Education | Meta-Education

How Distance Learning Can Negatively Impact Your Career

Distance learning is an ideal option if you live far from a college campus, are working full-time, have a family, or are just simply turned off by the idea of traditional schooling. Distance learning has its perks. Virtual classes can be watched at your leisure. You can save time by jumping ahead and doing homework during class and not be reprimanded for it. You can study whenever and however you like, whether it be during a trip or at home in your pajamas.

An education solely from virtual classes does have its downsides. In some ways, this can negatively affect your future career in the long-run. Here are some points to consider:

• Virtual classes may not be as tough as tradition bricks and mortar classes. Although this sounds great in the short-term, you may not end up learning as much from the class. Keep in mind that you need to learn and gain skills through your classes to help you out in your career, not to just simply pass classes to gain quick access to a diploma.
• Distance learning lacks personal interaction. Unless you will have a career of jobs in which you telecommute or work by yourself, this will not do you any good. Most jobs require skills in teamwork. This is why many traditional classes require group projects throughout the semester. A lack of people skills may make certain situations difficult in your job.
• You will not gain public speaking skills. Sure, you may not plan on being a broadcast journalist or a great orator, but students of all majors benefit from public speaking in some fashion.
• Some companies solely want employees from traditional bricks and mortar schools. There is a misconception that graduates from traditional schools are better educated than those who obtained their education virtually.

Your Education: Traditional or Online?

Choosing the right type of education has become an important part of pursuing a degree or certificate, and now you can choose between online courses or traditional campus courses when enrolling in school. There are benefits and drawbacks to each of these education types, and so it is up to you to decide which type is going to address your needs and match with your personality style in order for you to have the best possible learning experience imaginable.

Online degrees and degree programs do have benefits, especially for students that need to pursue a distance learning program. If you cannot attend on-campus classes due to location or scheduling conflicts, then an online degree program can benefit you. Many distance learning courses also offer the benefit of self-paced learning by making course materials available early and allowing you to complete the work at your own pace, but this is not always the case and every course and degree program is different.

On campus courses offer benefits as well, which you must consider. For example, online courses do not provide any face to face communication with the instructor, and so they are less personal in comparison to on campus courses. It can also be slower to get help with problems in online courses because you cannot simply raise your hand or ask for help from fellow students.

It is ultimately up to you to decide which type of education is going to meet your needs depending on what your personality is like and what your schedule is like as well. Make sure to explore different resources online to find out whether an online university or a traditional university is going to be ideal for you. You may also consider a hybrid education involving both on campus and online courses depending on what your university offers.

Filed Under: General, Online Education Tagged With: Academic degree, Campus, Distance education, Distance Learning, E-learning, Education, Online degrees, Student

How Your Current Job Can Pay for College

It is a well-known fact that having a degree can lead you to higher-paying jobs. In some cases, you will make more with a degree doing the same job as someone without a degree. At the same time, employers benefit from having educated employees. They are more knowledgeable in their field and have the latest information on up and coming trends. Some potential students refrain from attending college after high school due to the costs involved. There are some instances in which a company or organization is willing to pay their employees to further their education.

The military is known for paying for college for service men and women. This is one of the reasons why some people join the military. The military is not the only employer that pays its employees for education. Other well-known companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Walt Disney offer educational incentives to some of their employees and interns.

Paid education is one of the things to consider when applying for jobs, but should not be the sole factor. What happens if you already have a Bachelor’s degree and you want to go to graduate school? Professional and service jobs are increasingly offering to pay employees for grad school tuition costs. Examples include teachers, police officers, and fire fighters.

The reimbursement of college costs is definitely an incentive of certain jobs. However, you should not pass up the opportunity to go to school just because you want your future job to pay for the costs of college. Although some companies offer tuition assistance, the majority of companies do not. A better case scenario is to get your Bachelor’s degree after high school if you have the opportunity to, and then to find a good job that can pay for higher education costs. Do not rely on a free ride for college.

Filed Under: Adult Education, Continuing Education Tagged With: Education, Employment

Time-Managing Tips for College Students That Work

There are a variety of reasons why some college students decide to take on a job in addition to their studies. The most obvious is the need for spending money, be it for books, groceries or keg cups. However, there is another group of working students that instead enter the labor force to supplement their education with real hands-on experience. Many people from this group can be found in the medical industry like nursing and pharmacology.

But whatever the reason for working while going to school at the same time, they all share one common problem: time, or the lack thereof. First of all, students that choose to work have to balance their schedule between the two. They must decide whether to do either, or both, full-time or part-time. No matter what schedule they formulate, working students will undoubtedly be confronted with less time to study and engage in extra-curricular or leisurely activities. Thus, it is imperative to manage time wisely.

Foremost, working college students should always plan far in advance. Always be aware of deadlines, as well as holidays which might allow extra time to catch up or get ahead. Additionally, it’s smart to expect the unexpected. This means allowing for leeway in the case of a pop-up assignment or the need to work overtime.

