The Education Foundation

asses, or “distance learning,” used to have a meaning limited to computer-based interaction with teachers and students. And unfortunately, the concept got tarred with a bad brush for a while.

Particularly in the case of online-only institutions, which were often compared to diploma mills and old-school correspondence courses, online learning went through a period where the concept had to fight for respectability.

And if we’re being completely honest, it affected hiring decisions, because hiring managers do make judgments based on the school on your resume. (Some let those judgments affect their hiring decisions, too - maybe not the best way to go about things, but it does happen.)

Now, there are two new kinds of name-brand education you *could* add to your resume when you send it out through a distribution service. And both are free.

The first is called the “OpenCourseWare Consortium,” which includes classes from some of the world’s most prestigious schools, all available for free online.

Pioneered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it’s spread across the world, and in the US it includes Yale, Notre Dame, Stanford, and other renowned colleges. According to Anne Marie Chaker in the Wall Street Journal Online, “The [courses]  which differ from the ‘distance learning’ courses that many schools offer for credit and charge for  come as colleges and universities say they want to democratize education, making the best resources available to more people. But they also hope that it leads to more interest from potential applicants and inspires alumni in far-flung locales to make a donation.”

The benefit passes to job seekers of all stripes as well. You may not be able to get credit toward a degree by mastering the coursework for any of these classes, but you can certainly demonstrate your desire to improve yourself and become more appropriately positioned for an opportunity that a recruiter or headhunter may locate for you.

Another free resource online comes through iTunes. Once you download their free software and start it up,look for the link on the left-hand menu with “Music, Movies, TV Shows,” etc. At the bottom of that list is “iTunes U,” and it leads to a whole host of lectures from classes at universities across the country, and many of these are free to view as well.

With all the belt-tightening going on these days, there are still ways to get the education you need to advance your career without paying through the nose for it.

But don’t forget to look into you company’s tuition reimbursement plan, too. Depending on the time frame you have for your career plans, the investment might make sense after all.

Who can submit to be a student for an online education institution?

This type of courses is ideal for those who have a job or for the persons who have to travel a lot. Anyone is welcomed to join. In order for a person to finish an online course and get his degree he will have to be motivated and capable to work both independently and as a part of a team using online e-mail or live chat on the internet. Usually the minimum age for apply for an online degree is 14. Some online courses ask for proof that you already have a minimal education such as high school or faculty.

What are the requirements for entering such a course in order to get a degree?

In order to access the e-learning system you need a personal computer and a connection to the internet. You also need an active e-mail account. The e-mail will be used for receiving messages from classmates, trainers, teachers and the technical department of the site was you register for online learning. You have to know to use Microsoft word, Notepad. This will come in handy when you write notes for the courses and for doing your homework. There are some courses in PDF format that is why you need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your personal computer.

How do I register on the site of an e-learning company?

The first step is the creation of an access account on the site. This is casual for anybody. Once you are registered as a user on the site, you can browse the offer. You can pick which course is best suited for you. Next, you will have to complete an admission form. Here you will fill a lot of information regarding your identity; this will appear on your degree after you finish the course. It is best to pay attention from the start in order not to make any modification later. The degree will be handed to you with the data you have originally filled in. All the information provided by you is considered confidential and will not be used in other purposes.

What happens if I decide to abandon a course?

You can abandon a course whenever you decide to do so. You can renounce it all together all you can just pick another course to follow. It is your choice and you take the proper measures for assuring your educational future. If you decide to renounce from one course this will not trigger the deletion of your account. Once you abandon a course, you can loose the lessons to which you have already participated. Another consequence is that you will be taken out from the study group of which you were part.

What if I am suspended from attending a course?

You can be banned from participating at a certain course if you do not obey the rules in the contract. Other reasons may be: one of the trainers or teachers has demanded your elimination from the course, you may have pressed the button abandon by mistake, and you have not attended some classes that you should have attended. Usually the suspension from courses has the same results as abandon from courses and you will have to start the course all over from the start.

Evaluation

At the end of the course, you will be given an individual exam for which you will receive a grade. The grade will be visible only by you in your personal account. The test is made out of several questions, which will establish if you have learned the abilities you should have picked up during the online course.

More references on Face to face vs global learning references

 In the 21 century Technology is growing very fast and playing vital role in different fields. In Education field technology has great impact where opportunity of learning becoming globally. Since the last decade trends in education is changing. Traditional face to face learning loosing its importance where as importance of online learning and global learning is increasing day by day. According to Robelen (2007, p 1), ‘Virtual learning barely a blip on the computer screen a decade ago, if fast becoming part of the educational mainstream.’ The use of technology in Education is not new. According to Taylor (n.d, p 2), ‘For many years, universities with a significant commitment to distance and open education institutions have been at the forefront of adopting new technologies to increase access to education and training opportunities.’

