Will Affordable Online Education Take Over? By Lena Paul
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ight now, post-secondary education is a very expensive endeavor. Depending on the school, students can end up with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, making the idea of attending somewhat terrifying. With so much money on the line, and no promise of a tuition decrease in the near future, it is inevitable that students and their parents will start looking into other options for quality education. Sites like Coursera are relatively few right now and most only offer courses, not degrees, but as more people realize that they can take courses from Stanford for free (or at least a fraction of the on-campus cost) on the internet, more and more people are going to choose that route. This means that more sites offering this service will pop up, more universities will offer their courses, and the average cost of a degree will be driven down. It will no longer be necessary to pay $200,000 for a degree, and more people will be able to access higher education. This trend breaks down several other barriers that stop people from attending university beyond the financial ones. People who live far away from a campus or even in different parts of the world can access courses now without having to leave their homes. Technology has advanced to the point where there is internet access even in some of the poor countries of the world. The opportunity to access online education for people in
poorer countries is a significant turning point: more education means more knowledge and progress which would contribute to the development and enrichment of the country. Online education also allows people who must work to support themselves and their families to access courses and degrees that they would not otherwise have been able to obtain. A single mother, for example, who must work to keep her family afloat, would be able to access courses online whenever she was available. Working at her own pace, she could obtain a degree and increase the likelihood that she will get a better job and be better able to support her family. A recent survey indicated that nearly 70% of employers thought that an online degree is no less credible than an offline one. Online education also allows for instructors to reach many more students than they would ever be able to in a traditional setting. In one of the first Stanford courses offered by Coursera, more than 100 000 people from all over the world enrolled. It would take several lifetimes for one instructor to reach that many students in an offline setting. Online education allows professors and their knowledge to be much more far-reaching. Online education also provides the opportunity for some innovative types of teaching. This form of education allows students to be engaged in a way that they might not be otherwise. Being in a lecture theatre with three hundred other students is not the best venue for an involved, intellectual discussion, but the chat rooms of online education allow for students to interact with many others, to create small groups, and engage in conversations with students who have different worldviews and knowledge than they do. There are also comprehension quizzes that students must do
throughout the lecture, with instant feedback about the correctness of their answers. This encourages students to really pay attention and helps cement the knowledge in their minds faster. Online education also allows schools the opportunity to change the way they funnel their funds. If more courses are offered online, schools can save on facility costs, and save the facilities for other uses, such as demonstrations and conferences. The extra money that they save can then be channeled into the teaching and learning aspects, rather than the buildings, thus increasing the quality of students' experience. Affordable online education offers students more choices for their degrees than before: on-campus, oncampus/online, and online. Students are able to get their education in a way that best fits them, the way they learn, and the time they have available. Due to this flexibility, lower cost, innovation, and far-reaching access, affordable online education will continue to grow and become more popular.
Author's Bio: Lena Paul is a medical school graduate who is an enthusiastic blogger and holds an editorial position in Prepgenie, a test prep provider that offers exam preparation courses for UKCAT, PCAT, GAMSAT and UMAT.
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10 Ways to Ensure Effective Online Learning By Robin L. Green
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nline learning has become a panacea for all of us who find ourselves without enough hours in the day to accomplish what we need to do. The last thing you want is an online training course that is not clear-cut and leaves a lot of questions for the learner. Both content creators and learners want easyto-use, effective courses that will provide the necessary training without a lot of confusion. Here are some design tips for content creators that will ensure effective training courses: 1) Always include a navigation screen at the start, even if you think the learners have participated in online learning before. The navigation screen should have clear and simple instructions so any learner can easily progress through the course. By making navigation easy, learners can focus on the course content. 2) Free up navigation. Make sure learners can easily go back to previous screens if they need to review any material for a better understanding. 3) Pay attention to the layout of each and every screen. Avoid cluttering screens with too much information. The screen should be pleasing to the eye and designed to draw the learner's eye to the most important information. 4) Include a glossary. Never assume that the learners will understand jargon, technical terms or acronyms. The glossary should be comprehensive and explain key terms in plain language. 5) Include regular quizzes to check the learners' understanding of the content. Instead of having one huge test at the end of a course, it is better to have shorter tests at regular intervals throughout the course. Regular tests and quizzes are a good way for learners to measure their own understanding and build their confidence.
