Helge Scherlund's eLearning News: The Usual Pitfalls of Distance .

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The earliest instances of distance learning - a plan of instruction conducted without the physical presence of the pupil in a classroom - arose in the nineteenth century. Carried out through written letters and lessons, these first correspondence courses were made possible by the coming of an organized postal service.

In the like manner, new forms of teaching at a distance have appeared with the growth of wireless and tv broadcasting, electronic mail and the Internet and other transmission technologies. Now, with the power to stream video information online and even conduct real time video conferences, online education is more democratic and more feasible than ever. There still exist professional organizations to keep this specialized education field. However, distance learning is far from perfect. Setting apart the head of whether or not studying remotely measures up in compare with traditional classroom-based education, there are a few potential pitfalls unique to distance learning that any prospective student considering such a curriculum should behave in mind. For instance, many distance education programs are geared toward providing professional education, rather than purely academic study. While in some cases this may not inevitably be problematic, in others, such as vocational training to go in professional aviation, students may have reason for caution. While every remote professional education plan will bill itself as completely legitimate, some expertise is simply difficult or impossible to genuinely win without direct, hands-on learning experience. Learning the math, economics, and legal matters essential to practice accounting is one thing; learning to fly an aeroplane is quite another. Legitimacy is another common concern. Although many established universities and colleges increasingly offer online courses, there yet remain a number of unaccredited and sometimes fraudulent distance learning programs. Prospective students must be discreet in selecting a program, and be trusted to conduct thorough background research before enrolling. Even in legitimately accredited and generally well-run distance learning programs, the relative lack of interaction with instructors and former students can spoil the learning experience for some. Studies of student experience in remote education settings have found that successful distance learners must be strongly self-motivated and capable to complete their work without much guidance. For many students, more direct interaction with teachers and classmates is essential to continue on lead and do good in school. Even as ongoing technological developments allow for greater degrees of interaction, they may not sufficiently mitigate this issue. Finally, even if a prospective student really is well suited to a distance learning environment, their instructor may not be. While most educators have been ground to make a generally positive outlook on distance learning, they are not always enthusiastic about participating in it themselves. Such is peculiarly apt to be the type with professors at established institutions who are called on to allow remote instruction. Lack of acquaintance with the technology, uncertainty about how to apply pedagogy in a remote learning context and difficulty adapting to interacting with students at a space can all become potentially critical problems entirely out of students' hands. On the whole distance learning remains a bright and viable way of education. Not simply that, but online schools also allow more convenient and accessible learning opportunities to prospective students. However, it must be kept in judgement that there are big differences between a remote learning program and a normal classroom setting in the better of cases. Distance learning students should expect a different educational dynamic accompanied by different kinds of challenges and problems, and should think that some expertise just can't be acquired indirectly. With a little caution, there's no reason distance learning can't be a meaning and useful component of students' educational experience. Indeed, as technical development continues, no doubt remote study will grow more dominant as well, probably in ways we possess yet to imagine. Lindsey Wrightis currently a content creator for OnlineSchools.org. Many thanks to Lindsey.Enjoy your reading!

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