| It makes no difference if you are a stay at home | | | | software platform used is Blackboard, but some |
| parent, a professional looking to enhance your skills or | | | | schools have experimented with Moodle and other |
| someone trying to change their life. There is a way | | | | Classroom Management Software. Online classes |
| to get your college degree now, no matter what you | | | | generally will include lectures either written as website |
| r situation is. Thanks to online distance learning, you | | | | pages or they could be pre-recorded audio/video |
| can attend your college classes from a mountain top, | | | | presentations that the students must watch or listen |
| aboard a cruise ship or even from a coffee shop that | | | | to via an internet connection. Some schools require |
| has free wifi. | | | | students to take their tests via webcam, while |
| As the distance education segment continues to be | | | | others complete required testing either online or |
| developed, the content will be streamlined to appear | | | | locally through proctors they set up in advance. |
| identical to its brick and mortar counterparts. The | | | | Distance Learning has truly blossomed in the last |
| major differences today are less student to teacher | | | | number of years. As schools like Kaplan University |
| interaction and students must be able to wait 24 to | | | | grow in popularity, the opportunities and flexibility will |
| 48 hours (sometimes more) for a response from | | | | only continue to grow for students who need to hold |
| their instructors. Students taking online classes must | | | | down a job or who simply don't want to get up and |
| be self-disciplined. Your instructors do not email you | | | | go to school three days a week. This is not options |
| multiple times a day to make sure you are | | | | only in new schools, but have been offered for years |
| understanding everything. Students have had | | | | from Thomas Edison State College, which is a well |
| experiences where they literally had zero interaction | | | | established school and has stood the test of time. |
| with their instructor throughout the entire class | | | | In today's academic world, online distance learning is |
| experience! Students need to stay organized, flexible | | | | the new rave. Everyone is going to school and |
| and understand that there are trade-offs for all the | | | | finishing their degree, whether they are a traditional |
| benefits that online schools can offer. | | | | student or a janitor who works nights or the security |
| Most classes on the internet will use software | | | | guard in your building or the stay-at-home mother |
| programs that allow students and teachers to | | | | taking care of her three children. Distance Education |
| communicate with each other. Sometimes this is in | | | | has allowed people of all different backgrounds to go |
| real time, but usually it is through message boards | | | | on and get their degrees, get promoted, start |
| and email, so students can be "going to school" on a | | | | businesses and literally transform their lives. |
| regular schedule or in the middle of the night when | | | | Are you ready to log on? |
| the rest of the world is asleep. The most popular | | | | |