6) Give learners the option of finding out more information if they need to. You could include a box on some screens saying "Want to know more? Click on this link to learn more about..." 7) Provide a contact person for questions. If the learners do have questions, is there someone they can contact? 8) Ask another person to check the course to see if it makes sense. If you have access to proofreaders, they can point out any content that is unclear. Alternatively you can ask a pilot group of learners to go through the course. Ask them to offer feedback on points they thought worked, or didn't work. 9) Engage in continuous improvement. Even when you have published and released your course to learners, there is still the opportunity to gather feedback
The Flexibility of an Online Education By Thom Michaels
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onsider your current career. Now, add a traditional education to your current work schedule. It's impossible to organize, isn't it? Well, that doesn't have to be the problem anymore. For business people who want higher education, they no longer have to add the schedule of a traditional education (visiting a campus) to their current work schedule. Now, online classes are available and provide the greatest flexibility possible. Never attend another class on a campus. Sit down at home with your computer and get the education you want. Online business degree programs are tailored to fit your schedule. Take as many classes as you can, depending on your work schedule, and finish the degree at your convenience. If you have less time, don't worry because you can take fewer classes and still receive the degree you want. Sit down, look at your schedule and decide how much time you have to dedicate to your education. Once you know, then you
and make improvements to the course. You could include a survey asking learners if there was anything they found unclear. This is a great way for you to keep learning about the learners' perspective and to remind yourself that you are designing courses for real people. 10) Distribute your course effectively. Finding the right marketplace for your offerings is simple when you team up with Coggno. We make it easy for content creators to upload and market their courses, and for learners to find the training they need.
For more information on how you can partner with Coggno as a learner or content creator, contact us now.
can plan. Take your planned schedule and begin to speak to advisors and look for classes that work with your schedule. You will find the classes you need. The greatest benefit of online classes is the ability to complete coursework whenever you have time. Come in from work, eat some dinner and relax, and then get started on your coursework. Work at your own pace and know what you need to get done for the class. Build yourself a schedule for what you need to accomplish and finish the class with great performance. Having the flexibility to take class online around your work schedule is the best part. Never miss out on the career you are in, continue to make money for your expenses and climb the work ladder with your developing education. What do you think about the flexibility? Thousands of people are signing up a year to take classes online because they allow them to continue with their life and receive education at the same time. Flexibility is key in such a busy world. Whether you are raising a family or single, the flexibility is great for everyone. No one should leave a quality position to return to school and risk losing that position forever. Keep your position and get educated at the same time. Is it for you? If you're not sure at this point, take time to consider all the details of an online education. When
you learn more and speak to others about it, then you can make an educated decision.
Online education is as flexible as it gets. People are receiving the degrees they have always dreamed of because of the flexibility of online classes. Don't miss out on your degree. Learn more at http://seidegrees.com/
Top 5 Cons of Online Education By Georgia Potter
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hile distance education is very beneficial to many students there are some factors about online college that students may want to consider. With everything good come negative aspects as well. Many of the disadvantages of online colleges and universities are depleting some still remain. It is important to note however, that a lot of these factors are determined by the student.
Here are the top 5 cons of online education: 1. Diploma Mills With the success of online colleges on the rise we have seen the uprising of diploma mills as well. A diploma mill is a place that will sell you a fake diploma. If the school offers a diploma for sale with little or no class participation required then it's a diploma mill. Make sure that the school that you choose is accredited, this type of problem can be avoided. And keep in mind that a phony diploma doesn't get you the job. 2. You are in charge of your success! Being a student at home can be a huge benefit to someone with a busy schedule. It can also be a major distraction. Most times students who take online courses take them whenever it is convenient, at home, at work, at the middle of the night. Being a student on your own time and terms can make it hard to focus. Students that attend a traditional setting are basically forced to pay
attention to the lecture when they are in the same room with their professor for an allotted amount of time. It can be hard to study when you are distracted by your kids, or your job, or whatever surrounds you. With online courses, your success depends totally on you and your ability to manage yourself and stay on task. 3. There is not much interaction with others Some college courses require you to interact with other students on the internet, other than that the interaction that you have with other students is dramatically decreased. The whole college life experience is quite different when you are taking courses online. To some this can be detrimental. If you are looking for a whole college social experience, online courses may not be for you. While you may not have the same "experience" as someone who attends a traditional college, you will certainly gain the same education. 4. There can be technical problems Online college courses are computer and internet based making them highly prone to technical glitches. It is important to have a computer that works well and a stable internet connection. Yet, even the most fool-proof systems can cause problems for teachers and students. These problems are on the decline but it is important to note that you may experience technical difficulties. 5. Standardization of coursework and materials has not yet been completed Even though you may be going to an accredited school and earning a high quality education that does not mean that you are earning the same education as students in the same program at different schools. Schools use different class content and course materials. This problem is thought to soon be solved in the next few years however, because accreditation agencies are working on standardizing the coursework and materials. Georgia Potter writes articles to help students like herself survive college. She writes about online college courses and accredited online degrees and best online colleges.