To: atheist who wrote (3953 ) 1/16/1999 7:46:00 AM From: Steve Hausser Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 4748
Learning at Home By Cristine Santo, If you're about to let another year slip by without finding the time to squeeze in that course you've always wanted to take, it's time to join the estimated 1 million students taking distance learning classes via the Internet. Every day, more and more top-notch colleges and universities are coming online, offering high-quality classes complemented by real-time chats and bulletin board discussions with instructors and classmates. "The distance learning boom is so large that we now put out the free monthly Virtual University Gazette to help keep people informed," said Vicky Philips, co-author of Better Distance Learning Graduate Schools (Princeton Review). "Each month it features announcements of new distance learning programs." (Get your copy at www.geteducated.com.) Students we talked with are finding that online classes are more personal than they expected and, best of all, suit their busy lifestyles. "When online courses are well delivered, they're so interactive that you have more contact with teachers and fellow students than you would in a traditional classroom," said Patrick Downey, president of New Promise, an educational consulting company. "Professors often answer your e-mail questions within 12 hours, and chats with fellow students can get very profound." Studies show that students taking online courses are older than traditional students (in their thirties and forties), work during traditional classroom hours, and need flexible learning schedules. They're taking credit and noncredit courses, finishing old degrees and starting new ones. And they're enjoying themselves. In fact, 80 percent of students who took an online course at UCLA liked it as well as or better than the same in-person course, according to Downey. As more schools offer online courses, prospective students are finding it harder to make informed decisions about where, when, and how to take courses. Here's some advice: Seek out courses with an accessible instructor. "The instructor should be willing to speak to you on the phone, before you sign up, about their approach and your concerns," said Downey. If you're seeking a degree, be sure your school will let you complete the entire degree online -- many schools require physical attendance at some point. Look for courses with a built-in sense of structure. For example, online lessons and discussions should require your participation within a set amount of time. With such a requirement, you won't miss out on valuable interactions with your classmates -- and you won't be able to procrastinate. Same Thing, Only Different Online learning is the same as on-campus learning in many respects -- faculty, level of difficulty, admissions criteria (for degree programs), time needed for studies. Most important, studies show there is no significant difference in student achievement between traditional and online learning. (See "No Significant Difference Phenomenon," compiled by Thomas L. Russell, at tenb.nbcc.nb.ca/phenom/phenom3.html.) Modem Mannequin Wondering if it'll fit? Lands' End (www.landsend.com) offers online customers a new feature called Your Personal Model that lets you create a 3-D model of your body and virtually try on clothes before you buy them. You make a model based on your body type and apply different clothing and styles to the silhouette. You can also get fashion advice on the most flattering choices for your body type. Money Matters Although some online high-tech courses are still very expensive ($2000 each), other online classes can cost up to 50 percent less than their on-campus equivalents, according to Patrick Downey of New Promise. The cheapest classes? Courses for in-state students at some state universities can be as little as $17 per credit. ZD University ZD University (www.zdu.com) -- an online university site from FamilyPC's parent company --currently has 100,000 students who get unlimited class time in everything from Word to Web design for $7.95 per month.