Archive for the ‘Distance Education’ Category
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17
Jul
2009
Distance Education
Types of Distance Education
Distance education provides an alternative to traditional learning at school, college or university. By studying in your own home and to your own schedule, you can now travel, work, and have time for your family or hobbies as well as study. Distance education also provides access to courses that may not be available locally- whether a specific trades course or degree. Is is also useful for those who live in isolated and remote places- whether on a tropical island or inland Australia.
There are different types of distance education available from traditional correspondence courses where study material and assignments are delivered via the mail, to study over the internet. Online learning can include online chatting with tutors, discussing topics with other students in your course in online forums, accessing study materials posted on the web, watching streamed webcasts, listening to podcasts, reviewing online powerpoint presentations, or submitting assignments via email. Distance education can also be delivered via radio broadcasts or television broadcasts, DVDs, videos, CD-ROMs, or mobile learning (where course content can be accessed with a mobile device such as a PDA). Another option for teachers is teleconferencing, whether audio or video. Some distance education courses are considered to be hybrid courses as they require a student’s physical presence occassionally for seminars or for sitting exams.
History of Distance Education
Distance education has greatly evolved since its origins in 1728 lessons where sent through the mail weekly. With the expansion and development of the postal service in the nineteenth century, correspondence colleges began to flourish. Correspondence colleges were institutions that specifically catered for distant education students, although at the same time traditional colleges and universities began offering degrees via correspondence. The first university to offer degrees by correspondence was the University of London in 1858. With the advance of telecommunications in the twentieth century, distance education has become much faster and easier.
17
Jul
2009
Correspondence Courses
Distance Education
Distance education is where a student is taught by a teacher not physically present. Rather than being in a classroom with a teacher, the student is taught through variety of media such as tapes, video conferencing, online technology (interactive sites, podcasts, online videos, student forums, instant messaging and chat rooms, etc), or through the mail. Distance education covers a range of courses from academic to practical, from primary education to diplomas, degrees, and postgraduate courses.
The advantages of learning via distance education are multiple. Many distance education courses allow you to learn at your own pace, while others have set deadlines but are flexible becuase you decide where and when to study. Many students are able to work while studying via distance education as a result of the greater flexibility. Another advantage is the lower costs associated with distance education. As you can study in your own home there are no travelling costs and course fees are usually much lower. Of course there may be some outlay involved to acquire the technology needed to take the course, such as a computer, internet connection, DVD player, etc.
Correspondence Courses
A correspondence course is a more traditional type of distance education. Course material is usually delivered to the student through the mail, while students submit their assignments the same way. Although correspondence courses primarily use mail to communicate, many courses also use other technologies to complement this, whether email, sitting exams online, and so on. Correspondence courses are available for a range of subjects and levels, from primary to secondary and tertiary education. Primary and secondary correspondence courses are especially used by students who live in remote areas or overseas, where access to schools is limited or where parents want their children to continue their studies in English.