Distance Learning

Distance learning is a great way to go if you are a working adult who wants to further your career by getting a degree. I take my classes in Newsgroups through Outlook Express, which are similar to forum posting boards. There are four Newsgroups to each class, the Main Newsgroup is where classroom discussions are held, the Chat Newsgroup is where bios and getting to know your classmates take place, the Course Materials Newsgroup is where your instructor posts information on course materials, and your Individual Newsgroup is where you post your assignments. All communication takes place in Threaded Discussions. Threaded Discussions are where one person posts a message to a group and then each person who responds does so to the original message posted. Classmates receive feedback, constructive criticism and suggestions, utilizing Asynchronous Communication, which is like e-mailing, where messages are sent back and forth at different times as students log in and check for incoming messages.



What were your initial thoughts on distance learning before you started your program? Why did you choose distance learning over a traditional face-to-face learning environment?



My initial thoughts on distance learning were that I was intrigued by it. I wondered if you could really get a degree in just two years and be on the same level as a traditional four year college. Some of my co-workers were going for their degree online and it seemed like a do-able option for me. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to go back to college in a traditional on campus, in the classroom university; I am a single working mother. So going to school online seemed like a great way to continue my education and get the degree I need to better provide for my family.

I also was completely expecting a different layout. I expected to see something like a traditional chat room and that my assignments were sent via e-mails, not newsgroups, and that there may have even been some kind of set up where you could view your instructor while he/she gave lectures or explained your assignments. I daresay I was picturing that you just took the physical classroom and transferred it online. I kind of expected there to be a real classroom and that we were learning with students who were physically on campus in the classroom


In what ways has your view of distance learning changed during this week?

The most significant change is in the way the program is done. As I had stated in checkpoint I, I was under the impression that just like in the classroom instruction, Instructors would lecture on the topic assign papers and homework. I expected a virtual classroom basically where each class had students who were physically in the classroom and then the ones who were online. I thought is was going to be way more complex than it really is.

My current views are that it is a lot more impersonal than I had thought. I also feel that I getting my degree is going to be much more attainable this way than I had originally thought.