A SA SHORTHORT O OVERVIEWVERVIEW O ONN O ONLINENLINE

LLEARNINGEARNING________________________________________________________________

There is nothing new about distance learning. It dates back at least as far as1728 when students were first able to study shorthand via weekly lessons thatwere mailed to them. By 1828 universities in England began offering degreesby distance learning. The first was the University of London with its ExternalProgramme that for the first time made degree level education available tostudents from poorer backgrounds. There were parallel developments in the US.

The UK Open University (OU) was launched in the 1960s and it broughtdistance learning to a wide audience. In 1971 it took on its first batch of 25,000students. Many mature students took the opportunity to plug gaps in theirformal education by studying for OU degrees. Educational material wasdelivered in print and presented on TV and radio. Other countries soon followedthe example.

Naturally the internet transformed distance learning. The first online universitywas the Open University of Catalonia which opened in 1994, though the year2000 proved a turning point and by 2008 most countries in the world wereoffering distance learning opportunities, and today even the world’s mostrespected universities such as Harvard offer online education.

There are significant differences between online learning and traditionaleducational. One of the important ones is that it is an individual pursuit, andeducators must design their courses with this in mind. It is important to provideproper feedback otherwise the student might feel isolated and lose motivation.

Communication is also very different. It is important that students can interactwith each other and with their instructors, and social media and specialistapplications should be leveraged to ensure this happens.

Even more vital is accreditation. With organisations such as the OpenUniversities students are able to work towards a degree, and although in theearly days there might have been some reluctance for employers to accept anOU degree as the equivalent of a degree from a redbrick university, that is nolonger the case.

Today many people study for fully accredited professional qualifications in arange of fields such as IT. Such qualifications are widely acclaimed, and havingthem can be vital for high flying professionals who wish to progress theircareers. Such courses are available for a wide range of skill levels, ranging fromthe beginner just starting out on their career through to the top professional. Wehave come a long way since 1728. REF: https://goo.gl/WJex4C

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