                                    Global learning is becoming more popular these days. The reason behind this is advantages offered by global learning over the traditional learning (face to face learning). One important advantage of the global/online learning is time flexibility. Adults can arrange their schedule and can access resources when ever they required. According to Devi (2000, p 1), ‘Students can have access to information when and where they want it.’ Global learning concept is online learning. Most of advantages that online education offers are actually offered by global learning. In addition to that global learning provide opportunities for students to become more familiar with different culture by eliminating geographical boundaries which helps them later when they find opportunity to work in multinational companies. According to Lesta, Burgess & strong (n.d) online learning offer advantages to students like Eliminates Geographical Constraints, Multiple learning styles can be easily served. Students must make a greater responsibility for their education. Thus they can realize their responsibilities by themselves. Students can enrol in internationally recognized universities from their home country. Thus can stay with their family and can get emotional and financial support.    

                       Organizations and Universities that provide global learning facilities also getting many advantages by providing global/online learning service rather then traditional learning. Suppose if there are 10000 students learning in a university through global learning, it may not be possible for that university to provide resources like teachers, computers, study space to all the students locating at different part of the world. The cost of these resources may be much higher. According to Devi (2000, p 1), ‘For a more cost-effective education and providing greater access to all, I believe Internet and electronic business provides the possible solution.’

                                                  According to Watching trends in Education (n.d), ‘Online Classes are helping provide education for working adults and meeting their work schedule and busy home life responsibilities.’ It is very useful for western countries where most of adults are self dependent. They earn for their lively hood and find less time for them self to go for the universities to get higher studies.

                                                 A statistical analysis has been done by Favretto, Caramia and Guardini that shows the results of face to face and online learning. Although this analysis compares online learning and class room learning within the same country and same university but this shows results in favours of online learning. As I earlier emphasis online learning is the main concept behind the global learning so these finding are important to compare global learning and traditional learning. According to Favretoo, Caramia and Guardini(n.d.):

 

Students are divided into three categories students learn through class room, students learn through online learning and students did not attend class and online learning. Results of this analysis are interesting. Most of time people think class room is always better way to learn, but this analysis shows different picture where on average online student get more marks then class room students in both tests. That means online students are more concentrated towards their study and can access wide number of valuable resources on internet.

 Although Global learning offers many advantages but we can not ignore the disadvantages of global learning. According to James(n.d.);

 Distance learning has some disadvantages. Students may not be able to access internet resources because connection may be down. Those students who can not manage and direct themselves find difficult in distance learning environment.

 One very important point discussed above is internet connection may be down. Consider a situation where student is sitting in exam (online exam). Time period for this online exam is fixed. During that time connection may go down for long period of time. Result of this situation may be awful. Bandwidth can also be another problem in global learning. According to James (n.d.) Bandwidth/browser limitation may restrict instructional methodologies, which results in slower performance for sound video and large graphics.

             Another disadvantage of global/online learning is that teacher has to spend more time while responding to queries of the students. Suppose there is a situation where more then five students have same question from the online lecture. One way is send email to teacher and ask for the answer. Teacher has to respond all the five students which can be time consuming. According to Lesta & Strong (n.d) professors have to spend more time while responding the e-mails.

                                  So far in this article emphasis is given to advantages and disadvantages of global and traditional learning. Lets discuss about some different Tools and Frame Work that can be useful in the global/distance learning. Technology innovations plays vital role in global learning. New tools, frameworks are emerging that can be quite useful in global learning. According to Essex (2007, p 1), ‘Internet technologies changed distance learning to a huge degree. Instead of relying on a course packet that had been put together months or years ago, we could assign our students the most up-to-date information from the web.’ These tools are helpful for students because they can interact with each other, work together on assignments. According to Essex (2007):

 

In past we were living in web 1.0 world where discussion forum and chat room was mainly used in distance learning. But now are in web 2.0 world where we mainly use Pod-Casting, blogging and wikis. Wikis are collaborative environment where more group op people give their viewpoint for brainstorming, deciding on a schedule of activities or developing definitions of role and/or terms. That means they try to make share understanding while learning which can be useful while working in an organization.

 

A conceptual frame work for distance learning has been provided by Taylor (n.d). According to Taylor although we are in fourth generation (the Flexible Learning Model based on online delivery via the Internet) of distance learning but we have to think about the fifth generation (is essentially a derivation of the fourth generation, which Aims to capitalize on the features of the Internet and the Web) of the distance learning (Taylor, n.d).

