Degree Programs:
Associate
Bachelor's
Master's
MBA

Distance Learning, Lifelong Learning

Distance learning is becoming a very popular way to attain university degrees. Americans today are busier than ever, and without distance learning courses, numerous Americans would not be able to attend college.

Distance-learning helps students develop into more independent individuals. It has caused changes in both the learning requirements and the way learning opportunities are delivered.

Telecommunication technology transforms our education and training needs. It also expands our ability to respond to those needs. Technological progress not only made distance learning possible; it has transformed it into a preferred teaching method for instructors around the world.

Clearly, adults have a choice. They can either allow their knowledge and skills to become obsolescent over time, or they can keep learning throughout their lives. The same principles apply to companies: those failing to educate and teach employees rapidly slide into obsolescence.

Distance Learning and Motivation

If educational programs are to be succesful, they must take the motivation of the students into account. This is true for traditional courses, but even more so for online education programs.

In programs where they feel vulnerable and insecure, and where life achievements are not honored, students have a tendency to revert developmentally, particularly in self-confidence and self-esteem.

If students have to spend a long time working on papers that support their professors' research projects rather than explore subjects of their own choosing, and if they are expected to take equal lockstep courses, they draw less benefits from their education.

Students tend to learn and develop more in programs that are student-centered rather than faculty-centered. When students are asked what they need to learn, when they feel protected in classes, when they are involved in exercises that are interesting and fun, and when lessons are focused on current needs, students of all backgrounds and ages learn fast and efficiently.

By designing distance learning programs that build (rather than destroy) students' confidence and that meet their needs, educators can be the enablers of lifelong learning.