a student can get all his queries clarified. Though online education is quite expensive and does not fall within every aspirant’s budget but at the same time it is also money saving in quite a few ways. For instance online education saves you from the commutation expenditure, money you spend on stationary, outfits etc.
But today there are a horde of online universities that offer various courses and several other lures to woo students. However there are certain parameters that enable an individual to decide which online university he should go for.
• The foremost issue of consideration is the ‘course’. Try not to compromise on the choice of your course for any other pull that the university is offering. Search for the best online university for your desired course.
• Then take a look at the expenditure. If the course is far beyond your budget, no point probing into further details. In such a case take a look at the other universities that offer that course. The best thing about online universities is the myriad options available. So you will definitely find a university that meets your budget.
• After course and its fees comes the issue of classes, duration of the course etc. It is always prudent to opt for a university that provides lot many classes. For taking classes is an excellent way to comprehend the subject, clarify your doubts and difficulties and also to keep in touch with your studies. Also see the timings of the classes and tenure of the course. For the online education is just not quite beneficial if you are not able to take classes due to job or any other work and fail to do well in exams. Moreover the span of the course should be suitable to you.
• Then what matters is the faculty of the university. Take a look at the faculty directory and see the qualification of the concerned teachers.
• It is always better to go for a university that caters to job facility. If the online university itself does not recommend any placements then its degree should be one that fetches you a good job. This is basically concerned with the university’s reputation. The university’s remarkable reputation is a significant factor in fetching a respectable job. There are some sites that rank various online universities on the basis of their academic status. Some recommended universities are University of Phoenix Online, Capella University and DeVry University