Choosing the right college/university shouldn’t just be about where that school sits on the international rating scale or its geographical location. Perfect tertiary education is personal; it’s dependant on the course desired, personal interest and ability and future goals. The first thing student’s and their families want to think about in making the college university choice is, what are the student’s strengths and weaknesses and which are the most important programs of study, or in other words what occupation would be the right fit for this particular person.
Deciding what topic to write an essay on may be the hardest part of the job. When deciding what to write an essay on consider that you want it to be interesting, but that you don’t want to get yourself too deeply engrossed in a project that could turn out to be impossible. Some topics just do not have enough resources in terms of sourcing material and providing an original perspective.
College or university level study is stressful and so the first tip for effective study is to turn off your stress and turn up your mind. Fifteen minutes of jumping on a trampoline, running or brisk walking will give your brain the oxygen it needs to work effectively. Before that, eat a healthy breakfast because mind fuel is an important prerequisite to smart thinking. If you are anxious, (this is great advice for exams too) deep healthy breathing and some left brain/right brainwork will make your mind wide open to the rigours of study.
The Apple iPad is a forerunner in providing convenience and accessibility wherever in the world you are. Different iPad versions offer slightly different specs and capabilities so if you are considering an iPad for distance learning it helps to know the differences. These could influence which iPad you buy to study with and it won’t necessarily be the latest version. The generation 3 for example is great for people in 4G coverage areas who may find greater distance learning versatility with the latest Apple offering. However, the gen 3 is slightly heavier and bulkier than the gen 2 or the gen 1 so distance learners taking courses with heavy reading loads my find this iPad a little less comfortable to read from over long periods. This is because of the increased weight and thickness; the gen 3 dimensions are 9.5”h X 7.31”w X 0.37” deep, 1.44 pounds (Wi-Fi), 1.46 pounds (4G).
Distance learning incorporates courses from every faculty although not all courses are available via distance learning. Many universities offer hybrid courses for degrees or diplomas that require some in-class engagement. The best way to decide what to take in distance learning is to consider the following questions:
One of the most difficult aspects of distance learning is around how to engage students so that they feel a part of their learning and their school. Distance learning has come a long way from the days of online text and fax or email submissions. Today wiki’s are common, students can meet each other online, discussion posts are par for the course and multimedia is used to engage students on multiple levels. So, while in the past engagement may have been considered an obstacle to distance learning, that is certainly not the case today.
As the job market becomes increasingly more intense employees are looking to up skill and they are turning to distance learning to do it. It is an employer’s market as unemployment statistics remain high and that means employers have high expectations and a huge field of candidates from which to choose. Those looking for work that want or need an edge over the competition are turning en masse to distance learning. The same is true for employed people wanting advancement, promotion or even lateral moves to different fields or departments. So what are employers looking for and how can distance learning help?
One of the favored topics of this blog is the technology that enhances and facilitates learning. This is especially true for distance learning technologies, the method of learning that presents greater opportunity for a greater number of students. Excellent communication is imperative to successful distance learning from the perspective of both the educator and the distance learner.
English as a second language now outranks just about any course or program in terms of sheer numbers than any other. A big reason for these impressive figures is immigration to English dominated areas like the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Because pronunciation is vastly different in each of these countries, students of ESOL courses in one country may still struggle to speak and understand the vernacular of another country or sometimes even within the same country. In England for example, the dialect will change even in small geographic areas. It is important therefore, that ESOL courses expose students to regional forms and cultural styles so that ESOL students will be able to discern meaning even when the words, grammar or pronunciation are different to the form of English he or she is taught to speak.
What this means for college courses is immense. In today’s technological world, those professors and teachers willing to transcribe their audio lectures and lessons provide an aid to students that can be made available online or in text. The versatility of the internet and todays hardware including smartphones and laptops, mean that access to lessons can happen anywhere, anytime. This is something online and correspondence learners have already known for a long time.