Distance Learning in the Present Times - Essay Example

b. Availability for students – as computers become more integrated with daily living, more and more students are gaining the access necessary to fully participate in online learning courses
c. Quality – many of the high-quality universities and colleges now offer online learning options with course content that equals that available in the classroom.
III. Body 2 – Direct advantages for the student
a. Convenience
i. Course availability – students can take classes when they want to instead of waiting for them to be offered again on the next college catalog
ii. Flexibility – students can attend class when and where it’s convenient for them, reducing travel time and easily working around work, family, and social schedules.
iii. Self-paced – students can work more at their own pace rather than trying to keep up with an overwhelming college schedule or wasting time waiting for classmates to catch up.
b. Interaction
i. With classmates – with improved technology, students can communicate with classmates on many levels, including phone calls, email, instant messaging, and discussion boards
ii. New perspectives – rather than simply gaining the perspectives of fellow students that share the same demographic and geographic knowledge, students can obtain a more broadly-based consensus on various topics as they attend class with other students from across the country or around the world.
iii. With instructor – students have easy and direct access to their instructor through email, phone, instant messaging, and discussion boards, allowing them to ask questions or request clarification at any time of the day or night and allowing the instructor to also answer at their convenience.
IV. Body 3 – Indirect advantages for the student
a. Cost – because there is less overhead for the college to fund these courses and no classroom space necessary for most, tuition costs can be lower in online distance learning courses
b. Travel expenses – students don’t need to live right next to the campus to save money on gas, train fare, or other expenses just to get to and from school
c. Time – Because students can participate in classes wherever they have an internet connection, there is a significant reduction in the amount of time the student spends preparing for and getting to class.
d. Career – students attending online classes can continue to pursue their careers with little to no interruption while they are attending classes thanks to the flexible schedule afforded.
V. Conclusion
a. The growth of the internet and computer use among the average citizen has fostered a growth in the availability of online courses and the ability of students to access these courses
b. Students can gain several personal, direct advantages by participating in online courses
c. There are also several indirect advantages offered to the student through participation in online courses.

Students who are nervous about taking online classes are typically nervous about it because they can’t envision the advantages they will receive or because they are concerned about the quality of the education they will get. For this reason, I structured my presentation to address these two major issues in a way that points out to potential students how the industry has changed in recent years to bring online education up to the standards of brick-and-mortar education.

For this reason, there is a heavy emphasis on the convenience, cost, and time savings available in obtaining an education through online sources and pointing out how online learning has been working to overcome some of its inherent disadvantages, such as interaction among students and teachers. Read More