 

By viewing the view of different authors we come to know although there are number of advantages offered by global learning, but there are many disadvantages of global learning. In some fields virtual learning can full fill all the requirements, but in fields like Science and Medical it is not possible to remove all face to face workshops where Electricity supply and bandwidth can cause serious problems.

 

Mandeep Singh

 

Education as we all know is the basic right of every child and all children should be imparted with at least elementary education so that there all-round development is not hampered. This though was soon understood by most of the parents and they realized the importance of studies in the life of their children. Today most of the parents are completely aware of education importance and they do everything to provide best education to their child. With the parents becoming more and more aware, the quality of education is also increasing day by day. In the process of improving the education quality, the education has taken many forms over the years.

Earlier education was imparted in home only, where private tutors were hired to teach the children, later the children were sent to school and colleges to gain knowledge, then the time of correspondence study came, where the study material and assignments were sent to the students through mail and latest in the field of education is online learning education, which has completely revolutionized the educational field. Today online learning education is considered as the most effective and suitable means of education in remote areas where class room learning is difficult to organize. Online learning education is a process of teaching, where a teacher teaches to the student, while they are not physically present at a common venue.

As we all know learning is a continuous process and online learning is the perfect medium which provide right platform for everybody to fulfill one desire of learning through the various stages of life. Online learning education also provides the same opportunity as standard colleges and institutions and even the objective of learning is same i.e. to gain knowledge. The only difference between the formal teaching process and online learning education is the medium through which they are imparted. Online learning education provides one with convenience and flexibility where one can choose the time and place of receiving education as per one convenience.

Online learning education is not everyone piece of cake and it requires sheer commitment and dedication from students in order to attain its objective. To effectively benefit from an online learning education one has to be disciplined, motivated and organized in his approach and learning process. There is not a regular teacher involved in this process to keep an eye on the students so the students themselves should be responsible enough to finish their task timely. Education that one receives through online learning is affordable, convenient and commendable and it also provides opportunity to explore the knowledge to the fullest.

Copyright 2005 Richard Keir

As the demand, and supply, for online learning and distance learning of all kinds continues to increase, it’s fascinating to look at what a fully developed and highly acclaimed online university is like.

The University of Phoenix is a relatively new institution. Founded less than 30 years ago (in 1976), it was not only one of the first accredited universities to provide complete degree programs as an online college, but it has now become the leader in the field in the United States.

The size of their operation is astonishing. They’ve developed into the largest accredited university in the United States. Here are some of the numbers they provide: more than 17,200 instructors, 163 campus locations and learning centers in 33 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and now Mexico, and over 171,600 earned degrees since 1976. They provide, naturally, world spanning online learning through the internet.

Their curriculums are developed by working with industry and business in order to provide the skills and knowledge that are in demand. Focused on providing not only the content needed by today’s professionals and businesses, they continue to upgrade their formats and methods as well as their curriculums.

An innovative program put in place by the University of Phoenix is called FlexNet. Rather than being a purely online learning experience, a portion of each course is held at a campus or learning center location. For many this feature adds a sense of personal and community involvement, giving the student a chance to interact directly with instructors and classmates.

Courses at the University of Phoenix Online are concentrated. Students need to be willing to make a serious commitment.

While online learning courses vary they tend to have certain features in common. In today’s hectic environment, the ability to flexibly schedule your hours is critically important for many prospective students. Being confined to fixed hours in a fixed location for a traditional offline course just won’t work for many. The demands of work and family too often cause missed classes.

Traditional college education may also involve taking subjects with little application to the professional’s working life. Online education can allow you complete a degree in two or three years.

In many online college environments, all your courses will be focused on your professional needs. Generally, you’ll also be able to focus on one course at a time rather than having to split your attention among several over a long period. This intensity and focus can be a significant benefit.

Since most online and distance learning is oriented toward professionals, working people, generally the materials you’ll study will be up-to-date and can be used immediately in your working environment. This combination of studying things that you can implement, materials relevant to your work, can make online learning a uniquely rewarding and pleasant way to earn a degree.

You do want to make sure that wherever you decide to study, that it is accredited and that any degree or certification in a field that requires licensure or state certification will be accepted by your state. If your employer has an educational reimbursement plan, be sure to verify that the college or university you chose will be acceptable. In some cases, part of your expenses may also be tax-deductible. Accreditation is important not only for employer acceptance, but also if you are going to seek scholarship funds to help with the cost.

The University of Phoenix is not the only place offering online learning, but it does give you a pretty good introduction to what’s possible. They offer everything from AA degrees to Doctoral programs with a large variety of specialized Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees as well as professional certifications and non-degree courses. You can explore their offerings at http://www.phoenix.edu/ .

With today’s demands for highly educated and specialized professionals, the value of online learning has never been clearer. The fast paced and mobile lifestyles so common now demand solutions that can fit into our lives, not ones that require us to squeeze into them and disrupt our careers and families for 3 or 4 years. The growth and acceptance of online education makes it virtually certain that you can find a program and a university or college that offers what you need to get ahead - and a way to fit it into your life.

Embracing technology to help children excel has become imperative in today’s competitive age. Children of this iPod generation are intrigued by technology and are spending a big chunk of their out-of-school time playing video games, downloading music and chatting online with their friends. So using technology to get them to learn that algebraic equation or to play the guitar has become fairly easy. Children, in fact, are way ahead of the technology game and now it’s time for parents to play catch-up and help their children make the most of it learning online. 

Whether a student is in a large public school, a smaller private school, or a home schooling environment; whether he is in 3rd grade or preparing for standardized testing, companies have combined cutting-edge technology and a global talent pool to provide a high quality online and secure service to the students. Having the capability to learn from home also gives children more time and flexibility to pursue extracurricular activities of their liking.

Online learning is an excellent tool for parents also to get involved in their child’s education despite their busy schedules. Online learning offers a wide array of advantages like saving time as parents no longer have to drive their children to a learning center and affordable pricing as compared to over-priced personal tutors and learning centers available elsewhere. It also gives parents confidence that their child is in the right hands as they are able to monitor the learning process while catering to the daily chores at home. This way parents get an opportunity to be connected to the upcoming technology and to be responsive to the demands of constantly changing global environment their children are growing in.

E-learning has a long and storied history which seems to have culminated in online homeschooling technology. It remains to be seen where e-learning technology can take us, but it’s sure to be a logical progression from the traditional public school learning experience. Perhaps the primary advantage of online homeschooling is its ability to deliver content asynchronously. This means that students of all learning styles and speeds are able to learn at their own pace.

The first e-learning system was called the PLATO System. By 2003, over 1.0 million students were enrolled in online learning programs in colleges alone. Nearly all public universities offer online correspondence courses. About half of private higher learning institutions offer similar online learning opportunities.

The growth of K-12 online homeschooling programs has also grown significantly in the last few years. Growing at rates as high as 25% per year, online learning technologies are allowing students to learn at home with excellent results. A variety of media are used in the online learning mix including palm pilots, MP3 players, online learning management systems, CD-ROMs, websites, e-mail, blogs, open-source software, educational games, and more.

Some e-learning programs, like The MorningStar Academy allow students to learn in a homeschool setting. All that is needed is a computer and an internet connection. Teachers assist students throughout the school day, while the curriculum is available on a 24/7 basis. Trained staff are provided to assist children in their learning experience.

What does the future hold for e-learning? Perhaps we will one day see virtual homeschool classroom environments that are rendered in full 3D? This technology is not too far off. Young people may yet see in their lifetime the dissolution of the traditional public school system in favor of an e-learning format.

India is a developing country with its population crossing over the billions mark. Still around 35 to 40% of the population is illiterate. Isn’t it strange? And the reason is simple- it is the inaccessibility to education because of the non-availability of schools and colleges in the respective towns and cities in all over India for the best education. In such cases, online learning programs in India becomes a lucrative solution not only for those people who cannot afford classroom education, but also for those who are unable to continue their education because of a number of reasons.

What is online learning?

Online learning is very different from traditional method of classroom learning. In India, online learning basically means out of classroom mode of study i.e. study via internet. In this, unlike classroom teaching, students are not under the direct supervision of teachers but students are engaged in self-directed and self-motivated learning. Direct interaction is possible with the teacher through the medium of internet, all your queries are solved online and your performances are also evaluated by your assignments that you send online.

Advantages of online Learning

1.    Flexible timings as per your need and requirements. You can set your own time-schedule.

2.    Easy availability of updated online materials.

3.    Your problems can be solved within few minutes by interacting with the mentors directly via online medium. In other words, you can say that it helps in saving your precious time.

4.    Moreover, as per the student’s convenience and grasping power, different courses are designed to specifically meet the desired results of improving performance.

Moreover, High quality online learning programs in India are designed not only for students but also for the employees of various reputed organizations in order to impart them effective training from time to time. However, it totally depends upon various online education institutes that whether they provide this education free of cost or charge some nominal fees. There are several institutes in India that are famous for imparting free online education.

It is a crucial fact that with the rising importance of education in India, the concept of online learning cannot be ignored. Students across India can not only save their time and money, but also procure from time to time authentic and reliable knowledge about the various topics. Therefore, it is not wrong to say that these online learning programs act like a boon for number of students residing in India.

Dispelling popular myths about online learning can go a long way in the future of any student. There is a vast array of information to be learned and researched on the internet and internet learning provides just the opportunity to take advantage of that. However, online learning isn’t for every person and every situation. Taking a up close look at the different areas of internet learning will greatly aid any prospective student.

The world of online learning is virtually as endless as the universe. The structure is one that basically is geared toward the adult audience. Not only does this structural groundwork generate applications that can be applied to real life, but also it allows the student to learn what they need to learn. The work is accomplished at the student’s own pace within a pre-determined time period.

Online learning also bears another huge advantage over conventional type of education. Not only can it be accomplished at the student’s own pace, it can also be taken from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection and a computer. Traveling becomes less of a hassle when the capability to conduct internet learning can be at any location. Flexibility like no other types of education and typically, the cost is much lower as well. There is no commuting and fighting busy crowds or being stuck in traffic for endless periods of time. After all, there is always a green light signal with an internet connection even during ‘rush hour’. Online learning offers many advantages over the time-honored tradition of physically sitting in a classroom.

There are many kinds of people who do not benefit from internet learning as well. That number is astonishingly high because many students learn better in a classroom setting. The interaction and hands on type of learning is most beneficial and provides the environment to maximize their learning experience. In fact, many students require that type of formal setting in order to even accomplish any kind of learning. That doesn’t mean that online learning doesn’t offer a similar environment. It does however; it cannot replicate that of an actual formal setting.

A solid set of disciplines must also be followed in order to benefit from an internet learning atmosphere. Self motivation is one area that many people fall victim to when taking online learning courses. Time management issues are another huge disadvantage to internet learning because many younger adults don’t have the necessary life experience to effectively balance their time. Taking responsibility for one’s entire education is a big gamble and without these essential skills, it is doomed to fail. It would be wiser for someone without these specific attributes to consider a conventional type of education. Every potential student is different but weighing the options very carefully and selecting the appropriate course of action to suit one’s learning abilities are of the utmost importance.

Learning in the twenty-first century is crossing international borders. The collaborations of an American company, CrackerJack Edu-Systems LLC and an India company, Jupiter e- EduTech PLC have created a cutting edge technology tutoring company called TutorQuick.com.

TutorQuick.com is focused on supplemental tutoring for grades kindergarten through college. All sessions are online, live, interactive and specialized to the immediate difficulty or questions the students may have. Learning is accomplished via the use of internet live chat (VOIP) using a headset/microphone and a writing tablet. Technology allows the use of an online whiteboard which is the equivalent of a classroom blackboard.

The Chairman/CEO of CrackerJack Edu-Systems, Glenn Yanoff, became convinced that interactive online learning is destined to be the new frontier for American kids. After a recent visit to India, Mr. Yanoff was amazed to see the high quality and intensity of education. “These kids are focused, dedicated and technically sound at very young ages in math and science. Make no mistake about it, they are here to compete and succeed. They understand the higher paying future jobs mandate more than one discipline like math or marketing . Our kids need to understand the alarm clock is sounding that they may lose their future jobs to the past. Children in many countries around the world are already learning with the assistance of live one-to-one internet tutors. I would strongly suggest parents read the book, The World is Flat (by Thomas Friedman), and get better informed with the global perspective”.

TutorQuick.com has more than one hundred skilled online tutors. The tutors are scrutinized by Jupiter e-EduTech, headquartered in New Delhi, India. The selection criteria have created an impressive team of online tutors that include professors from the finest universities in India, graduate students that have excelled in disciplines of education and school teachers. The tutors receive additional training and mentoring to assist with the difference between classroom and online tutoring.

TutorQuick.com is committed to keep pricing very competitive while selecting the most skilled tutors. Dissatisfaction with other lower priced online tutoring companies served as a model for the foundation of TutorQuick. The price per hour for personalized online tutoring ranges between $10.99 per hour to $19.99 per hour based on the plan selection. Sessions may be scheduled or purchased instantly for last minute test and homework preparation.

Faced with trying to assist his own high school children with calculus and trigonometry Mr. Yanoff became a client as well. “Frankly, I couldn’t help my kids and I couldn’t get a tutor to come to the house for several days. Now with a few clicks the tutor is always available”. TutorQuick seeks to expand the services from SAT, ACT, English, Math, Science, Accounting and related business studies into TOEFL and GRE, GMAT later this year.