     |
Introduction to Online Education, A Distance Learning Veteran’s View of the Past and PresentOnline education, in simple terms, means self home study. There is no need to commute to campus, no classes to attend, and no other students sitting beside you. Your lecturer is miles away. It is a virtual university campus in your home. More on the pros and cons of online learning? Find out from here! Way before the internet or information age… Before internet, you enroll for a distance correspondence course. Upon enrolment, you receive course materials from the correspondence school or college after you paid your tuition fees. Then you start to learn and study what is given in the lecture notes. You may buy reference books as recommended and study them. When you complete one chapter, you do your assignment as directed. You then mail to the correspondence school your completed assignment in an envelope together with the questions and doubts, which you gathered during your studies, for clarification. Perhaps after a day or 2 of relaxation, you would go on to the next chapter whilst waiting for the assessment of your assignment. Depending on where you stay, how far away you are from your school and the efficiency of your post office, your assessment would be returned to you three weeks to one month thereafter. Today, a correspondence course study is still an available alternative to study in university campus.
Immediately before online education was introduced, you still receive course materials in book form. But then you have an alternative choice of sending your assignment by telex (if you are lucky enough, your employer may allow you to use this facility for your personal study. If your budget allows it, you can use the telex service from your telecommunication department). Later technology in telecommunication was the facsimile. You may then submit your assignment using fax as an additional alternative to post. Some correspondence schools still allow faxed-in assignment as of today even though internet or online education is at its advanced stage. You are basically left alone to study on your own. Your contact with the lecturer is practically zero. Your lecturer knows you by the paper assignments and the letters you mailed to him. You may communicate with your lecturer by voice over the expensive phone calls and that is the closest contact you can have with your lecturer. … Thank god there’s the internet! Now, with the advanced development of computer and internet, you may be able to get your course materials and lecture notes online. Get them printed or store them in your computer. With online education, you don’t have to wait for weeks for the materials to arrive. You can contact your lecturer and your peers by email, forums or by icq. Get your questions and doubts answered and clarified quickly. You can send your assignments in digital form and get it assessed quickly. Furthermore, you can sit for your examinations online and get your results almost instantly. Using email and / or icq, you may join in a study group, share and exchange information, ideas and compare notes with the members of your study group. You may even talk with your lecturer using internet phone and listen and watch the lecturer and other students in action as if you are in the lecture hall. Search the net to find out how the online degrees providers deliver their lectures. Hold on. Online Education may not be all that perfect, as you would have thought. Online schools have their own methods of delivering their lectures and course materials. Some are totally online. Some are not. Some deliver lectures on scheduled date and time. Some schedule their date and time but give you the second chance to attend the recorded lecture. For this reason, you have to understand fully the methods adopted by the school or college and pros and cons of online education before you enroll. My recommendations: If you have a computer, do not invest in further accessories (e.g. view cam, ear phone etc); and if you don’t have one yet, do not buy one until you are sure of what are required. Most schools would recommend the computer hardware requirement. Unless you have the full understanding of the online education methods that match your requirements and situations, do not enroll. Don’t forget, you may be in Malaysia (or any other country) and its timeline is different from that in US or in UK. If the lectures or discussions were scheduled at the time when you are working, you would never have the chance to attend it.
Contributed by
Actually, internet brings a lot of opportunities to surfers like you and me who are seriously in quest of knowledge and skills. Sites providing information, education and self-development are there for you to search and browse. If you are thinking about learning how to do marketing in the web, this is one page you should visit. Make Your Knowledge Sell, click the button on your right. 
It is free.
If you are thinking of pursuing an online education, and you want to know more about how you can achieve success in your qualification paper-chase, visit this page that gives you tips on how to be successful online students. Buy the book for your own benefits. Online education makes changes to your life. It has impact on your health, your finance, your family and your career. . Read these pages for your considerations:
Learning at home at the tender age produces disciplined persons. Visit this site: Eclectic HomeSchooling Resources Homeschooling resource, setting up and properly managing your home schooling and curriculum is a vital.
Home Based Internet Business that can bring you residual income. Read this site: 5 tier Affiliate Program in Detail
Synergy Merchant can maximizes your advancement options. Find out how, click here Focus your awareness, clear you mind and discover the best form of meditation for you with meditation technique videos on beyou.tv. Watch for free, purchase a monthly membership or download to own.   Go International, Go Global with A Website Built To Bring In World Money. 
|