It’s essential to be aware of one’s limits when loading up a schedule with both school and work. Trying to accomplish too much will only hurt in the long run. Instead, it’s better to keep a work load–both at a job and at school–that is comfortable and add to it gradually.

Another step for managing time is getting enough sleep, which college students are known to excel. While it seems like a rather absurd tip, it has been proven that people under a lack of sleep perform tasks much more poorly. Drowsiness can then make some tasks take longer to accomplish, putting an entire schedule behind.

Filed Under: Adult Education, Higher Education Tagged With: College Life, Colleges and Universities, Education, Student

The Many Conveniences of Online Courses

If there is one general advantage of online courses over traditional classroom courses, it is convenience. The convenience of online courses become apparent in a variety of ways, from time management to control over how one learns the material. It is this advantage that has made online courses a standard in all major universities, as well as allowed some to prosper and provide legitimate degrees on them alone. So in what ways exactly are they more convenient?

Unlike courses that follow rigid schedules, those online allow an extensive mode of flexibility. Students don’t have to be in class at a certain time for lecture, instead they spend time familiarizing themselves with the material when it best suits them. Additionally, students can tackle assignments on their own time as well, never having to stress over in-class projects.

Because of this convenient flexibility, students can allocate time towards other matters like working. It is difficult for most students to fit a job in the confines of a class schedule. But with online courses, class time can be moved to any hours of the day. This opens the door to more kinds of jobs available as well.

Instead of attempting to take notes during a lecture by hand, online courses readily provide lecture materials for students to conveniently browse and consult at their leisure; an extremely helpful feature for studying for exams. This convenience can also lead students to save money by eliminating the need for certain school supplies like notebooks.

Online courses also provide the convenience to pursue additional curricular activities like an internship, fellowship or apprenticeship to supplement a student’s education. They can also tackle other endeavors that can help buffer a resume such as research and papers for publication in their respective field of study. And who can forget the convenience to enjoy the many fun and exciting activities offered by colleges from intramural sports, art exhibits, theater performances and musical concerts.

Filed Under: Online Education, Online Learning Tagged With: E-learning, Education, Student

The Valuable Benefits of Distant Learning

The way people are educated is an evolving process as educators search for the most effective ways to teach students. Blackboards, chalk and erasers have given way to computers in the classroom, and now, more students are taking courses in many places other than a classroom. Although distant learning has been around for generations, it is just now reaching its potential with the proliferation of new, cheaper technology. Whether on the Internet or through delivered DVDs, distant learning is becoming a staple for learning in elementary school and into college.

With all of this change, some traditionalists have come to wonder what exactly are the benefits. They believe the same education can’t be garnered as with a physical teacher. Or they bemoan the lack of a rigid school schedule.

The truth is that distant learning provides many benefits outside the classroom. First and foremost, the advent of distant learning has provided greater access to education than what can be offered by tradition schools. Students that live in rural or underprivileged areas can take classes on the subjects they are most interested in. For those same students it is also a more economical method of learning, not needing expensive textbooks or other materials.

There is also a cost advantage for educational institutions as well as the individual student. Instead of operating with full-time educators and using an extensive supply of materials, everything can be done online or with a few discs.

Distant learning creates a new demographic of learners, especially in adults who lack the time to dedicate to traditional courses. For universities, they have seen a bump in students and tuition as students from other college need to take a specific course but find it only at another university’s distant learning program.

Of course the students are to benefit greatly with distant learning when it comes to time and flexibility. Individuals can follow additional opportunities like a job or other educational pursuits.

Filed Under: Continuing Education, Online Learning Tagged With: Education, Learning, Student, Teacher

How to Decide Between Online Colleges

Trying to decide between online colleges is much more different than trying to pick amongst traditional universities. Most students interested in an online college have a specific subject in mind, but don’t have the same statistics that are available for major universities to help compare programs. No need to fret though, as there are a few basic things to consider when choosing between online colleges that will provide just as an informed decision as deciding between any universities.

The first thing to be aware of is an online college’s accreditation. The status of this very important feature can be the deciding factor between getting a job or transferring credits to another school. Attending a school with regional accreditation will provide many more options.

Research each online college’s requirements. While online college means not having to attend daily classes in-person, some may still require to attend on-campus sessions. Remember, not all of them let students attain degrees solely online.

The most appealing feature of online colleges for a lot students is their flexible schedules. Most schools will allow students to work at their own pace, but others have unwavering deadlines or live lecture sessions at specific times. Decide which setting is best for you; whether you need more freedom or more structure.

Like all traditional universities, online colleges have course exams. But unlike those institutions, each online college may follow its own testing structure. Whereas some require students to complete exams in the flesh at a testing facility, others stay with the online educational parameters and allow students take all tests online as well. This can be a major concern if you live a great distance from the actual college.

