About Online University, Distance Learning or Distance Education.

Online university, distance learning or distance education were made possible by the advance of Internet and telecommunication technology. I am sure that those keywords are not strange at all for every body.

Anyway, to make it more formal, let us just take one definition for them. According to Webopodia, distance education is a type of education -typically college-level- where students work on their own at home or at the office and communicate with faculty and other students via e-mail, electronic forums, videoconferencing, chat rooms, bulletin boards, instant messaging and other forms of computer-based communication. Most distance learning programs include a computer-based training (CBT) system and communications tools to produce a virtual classroom. Because the Internet and World Wide Web are accessible from virtually all computer platforms, they serve as the foundation for many distance learning systems.

In the market, we will find distance education in other common terms, such as: distance learning, online education, online university, online college, technology-based training,　distance learning , computer-based training, etc.Distance education is greatly different from the traditional one. However, this does not mean that the value or results of educations you will gain is of lesser quality. As Internet media and communication technology are quite advanced, e-learning practices and delivery have improved making it as worthwhile as any course in any context. Thus, e-learning is becoming more mainstreams in current days. Every one can master a subject, get a degree, diploma or certificate, after finishing an online learning program as a traditional one.

Accreditation Matters
Beside of its increasingly popularity, one very important point to look at before choosing an online education institutions is about the accreditation matter. If a program we took is not accredited by an accrediting institution, whatever degree or certification we receive could not be recognized and will become just as a wasted effort. Please be aware of this.

Is Online Learning Suitable for You?
Although most of online or distance learning programs have been customized to meet the needs of many different people, it requires a person with typical character to maximize on the opportunity. Then we come to the question, is online learning suitable for me? To answer this, I would like to refer you to some excellent hints provided by Hyperstudy.com. I will summarize here some of the most important things you need to consider before answering the above question. Online learning requires student that posses these types of characters:

• Disciplined
• Self-Directed
• Motivated
• Willing and able to use computers
• Experience with email, browsing the internet, word processing
• Enjoys reading and writing
• Asks Questions
• Task-Oriented

Walking through the following questions will help you to decide if online learning is an option for you.

How motivated and self-empowered will you be for the course?
As there is often no meeting time for classes, students must take the initiative to learn the material and complete necessary work, while also engaging in the virtual class dialogue. This requires time management and a level of dedication to the topic of study. Structuring your life in a way that gives you the time for the class must be a priority if you want to be successful.

What is your reading ability?
Printed text will be the basis of learning in a virtual classroom. This means that in order for anything else to happen, a successful student must be able to read and retain knowledge in order to undertake in the other facets and methods of teaching.

How are your writing skills?
Writing is the next most important key to success in online learning, in order for you to engage in classroom dialogues and communicate questions and concerns with the instructor is if you can write them clearly.

Are you ready to communicate regularly with instructors and ask questions?