Online Courses are available at all levels of education.
There are three basic formats of Online Courses involved in degrees online. Independent study or correspondence courses, synchronous courses and asynchronous courses are all offered as online classes. There are also several combinations of these. It is necessary to determine what is your preferred learning style and then locate online classes that suit your preference.
Independent Study or Correspondence Courses
Independent study or correspondence courses are not formal classes, but rather are course materials that are available to students enrolled in Online Courses, via print or online. After signing-up and submitting payment, the course material is sent one of two ways. One method would be by delivering through postal mail or email, while an alternate method would allow the students to receive password- protected access to the materials a course in miracles online. In such courses, the work is completed and returned to the professor in the same manner in which the course material was delivered.
Students will have a specified period in which to complete all course work. sometimes this may be for three to six months or even up to a year. Some professors may require that only one assignment be submitted at a time, while others may require that all work be completed and sent all at once.
There are both advantages and disadvantages to this format.
There are online courses for high schools to University degree completion.
The primary advantage is that the work can be completed at the student`s convenience during the duration of the course. The major disadvantage is that procrastination can often result in the course being uncompleted. Another disadvantage is that, if all work is sent at once, there may not be period of effective feedback, with the opportunity to learn from mistakes.
Synchronous Courses
Synchronous courses are those in which the students and professors are all online simultaneously,usually in a chat room, while the professor teaches in real time on the computer. The increasing use of streaming video is easily reproducing the classroom environment. Online universities with synchronous classes, schedule them just as if students were required to attend campus with attendance being recorded. An added benefit is that recordings are always available for review.
Scheduled real-time meetings may not be suitable for everyone if there is a difference in time zones. Before signing up for a synchronous class, you should find out the online class schedules, the requirements for attendance and the penalties for missing class.
Some experts contend that online courses are not for everyone, however, the major component for success in getting an online degree should be the required motivation and necessary commitment.
It is possible to complete a PHD program entirely with online courses.
The paradigm shift in education appears to be accelerating as more educational institutions and universities adopt. Universities in Canada have developed a consortium called the that is a partnership of colleges and universities, offering over 250 diplomas, degrees and certificates, completely online.
It is now possible to complete PhD programs completely on line from fully accredited institutions.
The range of virtual learning is quickly expanding to include online criminal justice courses to online courses for medical assistant.
Online course are now enabling the area of higher education to be much more accessible, with multiple benefits and advantages that can be used by a larger amount of persons.