Archive for March, 2010

A Brief History of Online Education

March 28th, 2010



The internet has given us many gifts throughout the years – from music and video game codes to not so G-rated material. Therefore, it is no surprise that e-learning has made such a big splash in the web world. Within the past ten years, online education and internet training has provided many people with a new incentive to learn.

During the early 80’s, e-training was just starting to become a potential creation. Companies and educational institutes were strictly hiring instructors to train their students. This was because computers were only beginning to grow, therefore making it difficult to come up with any other plan. These instructors were great at the time because it allowed training to be very hands on, especially since students were able to interact with their classmates and visually see the lessons. However, the problem with having just instructors was that there was a lot of blank time in between. Students were not being able to learn the material on their own time, thus difficulty set in when training with hoards of other people.

Luckily, as the computer industry started to expand, e-training was becoming a reality. For the next ten years, multimedia was at everyone’s fingertips. Companies were just starting to use PowerPoint; a program that allowed people to create visually enhanced presentations. Video games and other multimedia programs were also popping up, thus resulting in a technology overhaul. As these advances continued, online education was only a step away.

The first type of online education was in the mid 1990’s. This was when the internet was a great success, and multimedia was being taken to another level. The first few e-training companies dedicated their services to mainly businesses who did not want to hire trainers. Although the online education courses were great for new employees who needed training, it was only the beginning of an uphill process. Education online was very slow, as pictures were small and the entire course was text based. Nevertheless, it was beginning to catch the eye of many.

As the 1990’s quickly ended, the millennium marked an entirely new period for technology. E-learning was finally on the map as online education courses were now very popular at colleges and businesses. Great streaming media, online video access, and fast web site servers made it possible for online education to make quite a splash. Students were also now able to learn from their homes during their own time, since working a job and going to school was quite a difficult task.

Today, online education has come a long way. Instructors are now being hired to solely teach online, which usually consists of being filmed for lesson videos. Companies are also hiring these online education programs, since a training session can not only be quick, but also be accessed at any time of the day or night. For many, it is a great opportunity because it gives us all more knowledge. We not only are able to get college degrees through this type of e-learning, but we also can have a life, without having to stay at the office overnight just to learn some material.

By: Natalie Aranda

Online Education – 3 Important Factors

March 28th, 2010



No one wants to stop the process of learning. Online education provides excellent opportunities to continue education at ones own ease. Studying was never that convenient before. However as online education is a much newer concept, students have a lot of questions in mind. Three of the most troublesome questions are answered below. The answers I have provided are not concrete, but they are general answers and are applicable to almost all online education imparting institutions. Knowledge of these points will help you as a student to select the right course from the right university or institution for yourself.

Finding the Right Institution:

Online education is now accessible in and from all countries of the world. Thus one must make a thorough search of the institutions available. There may be a university or institution available in your own country or subcontinent offering the course you wish to take. In such case you wont have to search far. The cost will also be then quiet affordable as the currency would be more or less similar to that of yours.

Finance

Whether studying from a local college or an online institution, finance is the biggest area of concern for students. What I have observed is that a degree obtained by studying online is relatively cheaper than the one earned at a Physical institution. The reason behind it is that while studying at some University or college, costs involved in earning a degree are not just limited to the fees. Travel, transport, accommodation fees etc are also included in it. While in the case of online education, the only cost apart from the fees is that of the internet connection and bill. Still this doesn’t mean that online education for all courses may be affordable. In some cases the fees may be out of budget. Or ones budget may be too less to even sponsor a relatively non expensive course.

In such circumstances, mostly, the institution offers various kinds of assistance ships. Some may be in the form of scholarships, while others are student loans with easy installments. There are a few online education institutions that offer job opportunities for students to support there academics. Thus a thorough research of all the factors is very important before opting for an online course.

Course Selection:

Selecting a course that is most suitable to you is very crucial. However terms like associates degree or first level course or HND may be quiet confusing. A high school diploma in your country may be equivalent to intermediate according to the standard of that particular University you wish to apply to. Thus when applying or selecting courses it is very wise to take advantage of the consulting service provided by the university. These services are free of cost at all institutions and are very beneficial. People giving advice are qualified professionals and can do the necessary conversions aptly to tell you what is better for you. A student should always discuss all his matters including financial condition, current education status, current work status etc very clearly in order to get a useful advice.

By: Keith Londrie

Is Traditional Education Better Than Technology-Based Education?

March 28th, 2010



This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding education. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about education.

On-line education is in trend nowadays. In the future, students may have the opportunity to study at home with computers rather than go to traditional schools like what we are used to doing. And in some cases online education is the only way available.

The most common on-line form of education today is English tutorials. As of now, students and tutors use IM (instant messaging), headset and web camera as the path of communication and of education. Is this the better option?

People must prefer the traditional way because in a classroom setting, students can learn and socialize with their peers. Also, from the instructor, he or she can teach students many valuable lessons of life which cannot be learned through technology. It is like the question of doing research through the library or the internet. Both have advantages and disadvantages but traditional education has the numerous advantages over on-line education.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of education is no exception. There are always fresh and new ideas about education.

Students learn better socially and academically in a classroom. Students are mostly young-aged. Therefore, they are generally interested in meeting and being with their peers. As they interact, it makes it easier for them to pay focus and learn. As social creatures, one could not just stay secluded and educate his own self. That is impossible! We live, grow, learn and succeed with people along the way.

Besides lecture materials, a classroom instructor teaches many other important life lessons. Students can learn and develop punctuality and good study habits. A teacher serves as a guide through education process which is a big part of life. Another important mission is to direct youth out of trouble. There is this bond between the instructor and the students which could not be built on-line. As the source of education, a teacher is not around just to introduce books and exams but also, he or she is selfless enough to share the lessons life taught her or him.

We must prefer to study at traditional schools and let us send our children there. It is because being around other people of our age or different ages gives us the opportunity to socialize and learn not only from the internet or books but from the society and from life. We could also learn other things which are important to education such as study skills. On-line education or any form of technology-based education is convenient. However, let us not risk quality. Long-term goals must always be prioritized.

And of course the other thing would be peer pressure and the competitive spirit of being the best in the classroom. A little competition is always good.

No matter how advanced technology would be- there will always be these things that would stay best if they would be maintained as is. One of these things is education.

Is there really any information about education that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. The bottom line remains the same. I still believe that in my honest opinion, traditional education is the best, and always will be. But the most important thing is to get more education, any way that you can. Your learning process should be ongoing–the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others. Your life will improve for you and your loved ones.

By: Bob Willoughby