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Guide to Online Education
ProgramsDemystifying
Distance Learning Myths
| The
biggest
distance learning myth |
 | Have
you been wondering if distance
learning might be right for you? If you have and you've been asking
acquaintances for their opinions as to whether online education is
better or worse than traditional learning, you've probably gotten an
earful of varying opinions.
You may have heard
that distance learning programs and the degrees they offer aren't taken
seriously by employers or that distance learning programs are designed
to steal your money. Statements like this can actually be true, but
they're not true in all circumstances. Here are some truths about what
you might have incorrectly understood about distance learning.
You may
have heard stories of top executives who have bought their
higher
education degrees from so-called diploma mills. Newsworthy and true,
it's also important to know that many distance learning programs award
their students with perfectly legitimate diplomas that have been earned
through a program of formal education and testing. When it comes to a
diploma, what's most important is that the institution has been accredited.
Diplomas
from accredited institutions are readily accepted by employers as
legitimate. When you are applying for a position and you mention that
you've got a degree from a particular institution, the prospective
employer would have no way of knowing that you didn't actually sit in a
classroom while completing your degree requirements. There is nothing
on the diploma that mentions it was earned via distance learning. The
degree you get will look and feel just like those that are earned
the traditional way. | |
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| Distance
learning isn't necessarily easier |
Something else
that you might think or that you might have heard about distance
learning is that it's easier than sitting in a classroom. This isn't
necessarily true either. While distance learning is much more
convenient for some students, there is nothing to indicate that such
learning differs in degree of difficulty. A course is going to cover
certain topics and with distance learning you are the one who is in
charge of how much and how fast you learn. As with any type of
instruction, this is to a certain degree also going to be dependent on
the course instructor. That's why it's important for you to research
the instructors that are involved with the distance learning program.
You usually don't have to worry that credits earned via
distance learning won't transfer to another institution, either. If
you've started at an accredited distance learning program and for
whatever reason it's not working out for you, the time you've spent and
the credit hours you've earned won't be lost. In most cases, they'll
transfer over to your new school. Again, what's important before you
begin any distance learning instruction is that you choose the right
institution.
And finally, understand
that you won't necessarily get your degree faster when you participate
in a distance learning program. You can, if you're learning what you
need and you're making the grades. But one of the nice features of
distance learning is that you proceed at a pace that's comfortable for
you. |
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