subject: 3 Long Distance Learning To Watch Out For [print this page] The Internet has done wonders for long distance learning. Not only does the long distance learning relegate itself to what used to be mail order degrees but several specialized niches of distance learning have cropped up with the rise of the Internet. Here are but a few of some of the long distance learning courses that are popular online:
1. Undergraduate degree programs. These are still one of the most sought after long distance learning products and they take a huge chunk of the market in online education. These days you can even get different degree programs from well known and respected universities. This is because of the present technology enables these colleges to upload video lectures for enrollees to download. There are even cases when video online conferencing is possible. For the enrollee, it is almost instantaneous for them to receive feedback from the lecturer or professor via email or chat programs. They even have the option for a video chat. Why is that so important? It makes the connection between student and teacher more personal and this relationship is often times the main reason for enrollees to continue with the degree. It is also noteworthy for the professor to find devoted and serious students who really want to learn as these students are often times working and for them to enroll in such a course despite their hectic schedule is something the professor does appreciate.
2. Language learning programs. For those wanting to learn a foreign language, or even learning English as a Second Language, the internet enables them to converse with their instructors who may be based in the country of the originating language. Learning German from a real German based in Germany has its advantages as the student can learn the correct diction and even pick up idiomatic expressions from the local. What is also nice about this is that they can learn on their own time and assignments are given on wave files, which the student can practice time and again.
3. Hobbies and Trades. This is a new niche in the market but has a huge potential. Especially for kids who want to learn a unique hobby like making origami. New methods of instruction can be done by downloading videos about how to make birds, boats, and other objects using origami paper and being performed by Japanese origami masters. It makes the learning more fun and authentic
Long distance learning, like the Internet, will continue to evolve and don't be surprised in the near future to have a totally virtual campus where all the forms of learning and instruction are done long distance. There may be even one virtual campus today.
