Distance Learning

On leaving the Armed Forces some personnel choose to work towards qualifications that will gain them access to new areas of employment. Rather than scruffing down and becoming a campus based student, distance learning is often the preferred option.

Distance learning gives students an opportunity to take courses from remote locations to the institution that teaches them. The most famous institution of this type in the UIK is undoubtedly the Open University but many of the major universities both here and abroad will run distance learning courses.

Registering
Out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind. After registering on a course you’ll be assigned to a tutor who will be responsible for setting projects and activities and will advise you on how to go about completing them. Once the project has been completed the tutor will provide feedback and suggestions on any areas of weakness and how to improve where necessary on the next one. Generally this will happen online and by email although there may also be arrangements in place (depending on the course) for you to speak with your tutor over the phone (and sometimes in person as required). Again depending on the institution running the course there may be opportunity to join student forums and discuss ideas with others on the same course.

Instead of lectures delivered in a classroom or theatre setting, you’ll receive DVDs by post or be directed to online and televised material. Again the Open University is famed as a past master at this type of teaching by proxy.

The benefits are simple to understand. Distance learning does not require a full time commitment to becoming a student and going to lectures, although you’ll need to adhere to the discipline of study in your spare time balancing the commitment with maybe work or family. The course syllabus and assignment deadlines will be available to you from the start so that you can build it into your calendar. Joining distance learning courses can also mean a better choice of subject area that in an ordinary college or university might be oversubscribed. This is especially the case where a university has a particular specialism and is especially difficult to get into.

Examinations
Apart from the actual ‘distance’ there is often very little difference with courses run from brick built institutions. Examinations and course grading is normally done by continual assessment of assignments and essays that build towards a final grade.

As of this year students at ordinary universities can expect to pay tuition fees approaching in some cases £27,000. Fortunately, these fees are not reflected in distance learning costs because most of the lectures and materials are delivered repetitively in recorded format and not in person (thus saving tuition costs for the institution in question). This doesn’t mean that the quality of the education will be sub-standard; far from it. The Open University in particular has a reputation of high quality teaching that produces top grade graduates that are more than sought after in the job market.

Boxout 2
Technology – Basic Requirements
As a distance learner you will be required to communicate with your tutor and maybe other students (primarily) by email. This might mean an initial investment in some kit, a laptop or pc as well as a decent printer. You’ll also need a reliable internet hook-up for researching on the internet and to send and receive emails.

Distance learning students are also expected to be able to participate in (as individual courses require) video conferencing and be able to upload information in multiple file formats.

Pullout 1: Apart from the actual ‘distance’ there is often very little difference with courses run from brick built institutions.