Distant Education

PROs of Distance Learning

• Require no or little commuting which saves time and money. Less time in car means less gas burned and less car maintenance.
  
• Allow you to complete course work when it is convenient for you. Do work where and when you want to.
  
• Taken from home means savings in child car costs.
  
• Are learner centered. Pacing, sequencing, style of the learning experience are left up to you.
  
• Offer easy access to learning resources. The teacher, other students, library are only a click away.
  
• Allow learners to access enrichment content of personal interest.
  
• Lead to an advanced degree that will result in increased career salaries.
  
• Directly address physical accessibility issues such as access to buildings, sitting in uncomfortable chairs.
  
• Are great equalizers. You will work with fellow class members without regard for appearance, race, sex, ethnicity, or other common prejudices.
  
• Allows a broader perspective by interacting with people from other parts of the world.
  
• Will teach you project management along with distance collaboration skills. These skills will help you work on virtual teams on your jobs.

• Isolate the student. Societal interaction can be limited, unless technology and class assignments encourage interaction.
  
• Allow students to fall through cracks more easily.
  
• Require that the student is disciplined enough to be able to work independently.
  
• Require that students are highly motivated.
  
• Require good writing skills.
  
• Require that the student has a high degree of comfort with the Internet.
  
• Join students and teachers who often have little in common in terms of background and day-to-day experience.
  
• It can take longer for class rapport to build.
  
• The instructional technology delivery systems, if it is new to the student or seems complicated to use, can greatly inhibit class communication and cohesion.
  
• Require as much time as attending classes and completing assignments for campus courses.
  
• Do not offer motivational factors arising from contact and competition from others.
  
• Require basic computer skills with word processing, Internet browser and e-mail software.