What is distance learning?
Distance Learning is education where the student is instructed in the comfort of their own home, office, or classroom. It brings the classroom to you. ‘Distance education is instructional delivery of information that does not constrain the student to be physically present at the same location as the instructor’[]. In the past, distance learning meant correspondence study. This was conducted through the mail. Unfortunately, correspondence study earned a bad reputation in the 1950’s and 60’s due to some unethical schools. Some of these ‘mail order degrees’ were not worth much since they didn’t require much more than stamps and tuition fees. Now, with better delivery methods, distance learning is back. ‘Distance students typically interact more in their distance courses than students in on-campus courses.’[]
There are ‘approximately 3,300 accredited colleges and universities (offering distance learning) in the United States.’[] New distance learning programs are being offered every day.
What types of distance learning exist?
There are variety of selections available to choose from offering both college credit and noncredit. Among the list are:
- Life long learning (adult education)
- Hobbies
- Correspondence
- Independent study
- Technical courses
- Vocational schools
- Military schools
- CEU credits (Continuing Education Units for teachers, nurses and others maintaining
their professional certification)
- Individual courses
- High-school options
- College degrees - Associate, Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate, Certificates
- Keeping up to date (JIT training)
Which delivery method is the best?
Generally speaking, there is no ‘best’ method. ‘Studies have shown that most students learn equally well using distance learning regardless of the technology used to deliver instruction.’[] Depending on your personal preference you can seek the delivery mode that you favor. For example, if you are very ‘visual’ oriented and need repetition, perhaps you may opt for videotaped instruction. Of course, certain topics fit better with specific media. For example, foreign language study would need audio delivery more than it needs visual presentation. Most distance teaching modes are hybrids and also depend on textbooks. Pam Dixon states she has not yet ‘found a class taught by e-mail, but wouldn’t be surprised if one were available.'[]
‘In the 1950’s and 60’s, television become the dominant way to deliver information to audiences across a wide area’.[] Cable television subscribers can now choose a Knowledge TV option. Knowledge TV does not grant it’s own degrees but is a platform that a college may use to deliver classes. ‘In the 1970’s and 80’s, satellite broadcast of lectures became popular, followed immediately by the dominance of videotaped lectures’.[]
Types of media commonly used in Distance Leaning include:
- Via Satellite
- The Internet
- Audio tapes
- Fax
- Postal service mail
- Telephone
- Video conference
- Video cassettes
- Audio cassettes
- Broadcast and Cable Television
- Computer Technology
- Corporate Sponsored Programs
- Radio
- CU-SeeMe (video conference over the Internet is currently too immature; point-to-point is not interactive yet)
Why is distance learning a popular alternative?
Convenience may be the top reason. It allows you to get educated while still maintaining a busy schedule of work or family demands. It often supplements or complements traditional education. If a desired course is not offered locally, you may be able to get the training on-line. ‘Colleges and universities are collaborating with commercial telecommunications entities - such as America Online - cable and telephone companies to provide education to far-flung student constituencies.’[] Distance learning may very well be the only option for people with physical limitations that render them ‘home bound’ or people in remote locations (even people in jail).
Many Colleges and Universities are joining the trend and now have their own web pages and offer distance learning. The concept of distance learning is becoming popular with higher education. ‘The OnlineLearning.net wants to be your Internet schoolhouse. Currently , the online.net web site offers more than 80 courses. But to expand the number and types of courses available, the company has come to an agreement with the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Extension for the electronic rights to some 4,600 courses.’[]
Who uses distance learning?
This depends on the purpose or reason for taking the class. Distance learning is ideal for professionals on the go whose occupations require them to travel frequently. Other participants include home bound students, or students that desire a class not offered locally. The reason people take distance learning classes are numerous. The students come from all walks of life. The common success factors are that they must be disciplined and communicate well.
Demographics presented by Pam Dixon indicate: ‘Most students who enroll in distance education courses are over 25 years old, employed and have previous college experience.'[]
There are approximately 5 million distance learners in the United States. ‘The student ages range from 13 to 70, with the average of the participants varying dramatically, depending on the individual program.’[]
In addition, ‘At least a quarter of a million high school students a year’[] take advantage of virtual colleges to obtain college credits and/or to accelerate their graduation.
In order to succeed in a distance learning program the individual must have the discipline to establish a regular study schedule each week. This is done in the schedule that best fits the individual. If this is at 2:00 AM so be it.
The interaction between student and teacher is higher in distance learning as compared to traditional learning. ‘Instructors often can’t see you, so they want to make sure you’re with them and that you understand the lesson. Without visual clues, such as eye contact , increased verbal communication is necessary. It is not unusual to find that distance teachers base at least 20 to 50 percent or more of virtual grades on class participation.’[]
Most have heard the story about how the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream business got started after the founders learned the ice cream business from a mail-based twenty-five dollar correspondence course from Pennsylvania State University. ‘The course was a direct result of Penn State's efforts in the 1880’s to develop correspondence courses that would extend business knowledge to Pennsylvania's rural dairy farmers looking to enhance their produce lines and incomes.’[]
Each year more people are taking specific courses that they feel they need to keep up with job demands. According to Time magazine ‘the numbers are huge and growing, between 40 million and 45 million people are taking classes related to their careers'.[]
So the statistics show numbers ranging from 5 million to 45 million. Which is right? It depends on how closely the education maps into the fulfillment of a formal degree.
