Benefits of Distance Learning Technology
How Can You Benefit from the Technology of Distance Learning?
Over 80% of US universities use the technologies of distance learning. Many of us have heard about distance education. Someone has already learned about its advantages from his or her own experience, while others still doubt its effectiveness.
There are a lot of critics who are sure that self-study is devoid of incentives and negatively affects the education quality. Meanwhile, distance education which started to be practiced over 20 years ago is successfully developing today.
Technologies of distance learning are information technologies that provide the students with the main volume of the studied material, interaction with teachers in the learning process, and the opportunity to work on the educational material on their own.
If during the learning process a student experiences hardships, he or she can always ask teachers online or use the alternative way of getting professional academic assistance at https://essaysreviewer.com which is available 24 hours a day.
Which Opportunities Does Distance Learning Open for Students?
The number of distance learning opportunities is growing rapidly. Many educational institutions are actively developing distance courses of all kinds: from high-school level to university education. Today through distance education you can:
- Get the higher education
- Study for Master’s degree
- Do postgraduate study
- Get the second higher education
- Learn a foreign language
- Take part in online MBA degree programs
- Participate in Internet-seminars
- Improve qualification having chosen the professional course
- Get a primary and secondary education
Communication technologies can be divided into two types – online and offline. The first type provides the exchange of information in real-time regimen when the message sent by the sender, reaching the destination computer, is immediately sent to the appropriate output device.
When using offline technologies, received messages are stored on the destination computer. The user can view them with the help of special programs at a convenient time. In contrast to full-time education where the dialogue is conducted only in real-time (online), in distance learning, it can take place offline.
Technologies of this kind include e-mail, mailing lists, and teleconference. With the help of the list server, the dispatch of educational information can be organized with the help of e-mail, by establishing personal communication between the teacher and the student, and the teleconference allowing organizing a collective discussion of the most difficult or challenging course issues. All these technologies allow you to exchange messages between different computers connected to the Internet.
Obvious Advantages of Distance Learning
Nowadays, more and more students give preference to the technology of distance learning due to the great number of pros it has. Let’s consider the most important benefits which make almost everyone think about the opportunity to study from home. Perhaps, in the nearest future, this type of learning will substitute the traditional learning. Check out the pros and think whether it is possible or not.
- Students can choose any educational establishment, regardless of its geographical location. This opportunity is of the utmost importance for those who live in the remote cities where there is often no other way to get the desired education
- Students can study without leaving their home, family, friends, work if they choose distance learning
- Students can avoid spending money on transport and accommodation
- Students can benefit from the individual curriculum being able to ask questions about those aspects of the course which they are interested in the most
- Students can develop the skills of self-searching for necessary information, as well as the habit of working and making decisions independently
- Students have access to all relevant materials and become professionals who can apply the gained knowledge in practice
As you can see, there are a lot of great features online learning has. The technology of distance learning has been designed for those who are busy at work and are unable to attend classes listening to hourly lectures. There are no doubts that this type of getting education suits those who never miss an opportunity to expand professional contacts and horizons, because, thanks to distance education, you can study at several courses simultaneously.
How Effective is Distance Learning?
It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously because everything depends on how responsible a student is. Everyone knows that employers value experienced professionals – practitioners who do not interrupt their work for the study.
Distance learning allows you to get higher education in parallel with the work, expands the possibilities in studying abroad, obtaining academic degrees recognized by the international educational community.
Thanks to broadband and digital communication networks, video conferencing today create the atmosphere of the real presence in the classroom which allows teachers to bring new knowledge, read introductory lectures, and conduct real-time consultations.
The use of videoconferencing technology provides the key to effective distance learning. Through video conferencing, the teacher can introduce new computer technologies to students.
Internet technologies allow conducting online classes with students, having lectures, seminars, colloquiums, and taking exams. There is the maximum approximation of the sensation that both a teacher and a student are in the same class thanks to the high-definition technology (HD).
Today, it is possible to control everything in the virtual classroom by tapping your finger on the interactive screen.
The practice of cooperation between classical and distance universities is widespread everywhere, allowing full-time students to study theoretical disciplines in electronic format.
Distance technologies are simply invaluable nowadays due to the fact that they allow not only gaining the basic knowledge on a certain subject but also passing the re-certification without interrupting the labor activity.
