Benefits of an Online Education
What in the Heck is an Online Education?
You may have heard of an online degree or education program, but been unsure what it entailed or if it was something you could do. With today's technology, we are moving away from the classroom and toward virtual studies! With distance learning, you have the opportunity to study virtually anything anywhere!
The Basics
Online degree programs, as the name suggests, allow you to study online. You will have access to an online forum or class manager website where you can get your assignments, view messages from your professor and classmates, read resources related to your course (yes, sometimes you are not even required to buy a book!!) and turn in assignments.
Communication usually takes place via instant messenger services and email. In fact, you are more likely to get emails from your professor than phone calls!
Some classes are set so that you have specific assignments for specific dates, just like in-person classes, while others are more flexible and let you work as slow or as fast as you want.
Why it's So Great. If you've ever fallen asleep during early morning college classes, missed too many classes and been penalized or been distracted by people in your on-campus class, you can imagine why studying from home is so wonderful. Distance learning lets you set your own schedule (no more early classes) and focus directly on the work you need to get done.
Student-Centered Learning
For students who have trouble learning in traditional learning environments, online education is ideal. Whether a student is shy, has a learning disability or just doesn't click with traditional teaching practices, online learning offers a solution for anyone.
You Get to Decide. Because e-learning focuses on student-centered learning, you get to decide how you work best. Maybe you want to study at the same time each day for a set time. Maybe you need the support of other students via chat boards to learn best. Or maybe you find you can really express yourself using chat boards and instant messaging, whereas you were too shy to speak up in a classroom.
Visual Aid. Many online teachers use visual aids for instruction. If you're the kind of person who needs visual tools to learn, you will enjoy watching video clips and PowerPoint presentations as part of your online education.
Find Your Voice. If you are shy, you probably never spoke up in class, even if you had great comments and questions. With online studies, you can “talk” as much as you want without the pressure, using online chat and instant messaging.
Group Meetings. Meeting classmates for group activities on campus can be like herding cats into a bag. But with the ease of access online, you can meet classmates for a discussion or chat about a project virtually anywhere and any time.
How Online Learning Works
So you've signed up for your first online courses. You're not sure what to expect. Here's a basic overview of what your first foray into e-learning will be like.
* Join the Club. Your first assignment for online courses will likely be getting familiar with the online class manager. You will be given instructions for how to create a username and profile. With this tool, you will be able to access assignments, the syllabus, suggested readings and chat boards where the professor and students interact.
* Meet the Gang. Just like you, your classmates are probably new to this. Normally, professors ask the class to introduce themselves on the chat board or via instant messaging. You'll tell everyone who you are and why you're interested in the course. You'll find you have classmates from all over the country, if not the world!
* Homework. Unfortunately, you can't escape homework, even online. You will be given due dates for assignments, which may include reading books or articles, writing essays or answering questions. And don't forget tests!
As time goes by, you'll become used to your new classroom environment.
Make Friends While Learning
Thanks to today's innovations in forums, chat boards, email and instant messaging, it is possible for you to interact with people all around the world. If you're taking an online course, your classmates will be located all over the place, too.
E-learning uses these technology tools to communicate. You'll participate in discussions on subject matter with your teacher and classmates, and in these conversations, you may find people you really connect with, who share your interests.
Study Buddy. Finding a friend in an online course has many benefits. The first is, of course, the friendship. Finding someone you click with is hard, so having a larger pool of candidates increases your chance. Since you're obviously interested in the same subject (you're studying it, after all), you are likely to have stuff in common with your fellow students.
You also have a built in study buddy. Because you're both studying for the same class, you can ask each other questions about material you don't understand or quiz each other before a test. You could even set up large study sessions and include a bigger group of students.
You may find a lifetime friend in an online class. You can continue to correspond for years, or you might even arrange to meet your new friend in person one day!
Staying Up to Date Online
With technology and current events constantly changing, college textbooks get outdated easily. An advantage to online education is that it's constantly on the cutting edge. Teachers do not have to wait for new editions of books to come out: the Internet is their resource.
Read the News. Many professors don't even require students to buy hefty (and costly) textbooks; instead they provide students with website links, newspaper clippings and magazine articles. This way, the material is always up-to-date. Students are encouraged to read up on the subject on their own and discussions often form around related news as it is reported.
