subject: Start Right: Is Online Education Right for You [print this page] Start Right: Is Online Education Right for You
A lowdown on the things you need to remember before you get into a distance education program.
The distance education system has been gaining widespread popularity over the years. By widening access to higher education, the distance mode provides an opportunity to all those who are/were unable to pursue higher education through the traditional system.
You should also take into account your own personality and priorities, and have a clear idea about the advantages and disadvantages of distance education and the methodology involved in it.
Your checklist
The relevance and validity of the program for your personal career/life goals.
The extent of need to pursue the program. If it is something that is essential for a job or for a promotion, then it is high priority, but if it can be taken as a campus program at a later date, it would be more useful if one is interested in a campus placement.
Distance education is suitable for you if you are good at self study and do not need face-to-face classroom interaction to feel confident.
If you are one of those who is self motivated and gets work/ assignments done on time, then distance education is not a problem. However, if you tend to put off things till the last minute, then distance education would not be advisable.
For those who are good at interpreting and acting upon written instructions, distance education poses no hurdles, but those who need to have instructions explained in person may not be suitable for distance learning.
Distance education demands regular personal time for study, hence, one should have time to devote on a daily (ideally!), but definitely, on a weekly basis. Self-discipline is very important for successful completion of a distance learning initiative.
In today's time, distance learning involves the use of different media such as radio, television, computers and other new technologies, so a distance learner should be keen and optimistic about learning new skills. Those who are apprehensive and hesitant about adopting new technologies, would find distance learning programs, in current times, a problem to handle.
If a student has no relevant experience in the same field in which he/she is pursuing distance learning, then the certification / qualification would not give him/her any direct advantage, be it in better prospects or placement. For someone with strong work experience and excellent personality skills, such a program may give one the necessary edge for moving ahead with more confidence and credibility.
More on the go...
The right provider: There are many providers of distance learning for all kinds of courses. Do the proper background check on the institution you are considering with the relevant authorities to verify on their accreditation and authenticity before registering. Find out whether the educational material and resources are adequate for doing justice to the program.
Study center/contact classes: As part of a distance-learning program, there may be a scheme of attending contact classes that are mandatory for the program. Hence, it is important to choose a provider with study centers in your part of the country, to allow you to attend with the least amount of disruption in your schedule.
Utilizing facilities: Some distance learning courses offer online lectures and email correspondence to facilitate communication with lecturers and other students. These facilities should be utilized as much as possible as it provides a link back to the educational institution. These also act as a great source of motivation in order to keep progressing through the course of study. They may also offer access to online library/ information resources, which are a great help for working on assignments and other research necessary to progress. As the cost is in-built into the program fee, not making use of the same is definitely a great loss to the individual.
Costs and benefits: Many prominent institutions known for their full time programs, offer online alternatives which may not offer the same qualification, though the content may be similar. Being offered online and with the option of virtual classroom sessions, the program costs are high. Some students enroll for these without doing a cost benefit analysis of taking the course in the first place.
