Pursuing Distance Learning Degree is a Pleasurable Initiative

for a Successful CareerAlthough the academia has traditionally been hesitant in adopting massive open online courses, a new report published by the Babson Survey Research Group says that the growing popularity of pursuing online courses is not a mere trend but gradually turning out to be a sheer compulsion. Believe it or not, 6.7 million students are presently enrolled in at least one online course, despite receiving opposing comments from plenty of traditional learning faculties.

Survey by Babson Research Group

The Babson Survey Research Group conducted a survey on online learning in 2012. From the report, it was found that the need for pursuing higher education must not only evolve at any cost but the evolution must happen faster. About 77% of the academic leaders ranked the learning outcomes on the basis of comparisons made with the physical classrooms. The comments they made in regard to the online learning strategies were either “same” or “superior” in comparison to those adopted in the physical classrooms.

The Pearson Survey Report

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Another survey had been made in partnership with Pearson, the Sloan Consortium and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation based on feedback from more than 2,800 leaders in academia. It said that the number of students taking at least one online course within a year grew by 570,000. Although only 2.6 percent of the higher education institutions are currently pursuing MOOC, one notable shift that has been witnessed currently is that the chief academic leaders who considered online learning a critical strategy for their long-term career plans has now been recorded to be 69.1 percent.

Smarter Ways to Study online – a few Tips to Consider

The amazing developments in online education have led students to enrol in distance learning courses. Moreover, students keep getting hampered by the realities of modern life and therefore it becomes difficult for them to juggle work and family commitments. Therefore, they prefer to get rid of brick and mortar institutions and enrol online so that they can study flexibly and acquire new learning skills with time.

So, here are some smart tips for students and working adults who are about to enrol in distance learning degree courses. Have a look:

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Chalk out an efficient time schedule – For a distance learner, managing time effectively should not only be the initial but the most crucial strategy for achieving success. A specific schedule for an online learner will rather help him/her to meet both work and family commitments with absolute perfection. So, what you can do is reserve a few hours for your studies because this will give you an idea as how long you should work and how much you should study.

Be planned & organised – If you are working and you suddenly decide to take up an online course, you might end up disoriented. So, you need to keep things in place and stay organised no matter how hectic is your schedule. You just can’t keep your study materials inside your work files or underneath a dirty cutlery. So, keep all your materials in such a place where it would be easier for you to find them out prior to attending a class online.

Choose a quite place to study – A place dominated by tranquillity is essential for an online learner, especially for one who is working. After long hours of work, what you want is some peace and silence that can help you pursue your course with satisfaction. So, if you think that your home is not the best place, your local library will be a good option.

Join a study group – You might not be comfortable with group studying. However, it’s true that studying in a group can do wonders for distance learners. When you study with three to four members in a group, you keep getting various questions and suggestions from them. This helps you to improve your knowledge

and conception on your subjects and hence it will later help you to bring good scores.

Know your learning style – It often seems tough to adopt new learning styles. However, distance learning is something different from what you have been following throughout your school days. So, you must ask yourself a few questions prior to taking up a distance learning course. For instance:

- whether I can make out time for both my work and studies

- whether I would be able to communicate well with my teachers and classmates online

- whether I am flexible with the online learning applications

- whether it would be easier for me to enhance social networking

So, do you still think that distance learning online is a daunting task? Apart from following these tips, you need to be a bit focused and self-disciplined towards your studies and you can then only succeed as a distance learner. Good luck!!