News as it Happens. You probably remember reading things in history books that had changed since the book was written (the Berlin Wall coming down, relations changing in the Middle East). The exciting thing about online courses is that news is happening while you take a class. For instance, if you are studying the Middle East, it is possible that the “situation” could change while you are studying it. You stay alert on the latest happenings around the world.
Sharper Minds. If your study material is constantly updated, your knowledge is never obsolete. Many of us don't read newspapers or news websites, so online learning can pique our interest in current events and teach us how to use technology to quickly find what we want to learn about.
Online Education Counselors Work for You
If you have attended a traditional college, you likely had an advisor whose job was to guide you through your education and help you decide which classes to take. You may have not been impressed with the skills of the counselors. Many universities require professors to also fill the role of counselor for students, so naturally their ability to counsel is not as strong as their ability to teach.
With online degree programs, you will find an impressive level of accessibility and information from your educational counselor. Normally, these counselors do only that: counsel! They are available to answer any questions you have about your online learning experience and can help you choose the right classes.
Because of the virtual factor of e-learning, the counselors work with your schedule. If you work 40 hours a week, your counselor will call you in the evening or on the weekend. No more rushing to a counselor's office only to find they have started their weekend early!
Online counselors respond well via email and instant messaging. It's part of their job! They are familiar with the concerns you may have if this is your first time taking an online class. It is their responsibility to make you feel more comfortable in your new virtual environment.
Where to Find Online Degree Programs
While it is obvious that you will find online degree programs online, you'll soon realize you are swamped with choices. The school or program you choose will depend on what you want to study, what the program offers, admission requirements and cost.
Form a Search Party. Start by searching for what you want to study—EarnMyDegree.com lists hundreds of online learning programs, which will make your work easier. If you are a working professional, many of the programs are designed with you in mind.
Select a few links to get started. Narrow down your choices to five, based on a quick look at what the program entails (if you want to finish your schooling in 9 months, but a program lasts 18, move on).
Make a List, Check it Twice. With your online school list, decide what qualities you are looking for. Do you need the program to cost under $5,000? Do you want self-paced assignments? Would you prefer to study for an international MBA or traditional?
Make notes on each school and eliminate those that don't meet your requirements. Before you know it, you will have found the school that perfectly meets your needs!
You may have heard of an online degree or education program, but been unsure what it entailed or if it was something you could do. With today's technology, we are moving away from the classroom and toward virtual studies! With distance learning, you have the opportunity to study virtually anything anywhere!
The Basics
Online degree programs, as the name suggests, allow you to study online. You will have access to an online forum or class manager website where you can get your assignments, view messages from your professor and classmates, read resources related to your course (yes, sometimes you are not even required to buy a book!!) and turn in assignments.
Communication usually takes place via instant messenger services and email. In fact, you are more likely to get emails from your professor than phone calls!
Some classes are set so that you have specific assignments for specific dates, just like in-person classes, while others are more flexible and let you work as slow or as fast as you want.
Why it's So Great. If you've ever fallen asleep during early morning college classes, missed too many classes and been penalized or been distracted by people in your on-campus class, you can imagine why studying from home is so wonderful. Distance learning lets you set your own schedule (no more early classes) and focus directly on the work you need to get done.
Student-Centered Learning
For students who have trouble learning in traditional learning environments, online education is ideal. Whether a student is shy, has a learning disability or just doesn't click with traditional teaching practices, online learning offers a solution for anyone.
You Get to Decide. Because e-learning focuses on student-centered learning, you get to decide how you work best. Maybe you want to study at the same time each day for a set time. Maybe you need the support of other students via chat boards to learn best. Or maybe you find you can really express yourself using chat boards and instant messaging, whereas you were too shy to speak up in a classroom.
Visual Aid. Many online teachers use visual aids for instruction. If you're the kind of person who needs visual tools to learn, you will enjoy watching video clips and PowerPoint presentations as part of your online education.
Find Your Voice. If you are shy, you probably never spoke up in class, even if you had great comments and questions. With online studies, you can “talk” as much as you want without the pressure, using online chat and instant messaging.
Group Meetings. Meeting classmates for group activities on campus can be like herding cats into a bag. But with the ease of access online, you can meet classmates for a discussion or chat about a project virtually anywhere and any time.
How Online Learning Works
So you've signed up for your first online courses. You're not sure what to expect. Here's a basic overview of what your first foray into e-learning will be like.
