With the globalization of the economy have come many changes. Distance is no longer an obstacle to communication; labour crosses borders; jobs change; and people change jobs frequently. And because of all these changes, lifelong education becomes particularly important in this knowledge-based economy.
Of course, this is why so many people study on-campus at university or college. But many others already have jobs or other commitments and so cannot attend on-campus classes. If you are one of these people, online learning provides a flexible solution. But to succeed you need to take account of the following six guidelines.
Online education is a flexible form of education, but it doesn't mean that you can keep "putting off" your learning day after day. All too often, that is what often happens - and this results in failure to learn. So be organised - manage your time. Set aside a regular time in your diary for study of the material and completion of assignments.
To complete a degree online means often working alone when your friends are out enjoying themselves, and it means maintaining this level of commitment for a long period of time. To achieve this, you must have a high degree of motivation. We did some research on success factors for our mature-age online learners. The number one factor wasn't previous exam results - it was motivation. Even with very few previous academic qualifications, we found that students would succeed providing they were motivated. So, do make sure that you are highly motivated.
Unfortunately, many of us were taught to use "rote learning" at school. But other skills are needed to acquire meaningful knowledge. This means having well-developed critical reading and thinking skills. To be successful in learning online requires that you develop these skills. Many programs or colleges will provide a course to help you acquire such skills - it would be well worthwhile taking it so that you do know how to learn.
For many of us, our school experience has taught us to be "passive learners" - we were told the knowledge, we learned it by rote and then we repeated it in an exam. Passive learning seemed to be a useful strategy for success. Unfortunately, that is not a useful strategy for success in today's world, or, indeed, in online learning. If you are learning online, the courseware often includes questions, exercises and further reading so that your learning can be active rather than passive. You must make sure that you complete all the exercises and that you thoroughly interact with the material.
Lectures in high school classrooms and in undergraduate classes can all so easily encourage the "passive learning" already referred to. But real learning takes place when you are interacting with the materials and with others. So try to find a learning group, either in your area or online, and exchange ideas regularly. Also, make sure that you respond to all the e-Tutor's requests for participation in the discussion forums. There may even be a mark allocated for such participation.
Don't be tempted to buy a qualification from a "diploma mill" - a business that simply prints diplomas and degrees. Such qualifications are worthless in the eyes of employers and genuine educational institutions, so will just be a waste of your money. Always take an accredited program from an accredited institution.
Of course, this is why so many people study on-campus at university or college. But many others already have jobs or other commitments and so cannot attend on-campus classes. If you are one of these people, online learning provides a flexible solution. But to succeed you need to take account of the following six guidelines.
Online education is a flexible form of education, but it doesn't mean that you can keep "putting off" your learning day after day. All too often, that is what often happens - and this results in failure to learn. So be organised - manage your time. Set aside a regular time in your diary for study of the material and completion of assignments.
To complete a degree online means often working alone when your friends are out enjoying themselves, and it means maintaining this level of commitment for a long period of time. To achieve this, you must have a high degree of motivation. We did some research on success factors for our mature-age online learners. The number one factor wasn't previous exam results - it was motivation. Even with very few previous academic qualifications, we found that students would succeed providing they were motivated. So, do make sure that you are highly motivated.
Unfortunately, many of us were taught to use "rote learning" at school. But other skills are needed to acquire meaningful knowledge. This means having well-developed critical reading and thinking skills. To be successful in learning online requires that you develop these skills. Many programs or colleges will provide a course to help you acquire such skills - it would be well worthwhile taking it so that you do know how to learn.
For many of us, our school experience has taught us to be "passive learners" - we were told the knowledge, we learned it by rote and then we repeated it in an exam. Passive learning seemed to be a useful strategy for success. Unfortunately, that is not a useful strategy for success in today's world, or, indeed, in online learning. If you are learning online, the courseware often includes questions, exercises and further reading so that your learning can be active rather than passive. You must make sure that you complete all the exercises and that you thoroughly interact with the material.
Lectures in high school classrooms and in undergraduate classes can all so easily encourage the "passive learning" already referred to. But real learning takes place when you are interacting with the materials and with others. So try to find a learning group, either in your area or online, and exchange ideas regularly. Also, make sure that you respond to all the e-Tutor's requests for participation in the discussion forums. There may even be a mark allocated for such participation.
Don't be tempted to buy a qualification from a "diploma mill" - a business that simply prints diplomas and degrees. Such qualifications are worthless in the eyes of employers and genuine educational institutions, so will just be a waste of your money. Always take an accredited program from an accredited institution.
About the Author:
Sophia Peters regularly contributes to the Online and Distance Learning web site where there are details of online programs. Visit the web site for other relevant information about where and how to study online. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
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