Did you know that an online course is not the same as a distance degree? There is a difference in the delivery methods used for both types of courses. While an online degree is delivered only through the Internet, a distance degree also uses mail, CDs, videotapes, audio cassettes, radio programs and satellite teleconferences in certain areas. Get Educated reports:
Many large public university systems deliver distance degrees through satellite teleconferencing. These systems require students to attend weekly lectures – lectures that are commonly delivered only to specially equipped reception sites located within state boundaries.
Online institutions often deploy to video conferencing with bidirectional audio and video feeds as an effective medium of delivery. As with any technology, this method too has its pros and cons.
On the Plus Side…
- Allows real-time communication.
- Permits link up with skilled specialists in diverse locations.
- Allows access to students with special needs.
- Promotes remote access.
- Contains provisions for the use of different kinds of media equipment like Blackboards.
On the Minus Side…
- The start-up cost of the technology and infrastructure is high.
- Resolution and picture quality are sometimes poor because of the unique standards of compression adopted by different companies.
- It is hard for instructors to involve all students in diverse locations in lectures and discussions.
- Visual aids like handwritten notes may be difficult for students to read.
- Systems not properly configured give rise to an echo effect.
- Small transmission pipes contribute to ghost-like images of movement in real-time.
If you are looking for a good online MBA, use our online university degree finder, which will list the top 25 online courses on offer for less than $22,000. All of them are delivered by AACSB-accredited US graduate schools. The cost covers the tuition fees for the least expensive programs in each business course.
Forget the stigma associated with online and distance learning; research has revealed that online degrees are as equally good as campus courses. A study conducted by the Athabasca University in Canada has established that online learning contributes to better explanatory and cognitive skills, while on-campus study improves and enhances social and procedural learning techniques. The study was based on social, procedural, cognitive and explanatory levels of learning. Dr. Thomas Russell of the University of North Carolina states that the overall quality of an educational experience is not affected by the delivery method alone.
Another study conducted by researchers at Colorado State University’s AACSB-accredited business school comparing MBA students of campus courses, distance courses, and executive courses, in 12 academic competencies, discovered that though all three groups scored high in 7 of the 12 competencies, distance students reported higher scores than the campus group in three areas – technology, quantitative skills, and theory skills. All three groups learnt almost the same curriculum, had the same instructors, and were awarded the same AACSB-accredited degree at the conclusion of the course.
So you think it is easier to qualify for an online degree than a regular one! Well, think again. Most institutions that offer online courses set standards as high as those offering classroom degrees. The ones who offer degrees on par with top-ranking universities often require applicants for graduate courses in education, human resources and library sciences and social sciences to clear MAT (Miller Analogies Test). Prospective graduate students of management and business are required to take the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is another common admission test for entry into graduate schools. Most institutions prefer applicants who have an undergraduate degree from an accredited school, with a GPA between 2.5 and 3.0. Some colleges may consider waiving these prerequisites if you are above 36, or already hold a graduate or professional degree. Get Educated reports:
Most distance learning graduate schools hold applicants to the same standards as residential learners. They adopt the same text books, utilize the same course exams, and quite commonly employ the same faculty to teach online as you’d find if you returned to campus.
Of the online degrees offered, most are for those looking to further a career or gain a more erudite outlook of life. But if you are someone who enjoys straying off the beaten path, there are a few innovative courses that will tempt you to sign up. The Illinois Virtual Campus (IVC) of the Illinois University has a few fun courses ranging from personal interest offerings like ‘Trace Your Family History – Genealogy’ and ‘Write Your Life Story’, to plain wacky ones like ‘The Beatles’ and ‘Just for Fun’. IVC’s website offers more information on these ‘Just for You’ courses.
The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit, the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit and the Higher Education Tuition and Fees Deduction, offer some form of financial relief for students overburdened with tuition fees and the high cost of books.
If you earn a single adjusted gross income of less than $52,000, or a joint gross income of less than $105,000, you are eligible for the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. All you need to do is be enrolled for at least one class in any accredited undergraduate or graduate institution. You can obtain a maximum credit of 20 % on the first $10,000 you spend toward educational expenses.
For freshmen and sophomores in at least half time programs in undergraduate institutions, the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit offers a maximum 100 % on the first $1,000 and 50 % on the second $1,000 spent for educational purposes. The income cap prerequisites are the same as for the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. Those who apply for this credit should be free of any felony convictions involving the possession or distribution of controlled substances.
If you earn a single adjusted gross income between $65,000 and $80,000, or a family income between $130,000 and $160,000, you qualify for the Higher Education Tuition and Fees Deduction, through which you are eligible for a deduction of $2,000.
For all tax credits, you will have to obtain the 1098-T form from your institution at the beginning of each academic year. This document contains information about your educational expenses like tuition fees, payments made, student status, and scholarships won. A copy of the form will also be sent by your institution to the IRS.
Probably one aspect of online education that weighs heavily against its advantages is the fact that the percentage of face-to-face contact between the students of a course is almost zero. With a growing increase in the number of people who feel that interaction with your classmates is important for academic growth, the Florida Virtual School (FLVS), a provider of supplemental and full-time virtual instruction to students in Florida and in other countries, is now hosting virtual clubs for its students, through which they can participate in field trips and competitions.
FLVS students can belong to science and math clubs, even though they do not learn the particular subjects. Science Club teams have participated five times in the Florida State Science Olympiad; they have also won prizes in a few categories. The students prepare for the competitions virtually and meet for the first time on the day of the contest. "Their ability to communicate and collaborate virtually has proven successful, because club teams have a consistent record of winning awards each year," said Mary Mitchell, FLVS teacher and advisor to the Science Club. Scenarios similar to the real world are played out here, notes Mitchell. Her students collaborate easily on projects and build structures at a distance, she says, comparing it to the way a company’s engineers who are scattered all over the world collaborate virtually to complete a project.
A virtual club gives students a chance to interact with each other based on what a counterpart could contribute to the team, rather than being influenced by how he/she looks or dresses, as would be the case in a traditional school, adds Mitchell. A newspaper club hosted by FLVS produces two student newspapers a month with pooled online resources. It also offers competitive computer science and Latin clubs.
Other virtual schools do offer virtual clubs and regular meetings with teachers, but not to the extent that FLVS does, says eSchool News.
There are many facets to online teaching; in fact, online instructors have to be more skilled than face-to-face ones so that they can effectively handle a set of students who are connected to them only through a computer interface. The teaching methods they adopt are also more complex and demanding than classroom techniques. Online teaching is an amalgamation of both synchronous methods like online lectures, and asynchronous ones like emails, discussion forums and bulletin boards. Though video and audio conferencing are gaining popularity, Bizbrim advocates against their use, since these techniques require a higher bandwidth and seldom work properly on all systems.
If you are one of those busy workers who wishes to pursue a part-time or online MBA as an option to further your career without putting a hold on the job at hand, Business Week Online offers you a chance to compare up to four business schools, from a list of over 250, to help you select the one most suitable for you.
In addition you can search our Online University MBA School search tool, which will provide you with a complete listing of online mba schools:
