While earlier, traditional learning was paramount, now, another form of learning is growing in popularity. The development of technology, the internet, in particular, has permitted people to study online, distantly. It means that there is no need to go to university every day to be present during the lessons. Young people can perform all the needed studying activities online or offline and then, pass tests and exams and send practical tasks to get their grades.
How Everything Is Organized
Normally, distance learning is available online. It means that students might never need to visit the university where they study. They get access to their learning materials and tasks via a special platform. Their tutor sends access data or a student registers himself/herself by providing specific information.
Some courses might have their time limitations while others might have no limitations at all. In the second case, the next level becomes available when the student has completed a current level and passed all the tests.
All the needed tasks, including writing tasks, are also provided online. For those students who don’t need writing skills in the future, online paper writing services are available to order their essays prepared by a team of academic experts.
Distance learning can be completely independent. In such a case, a student is the only one responsible for performing during his/her studies period. The student works independently and only if some questions arise, he/she can send a request to explain them. Some distant courses though include online consultations with tutors. In such a case. Online meetings are organized via Skype, Zoom, or another messenger. Such meetings can be organized on a regular basis or upon request.
Distance courses can be completed by acquiring a certificate or even a diploma or without it. While the course itself can be free, a document that confirms the course completion is usually sent for payment.
Benefits of Distance Learning
While for many generations, people have believed that distance learning is something secondary, something that doesn’t provide the needed knowledge level, it appeared to be wrong. Distance learning has already shown itself as an efficient and, what is even more important, accessible way to study.
Distance learning has provided an opportunity to study even to those people who would have never managed it otherwise because:
- Distance studying is either free or its costs are absolutely affordable;
- It is available to those people who live in distant areas and cannot go to a different country or area to attend a university;
- The study process is flexible, one can handle it even if the person needs to combine the study with work.
Distance Learning Provides Opportunities to All People
Distance learning offers an opportunity to complete a study course in many subjects and get better opportunities in life to those students who would never do it otherwise. For example, young people from poor districts in Africa, South America, and Asia are given a real chance with distance learning. In most cases, all the materials are available not only from a desktop but from a mobile device. Thus, it is sufficient for a person to get a cheap smartphone to be able to study.
Even if confirmation is needed that the course has been completed, paying for a diploma or a certificate is still quite affordable. It cannot be compared to the expenses that a person needs to handle to go to study abroad or to pay for the studies and accommodation in a different part of the world.
Another huge benefit is an opportunity to study in the most famous colleges in the world such as Oxford, Cambridge. While not everybody can handle all the expenses connected with staying in Britain to attend colleges, paying for the studies can be managed. Moreover, payments for distance learning are usually much lower than payments for traditional learning. Thus, distance learning opens the doors of the most prestigious colleges to people who could not afford to study there earlier.
This is an opportunity not only for students but for the colleges, too. In this way, they are able to include in the number of their students those people who are talented and knowledgeable independently on their income. And of course, promotional aspects shall be considered, too. This is a way to make a college more popular.
Is It Possible to Study Everything Distantly?
Of course, we agree that not everything can be studied distantly. Some subjects need deep practical knowledge. If we speak about surgery, it is clear that to some extent, students need to acquire practical knowledge, too. While a part of the needed materials can be studied distantly.
Final Thoughts
Distance learning is no doubt a wonderful opportunity to get proper education for those people who would not be able to do it otherwise. It provides young people from all around the world with more equal opportunities and access to the study.
While there are subjects that still cannot be studied completely distantly, we believe that in the future, new technological achievements will make it possible, too. For example, VR and AR at some point will enable us to study everything remotely, including taking practical tasks.
For now, distance learning opens new opportunities and offers talented young people access to the knowledge and skills that are needed to live properly in the modern world.