Also in the mold of other colleges, online schools have admission proceedings. A few take whomever sends a check. Meanwhile, others try to hold a higher standard and require detailed application forms along with an essay, and will take high school performance into consideration.

Filed Under: Higher Education, Online Education Tagged With: College, Distance education, Education, Student

Great Resources for Online Learning

Textbooks have given way to web browsers. In a digital world of free encyclopedias like Wikipedia and search engines that answer questions in under a second, any adult or child can learn math, history and science facts with a click of the mouse. But mixed in with all that information is a lot of misinformation making an education garnered from the Internet much more suspect than the peer-reviewed tomes in a library. However, there are many reputable online learning resources available and each eager learner should start with these.

Cosmeo
Coming from the creative minds at the Discovery Channel is this educational tool that features interactive games, tens of thousands of videos, over 150,000 articles and tutorials. This resource is designed towards grades K-12 and costs $100 for yearly subscription or $10 per month.

Best Robotics
For those future engineers of the world is this online learning resource that will kindle everyone’s competitive and creative-thinking spirits. It is geared towards entering a nationwide robotics contest that features over 10,000 contestants. Users can get up to date information from current pros in the robotic field.

Education.com
No matter what the subject, those seeking to be schooled online will find credible information from an expansive collection of articles from a list of PhD-worthy educators, as well as government agency reports. It also features a discussion board where people can exchange ideas and learn together.

Curriki.org
Undecided what you should be learning exactly? The Curriki.org online learning resource is an open forum for educators and parents to create lesson plans anyone can use, or change as they see fit.

Smithsonian Institution
Those dusty old museums people have forgotten about are actually flourishing in the digital world. One such museum is the Smithsonian Institution that features multiple online learning resources, including Smithsonian Education and Smithsonian Research, for curious youngsters. Each expansive site is home to informative presentations and videos on everything from snakes to Presidents.

Filed Under: Higher Education, Online Learning Tagged With: Discovery Channel, E-learning, Education

Top Degrees to Obtain Online

It’s harder and harder to find a job that doesn’t require a college degree. This presents quite the dilemma for people already in the work force that decided to forgo college and start working right out of high school. At this point in their lives they have too many responsibilities to attend college full time which is why online courses are a viable alternative. Students get all of their materials online and have much more flexibility in their schedule. Accredited online programs offer all degrees–associates, bachelors, masters and yes, doctorates–that are recognized by any career recruiter. If you’re looking to join the working ranks, or looking for a career change, here are the top degrees to find online.

Business
Most online programs offer degrees in all fields of business. This includes finance, accounting, marketing, international banking and many more. Getting a business degree online is great for supplementing a degree you currently have and advancing your career, and can be achieved in 1 to 3 years time.

Engineering
The job market for engineering is hot and hasn’t shown any signs of cooling down. Believe it or not, students can learn the latest in engineering in every subject–mechanical, electrical, civil, aeronautic, etc.–and get a degree in this burgeoning field. The most popular programs in this field are masters degrees as people in science careers seek to further their expertise.

Teaching
Master programs in teaching are more prevalent online than bachelors, but can open the doors to all sectors of the education industry. In addition, most programs will request teaching hours right on campus but can be generally administered on a campus nearest to you.

Computer Science
Another industry with many job opportunities is computer science and information technology, many by Fortune 500 companies. Since the curriculum covers computer technology, what better way to learn than on a computer? Students can learn to write code, as well as design interactive networks.

Filed Under: Higher Education, Online Learning Tagged With: Academic degree, E-learning, Education

Professional Courses Provide Practical Education

Beginning as early as middle school students start judging what they learn in class and how it applies to the real world. Anyone that has had to sit through hours of algebra or calculus and went on to get a job in a profession that uses neither math or science certainly understands this sentiment. The same thinking continues in college classrooms as well. Every college has a set of required courses, especially for freshman that leave some to wonder about their purpose.

If the goal is to get a job out of college then why spend time learning about things that are irrelevant to your future industry? This question has created new educational programs, which many colleges are starting to offer, that teach more practical knowledge for specific subjects. These are generally known as professional courses.

Professional courses are usually geared towards attaining a master degree with employment as the final goal. Many working adults enter these education programs to expand their experience in their current profession or jump into something brand new. They are taught in a variety of fields from real estate to public relations to digital media.

One advantage of professional courses is that students don’t have to dedicate themselves to superfluous studies in unrelated material. Everything studied in the class is predicated on the real-life issues of that particular field or job profession. If you study business then you don’t learn Shakespeare.

Additionally, professional courses are taught by instructors that are also leaders in their field. Instead of learning from someone that just knows a lot about an industry, they learn from someone who is actually in that industry and doing well in it. Also, students in professional courses are commonly required to garner hands-on experience in their field of study. This can mean having a class in the actual work environment and taking part. Or it can mean taking an internship while going through the program.

Filed Under: Higher Education, Online Learning Tagged With: E-learning, Education, Learning, Student