 |
|
Singapore, 7 January 2003
This is Part One of a two part series. Though distance education has existed for some time in one form or another, once the magic words "on line," "Web," and "virtual" were added, learning outside of a classroom became a hot item. Spurred by a host of cutting-edge technologies, innovations in distance education took off, and an amazed and delighted public latched on in record numbers to this way of being taught. It s a boon to the educational needs as the halls of the learned are being filled by distance students who otherwise probably could not have accessed higher education. But along with the enormous potential that online learning offers, it's undergoing tremendous change and as a result is shaking the very foundations of how education is/can or should be delivered. In this transition time, measuring quality is not easy to define. Question: How will you, the potential e-learner (or the employer who is paying the fees), know you're getting your money's worth? The bad news is there are no certainties - they're still being printed. Comparisons with the "old" is still under development and difficult. The many variables inherent in distance education programs also hinder easily or quickly checking quality. Course structures vary from email to video tape and print. Distance learning providers range from traditional institutions to brand-new virtual universities. According to some experts, name recognition alone is not enough. A small regional college might have stellar professors teaching their online courses who know the difference between the virtual and real classroom. Reputable colleges or universities may not offer quality online learning. As institutions push to get in on the e-learning boom, some haven't fully developed how they deliver distance education. Are their distance courses as good as what on-campus students receive? Are they designed with distance students in mind or just Web versions of correspondence or on-campus courses? Students looking for distance education providers need a lot more information to make wise choices. A good tip is to use different resources as it's difficult to tell what's real, so checking quality poses challenges for the potential student. Question:
Have you looked deeper than the Web site or catalog? Question: Is the education provider
accredited by a recognised accrediting agency? There are a number of ways to check on the legitimacy of accrediting agency. The U.S. Department of Education (www.ed.gov) has a list of verified accrediting agencies as does the Council For Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org). The Distance Education Training Council (www.detc.org) also can help you verify accrediting agencies. Question: Will
that certificate or credit be worth something? Being able to use the course as admission to some other programmes is just as important. If you took an e-learning course over the summer, will it be accepted for admission elsewhere? If you have a goal in mind when taking online courses, you've got to know if the courses will be accepted at future programmes. As such, PurpleTrain courses are accredited by established UK universities and US universities that have more than 100 years of experience behind them. The courses offered are selected after careful scrutiny in their feasibility for online delivery and the Learning Management System allows for monitoring of all students’ progress. To find out more, feel free to visit our web site www.purpletrain.com Coming up next: ‘Must Know’ areas to watch for before enrolling! About Informatics Group
About PurpleTrain.com
For more information, please contact :
To subscribe, send a blank email to: subscribe@purpletrain.com All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of
their respective owners. Certain of the statements in this press release
are forward-looking in nature and, accordingly, are subject to risks and
uncertainties. The actual results may differ from those described or contemplated. |