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Distance education is the fastest-growing
method of delivering educational content worldwide.
Especially with the advent of the Internet and
the World Wide Web, technology has laced the distance
learning experience with a richness, diversity,
and speed of delivery unanticipated only a few
years ago.
As technology has raced forward in
its ability to deliver high-quality images, sound,
and other content, it has expanded the reach of
both the education consumer and universities,
which now can serve up high-quality programs to
learners virtually anywhere in the world, any
time of the day or night.
What constitutes "distance education"?
Simply defined, it is any program that allows
students to learn away from a traditional campus-based
classroom environment.
Students today can study at home, in a library,
in a bookstore or coffee shop, on a plane, train
or boat, in a hotel room, at work, or just about
anywhere else. Distance education generally enables
students to schedule their time around work, family
and other responsibilities, rather then around
a professor's classroom hours or commutes to a
campus.
Depending on the offering institution,
new technologies can be integrated into courses
that enable real-time interaction with faculty
and other classmates in ways that equal or even
exceed what would be experienced in traditional
classrooms. Satellite downloads, compressed video,
chatrooms, and live audio options enable dozens
of students to participate in discussions via
virtual clusters (cohorts) or members of an online
class. These technologies are enabling even those
in rural and less-developed nations to gain the
advanced college-level work they need to be able
to compete in the global setting.
Along with the increase in demand
for distance learning has come a need for faculty
to learn new ways of teaching their content; teaching
online or via site-based weekend meetings is not
the same as teaching in traditional settings.
Many develop these skills by taking programs that
teach the teachers how to best create and implement
instructional technology for distance education.
Quality of learning
One of the most often asked questions is whether
the quality of distance learning is as good as
that of traditional methods. The resounding answer,
based on numerous studies as well as testimonials
from students, is "yes" -- if the student
understands that taking coursework via distance
education is not "just like going to class"
in a traditional classroom. The student must create
for him/herself the discipline to learn that,
in traditional settings, is imposed by the setting
itself -- going to class, paying attention, turning
in assignments on time, and so on.
There are several key elements of
a distance learning program to research and evaluate.
These include:
Accreditation
Does the offering institution hold accreditation
by an appropriately recognized and respected organization?
Most U.S. colleges and universities, for example,
hold accreditation issued by one of five regional
accrediting agencies; distance learning programs
offered by such institutions must meet that agency's
standards just as live classroom programs would.
Mode of instruction
Various formats of distance learning exist, many
of which carry specific equipment, communication
network and/or skill requirements for successful
completion. Be sure to understand these requirements
beforehand.
Self-study
vs. Directed-study
Self-study programs are usually pre-packaged courses
or series that the individual completes at his/her
own pace; these are usually associated with professional
development programs but not with degree-based
ones. College-credit programs almost always involve
continuous interaction with one or more faculty
members, and in many cases with others in a class
or cohort.
Referrals
One of the best ways to evaluate a program is
through the experiences of others who have already
been through it. Ask the offering university for
referrals to current students or program graduates.
While confidentiality issues prevent universities
from wantonly offering such information, many
will have names of alumni who have already volunteered
to share with others.
This column is offered as a helpful
guide by distance education experts at Nova Southeastern
University, one of the world's leading providers
of distance learning for those in education and
general leadership roles.
More Information: Contact NSU at
fgseinfo@nova.edu,
www.fgse.nova.edu,
or (U.S.) 954-262-8500.
With thanks to: Brian Croswhite,
Nova Southeastern university
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