subject: Considerations When Evaluating Online Education [print this page] The best place to begin is with a bit of self examination and introspection. Questions to ask yourself:
Why would you like to take a course online versus a more customary course?
Is online education compatible with your own needs and the way you learn?
How convenient are you with technology and a computer?
A great number of people look in online education because they think that it will be easier or faster. Both are common misunderstandings. A high quality online program or course should be each bit as taxing as its classroom analogue. Besides, because lots of courses online are self-paced, they may take much longer to be completed, particularly for working adults juggling other life duties.
Online education is a fairly self-directed and solitary undertaking. It is especially true for online courses progressing at a student's individual pace in comparison with those on a plan with specific deadlines. Also, online learning requires some knowledge with a computer. In case you are a person needing direction or structure, or thinking that the social sides of an education are important or appealing, than online education may not be the proper vehicle for you.
Also, one of the major indicators of the educational institution quality is accreditation. It is a procedure of peer-review of institutions as well as programs against set quality criteria by non-governmental and private educational associations called accrediting agencies. At a minimum, prospective students ought to consider programs nationally accredited by agencies recognized by the Department of Education in the USA.
Prospective students need to spend some time attempting to clear up the quality of a certain program of study. Also, they should require the educational institution to give statistics on their programs completion rate. Actually, high drop out rates are an indication of poorly designed programs. Also, prospective students should require whether they may sample a course to assess the instruction quality.