How are classes conducted?
Those courses focused on the Internet which deliver college credits are semester-based and parallel those offered on-campus. More communication is required than that found in a typical classroom setting. Writing skills and interactive social skills are more important with a distance learning program.
Many programs require some in person on-campus time (residency requirements). However, I noticed that NYU does not require any on campus activity. This however, was unusual as many of the specific colleges I researched did indeed require on-campus time. ‘Residency requirements can range from as little as one week to as much as six months or even a year.’[]
How is testing done?
I contacted a number of distance learning institutions. The majority informed me that they use a proctored setting or a testing center. According to Pam Dixon, ‘When examinations are used, they are almost always taken in a proctored setting to ensure that the distance learner registered for the course is indeed the one taking the exam.’[] Also, ‘As a distance student, you will be tested in one of three ways: you’ll take tests under the watchful eye of a proctor, you’ll take them by calling in to a computer system, or you’ll take essay tests.’ []
Distance learners get individual attention therefore it is conceivable that there are additional options. I contacted NOVA University about there testing policy and found it interesting that some courses did not give standard tests. However, by a combination of essays, correspondence, and on-campus activities the instructor was able to assess the students. This concept reiterates the importance of the interaction and communication in a distance learning situation.
What about admission requirements?
‘One misconception people sometimes have about distance learning is that because these programs use nontraditional methods of instruction they also use nontraditional admission requirements.’[] This is not true of the accredited colleges. They usually require the same qualifications as for on-campus students. In some cases the requirements are higher for the distance learner. It is not easier than attending a college on-campus, but the distance learning makes acquiring an education more convenient.
What does it cost?
Conventional wisdom would suggest that distance learning costs a lot less than traditional education. According to Pam Dixon ‘on the average, a virtual education can end up costing you a lot less than an on-campus education.'[] Beware, in some cases distance learning is not less expensive than regular classes.
My own real life experience adds that there are additional costs you will automatically avoid such as wear and tear on the car and parking fees. Cost depend on the type of course you are interested in. Should you be looking into college credits, find out if the ‘in state’ rate is the same as ‘out of state’ rate. Some financial aid may be available just as it would be for traditional education.
Companies such as IBM and Prudential find that workplace education may indeed be cheaper then flying your employees to another location to attend a class. Many distance offerings are listed on the Internet, which should make the task of comparing prices easier.
The ideal ratio for a on-line class is limited to about 12 - 15 students per class. ‘Teachers report that distance education classes take more of their time because the level of interaction is so much higher than in a traditional classroom.’[]
Accreditation
Accreditation is a validation that attests to the value of the education. Of course, who does the accreditation is important. According to Henry Spille, Accreditation is an American concept, in other countries education is operated by the government.[]
The Council on Post secondary Accreditation (COPA) which was set up for nationwide standards was dissolved on January 1, 1994. This left some confusion as this was an important agency who was responsible for evaluating and approving or recognizing accreditation agencies. This leaves a big hole in the education industry.
Some states are taking charge of accreditation but standards vary. If you are exploring distance learning opportunities, please be aware that ‘California still has more unaccredited schools than any other state. Louisiana looks like the next home for many of these schools’.[]
Be careful when looking into distance learning colleges that claim to be accredited. The Princeton Review notes that ‘there are well over twenty-five bogus accrediting agencies’ [] that are associated with Graduate school distance learning programs alone.
‘A favorite trick of distance universities that are not accredited by the regional agencies or DETC is to advertise that they are "accredited worldwide" or "fully or nationally accredited".[] Then they fail to mention exactly who they are accredited by. In the USA the CHEA (Council for Higher Education) is the agency that recognizes and works with legitimate accreditors.
CHEA has a Web site which lists names of recognized accreditors in the USA - see http://www.chea.org
A final word of caution: If you are intending to transfer credits earned through distance learning to a traditional on-campus program, you should have the traditional college indicate this agreement in writing before you enroll. ‘Some colleges will not accept transfer credits earned at a distance.’ []
Conclusion
- Distance education is a viable option for a wide range of subjects and students.
- New technology and modern forms of media have made distance learning an attractive alternative to traditional classroom based instruction.
- Distance learning removes physical barriers to the education process.
- Since there is no consistent standards body watching over this industry, a fair amount of research should be done before enrolling.
Distance learning links:
http://distancelearn.miningco.com/msub1.htm
http://www.dc.enews.com/clusters/detc
Other sources: