Distant learning has been in place for generations, first known as “mail correspondence schools” before largely giving way to much more sophisticated university learning. I recall those days when you opened up a matchbook and found advertising for a certificate program that could be completed anywhere as long as you had access to a stamp and a mailbox.

In addition, actress Sally Struthers (All In The Family) was a spokesperson for the International Correspondence School (ICS) for a number of years, a home study course offered by the Pennsylvania Colliery Engineer School of Mines. Founded in 1890, the ICS was a pioneer in distant learning.

Degrees Conferred To Students Globally

Today, students can take courses from all over the world and receive bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees by doing the bulk of their work away from campus. Mail order schools still exist, but the majority of the distant learning today is provided by accredited schools, colleges and universities through online computer access.

The University of Phoenix is a leader in contemporary distant learning, having gotten its start before the rise of the internet in the middle 1990s. Today, the university boasts of hundreds of thousands of students taking their courses from every state in the union and from scores of countries spanning the globe. Their business model has been emulated by tens of other colleges and universities while also forcing “brick and mortar” schools to offer the same educational options.

What You Should Personally Consider

Before choosing an online degree program, you'll want to know if the school is accredited, how their entrance requirements compare to traditional schools, whether you'll be required to set foot on campus to take a course or a test, and whether an online degree is considered to be different from a degree earned by taking on campus classes. With the latter, you'll want to be certain that no distinction is made on the diploma or in the college's promotional material.

For online learning, your education costs should be the same minus room, board, travel expenses and perhaps some fees. You won't be able to connect with your professor or classmates face to face, but many schools now bring people together through internet groups and Facebook access.

Distant Learning And You

Is distant learning right for you? It could be, especially if learning from afar is the only way you can obtain a degree. Balancing work, family, personal responsibilities and learning is challenging enough, but at least with distant learning you can set your own schedule and study at a pace that suits your lifestyle.

(2009/03/09) advanced education SCL

If you have a bachelor's degree, the next logical step for some students is grad school. With an advanced degree your job opportunities can increase and you possibly can make much more money over the life of your career.

Have you started the steps necessary to obtain a graduate degree? If not, the following step-by-step instructions can guide you through the process:

Graduate Prep

• economic projections -- how much more can you make per year if you have an advanced degree vs. not having one?
• career and job types -- what doors will open to you through having a grad degree?
• best jobs for the future -- long term, what types of jobs will be most popular?
• personal assessment -- what do you want to do?

School Search

• graduate programs -- what program parallels your course of study?
• colleges and universities -- which schools offer the degree you need?
• distant learning programs -- can you obtain a degree online?
• community colleges -- grad classes are sometimes held at your local community college.

Admission

• what's needed to get into school -- your undergrad GPA could be a factor.
• admission tests and application form -- will you need a GRE, GMAT, or other entrance test?
• essays and recommendations -- work and school references.
• work experience and sponsor -- your work history may be an important factor in helping you gain admittance into some programs.

Pay For School

• calculating program costs -- cost per credit, fees, and books.
• review the financial aid process -- do you qualify for assistance?
• financial aid options -- what options are available to you for help?
• student loans, scholarships, other -- should you get a federal or private student loan? Check out scholarships, grants, and employee tuition reimbursement.

Getting Ready

• developing study skills -- do you time to study?
• moving to school checklist -- will you be attending school on campus?
• building discipline -- can you balance work, family, and studying?
• important credit skills -- what financial choices can you make today to help you keep your credit intact while attending college?

Clearly, balancing work, study, and life issues is one of the biggest challenges for the student seeking an advanced degree, something thousands of students manage each year. By following the outlined steps, you can get a clear picture of what you expect during the time you are going for your advanced degree.

(2009/09/19) advanced education SCL

You've just received your degree, completing four years of mind bending studying to reach your goal. Before starting college, things looked so very promising, the prospects for a career in your field of study were quite good. But, with a degree in one hand you are missing something that should be in your other hand -- a job offer.

Suddenly, The Job Picture Dimmed

Yes, this year's crop of college graduates is stepping out into a world that is quite different from the one they thought they were seeing on the horizon just a few years ago. No longer are jobs plentiful nor are the choices easy to make. Some students are punting on that decision, choosing to stay in college for two more years to secure a master's degree in hopes that things will have improved by May 2011. Maybe you've considered that option yourself, but for most students that simply isn't a choice they can live with -- they need to get their career in motion as soon as possible.

Without a job offer in hand, what should you do? That probably depends on what resources you have to sustain you in the coming months. If you're able to live under your parent's room without needing to contribute financially to your household, then the pressure to get work now isn't as urgent -- you can still send out resumes, build your network and hone in on what is available.

For everyone else, waiting isn't an option -- you need money ASAP and are willing to explore options beyond your career field. Specifically, you've entertained the option of taking on temporary work, but wonder if your prospects are any good.

The Wisdom Of Securing Temporary Employment

Human Resource experts seem to agree that temporary employment can be a good way to go as that option allows employees to "test drive" a job while giving companies the chance to see how well an employee works out without committing to something permanent. Moreover, as companies see their business pick up, they're more likely to supplement their permanent workforce with temporary employees until they're certain that the recovery has taken hold.

For good temporary workers already on the job, they can quickly upgrade their work status if and when permanent employment is offered to them. Sometimes companies will honor their temporary time when it comes to setting a hiring date which can mean employees would be eligible for certain benefits sooner including 401(k) match, health care, vacation time, etc.

Tracking The Temporary Hiring Index

Grads who want to know what their temp prospects are can click on the American Staffing Association website to get a complete run down on statistics regarding hiring trends. Of course, where you live can make all of the difference so acquaint yourself with as many temporary placement firms as possible to increase the chances that you'll find work and soon!

(2009/05/15) career planning SCL

Online education (distant learning) is here to stay and is becoming a significantly important option for students around the world. We have been following this trend since we launched this site in December 2007 and concur that online education's influence is spreading rapidly.

Virtual Education

While brick and mortar institutions aren't likely to go away, they'll need to adjust to reach students who can't or won't attend their schools in person. The smart schools are those which are now accommodating students through online options, presenting similar classes via the internet as they do on campus.

But are these classes equal?

2009 Campus Computing Survey

That was one of the questions recently asked by WCET and the Campus Computing Project, a pair of organizations who track trends in online learning. Indeed, since 1994 the “Campus Computing Survey” has been conducted annually with results of the 2009 survey released this week.

The questions asked were submitted to schools who have online programs. Those schools typically responded through their senior campus officer responsible for online or distance education programs with 94% reporting that their online programs are growing.

The most recent survey revealed a few surprises including:

• Students enrolled in online programs may pay higher fees than their on-campus counterparts. Students are paying a one-time application fee averaging $232 and are often subject to additional fees for instruction materials, technology services, and singular courses.

• Many campuses require training for their faculty before sending them “into the web” to teach online courses. Professors often must rely on a support network that includes IT staff to maintain internet access.

• Quality still looms as a large question for online education programs. Colleges are struggling to manage their online programs in response to surging demand. A number of the survey respondents said that their online programs would be be overhauled within the next two years in a bid to streamline management and introduce new technologies to keep pace with demand.

Tech Support

Of note, is how tech support plays in managing online education. 36% of the schools offer 'round the clock support, which is critical when your student body is located across many time zones, if not around the world.

25% offer support throughout the week during daytime and early evening as well as limited access on weekends. 22% responded by saying that they offer support on weekdays and limited evenings while 17% offer support only during normal business hours which are defined as 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.

Summation

Clearly, those schools who are limiting themselves will grow slower which means that technological improvements as well as policy changes need to be made to welcome more students online. Finally, closing the cost gap is essential if schools want to attract distant learning students. By maintaining a wide open gap, schools will find that other institutions will beat them where it counts: in the wallet.

(2009/10/23) online schools

Shaping Young Lives

Teaching remains a desirable profession for many college students who understand that they can have a wonderful impact in helping to shape children's lives. But, the field has been undergoing a lot of changes of late including requiring students to meet standardized testing and certain benchmarks year after year.

One complaint frequently repeated among teachers is that many feel that students are being prepared to take and pass tests all throughout the year with some of the practical teaching pushed to the side. Morale is being effected as teachers see that their role in changing in ways they never imagined.

The Federal Government's Expanded Role In Education

Another factor which is shaping the outlook for teaching is the government's role in funding education. President Obama has promised to pour tens of billions of dollars into education, but that money has yet to reach the states who will be responsible for distributing funds to local school districts. With many states currently going through a financial crisis, teachers are being cut back and those that remain are finding that they're responsible for managing more students.

Elementary school teachers are responsible for managing one classroom and teaching all or most subjects. Art, speech, music and occasionally social studies may be handled by another teacher, while in some districts two teachers manage the same classroom.  Middle school and high school teachers are trained in a specific subject area and are hired accorded to their training.

Training & Licensure

Depending on the state they are licensed in, teachers can be certified as special education, elementary, math, science, Language Arts, social studies, arts or some other field.  Generally, there is a shortage of math and science teachers and abundance of English and history teachers. Special education and other "specialty" teachers are in demand, but often depend on district funding for their respective programs. This means that if a district isn't fully committed to advancing the arts, then the school's art program could be weak.

All public school teachers must be licensed which means that they have completed a training program of some sort. This means that they are in possession of a bachelor's degree in their field of study and/or have a master's degree or are working toward one.  Some states accept teacher candidates with degrees in other fields, providing "alternate route" training for the probationary instructor.

Pay is a matter of importance and generally varies depending on experience, district, training and other factors. Benefits are considered to be excellent and include health, dental, retirement, paid time off, etc. Though most teachers work a ten-month schedule, teachers frequently take other positions over the summer or go back to school.

Despite the short term uncertainty for the teaching profession, the long term outlook appears to be quite good especially with renewed commitment from lawmakers to fund education to the extent promised.

(2009/04/16) career planning