* Join the Club. Your first assignment for online courses will likely be getting familiar with the online class manager. You will be given instructions for how to create a username and profile. With this tool, you will be able to access assignments, the syllabus, suggested readings and chat boards where the professor and students interact.
* Meet the Gang. Just like you, your classmates are probably new to this. Normally, professors ask the class to introduce themselves on the chat board or via instant messaging. You'll tell everyone who you are and why you're interested in the course. You'll find you have classmates from all over the country, if not the world!
* Homework. Unfortunately, you can't escape homework, even online. You will be given due dates for assignments, which may include reading books or articles, writing essays or answering questions. And don't forget tests!
As time goes by, you'll become used to your new classroom environment.
Make Friends While Learning
Thanks to today's innovations in forums, chat boards, email and instant messaging, it is possible for you to interact with people all around the world. If you're taking an online course, your classmates will be located all over the place, too.
E-learning uses these technology tools to communicate. You'll participate in discussions on subject matter with your teacher and classmates, and in these conversations, you may find people you really connect with, who share your interests.
Study Buddy. Finding a friend in an online course has many benefits. The first is, of course, the friendship. Finding someone you click with is hard, so having a larger pool of candidates increases your chance. Since you're obviously interested in the same subject (you're studying it, after all), you are likely to have stuff in common with your fellow students.
You also have a built in study buddy. Because you're both studying for the same class, you can ask each other questions about material you don't understand or quiz each other before a test. You could even set up large study sessions and include a bigger group of students.
You may find a lifetime friend in an online class. You can continue to correspond for years, or you might even arrange to meet your new friend in person one day!
Staying Up to Date Online
With technology and current events constantly changing, college textbooks get outdated easily. An advantage to online education is that it's constantly on the cutting edge. Teachers do not have to wait for new editions of books to come out: the Internet is their resource.
Read the News. Many professors don't even require students to buy hefty (and costly) textbooks; instead they provide students with website links, newspaper clippings and magazine articles. This way, the material is always up-to-date. Students are encouraged to read up on the subject on their own and discussions often form around related news as it is reported.
News as it Happens. You probably remember reading things in history books that had changed since the book was written (the Berlin Wall coming down, relations changing in the Middle East). The exciting thing about online courses is that news is happening while you take a class. For instance, if you are studying the Middle East, it is possible that the “situation” could change while you are studying it. You stay alert on the latest happenings around the world.
Sharper Minds. If your study material is constantly updated, your knowledge is never obsolete. Many of us don't read newspapers or news websites, so online learning can pique our interest in current events and teach us how to use technology to quickly find what we want to learn about.
Online Education Counselors Work for You
If you have attended a traditional college, you likely had an advisor whose job was to guide you through your education and help you decide which classes to take. You may have not been impressed with the skills of the counselors. Many universities require professors to also fill the role of counselor for students, so naturally their ability to counsel is not as strong as their ability to teach.
With online degree programs, you will find an impressive level of accessibility and information from your educational counselor. Normally, these counselors do only that: counsel! They are available to answer any questions you have about your online learning experience and can help you choose the right classes.
Because of the virtual factor of e-learning, the counselors work with your schedule. If you work 40 hours a week, your counselor will call you in the evening or on the weekend. No more rushing to a counselor's office only to find they have started their weekend early!
Online counselors respond well via email and instant messaging. It's part of their job! They are familiar with the concerns you may have if this is your first time taking an online class. It is their responsibility to make you feel more comfortable in your new virtual environment.
Where to Find Online Degree Programs
While it is obvious that you will find online degree programs online, you'll soon realize you are swamped with choices. The school or program you choose will depend on what you want to study, what the program offers, admission requirements and cost.
Form a Search Party. Start by searching for what you want to study—EarnMyDegree.com lists hundreds of online learning programs, which will make your work easier. If you are a working professional, many of the programs are designed with you in mind.
Select a few links to get started. Narrow down your choices to five, based on a quick look at what the program entails (if you want to finish your schooling in 9 months, but a program lasts 18, move on).
Make a List, Check it Twice. With your online school list, decide what qualities you are looking for. Do you need the program to cost under $5,000? Do you want self-paced assignments? Would you prefer to study for an international MBA or traditional?
Make notes on each school and eliminate those that don't meet your requirements. Before you know it, you will have found the school that perfectly meets your needs!
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