Online Learning Traps that Can Cost Money and Time
http://www.educationbuzz.net/articles/983/1/Online-Learning-Traps-that-Can-Cost-Money-and-Time/Page1.html
Art Gib
Scholastic (http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/guidedreading/) provides teaching instruction such as the Guided Reading program. Scholastic started over a half century ago sponsoring student book publishing and reading advocacy. The author, Art Gib, is a freelance writer. By Art Gib
Published on 06/27/2008
Learning is never a waste, but there are ways to throw your money away on a degree if you aren't careful. Make sure your online education will be honored by employers and educational institutions.
With the spread of the internet, online learning has become a popular tool for adults of all ages. After all, it provides an affordable and flexible way to take the necessary classes for a degree that can open up employment opportunities and higher salaries. With online learning, geographical boundaries, full-time jobs and age gaps are no longer insurmountable obstacles. If you work from nine to five, you can study your courses in the early hours of the morning or late at night. If you can not afford to pack up your life and move to school, take the classes you need from home. Or, if you are an older student going back for your degree, you can earn it without being embarrassed by your age.
Even though online learning can be more affordable and flexible than studying in a classroom, it also requires a lot of self-discipline. In some courses, students can work through the material as fast or slow as they choose as long as they finish within the given deadline. For some people this is an opportunity to work extra hard and finish early while others procrastinate until there is no time left to complete the assignments. Don't put yourself in the later of the two positions. Without sufficient effort, the money you spent on the courses will definitely be wasted.
If you do decide that online learning is the way to go, you have to be very careful about which online university you choose. At the very least, you need to make sure it is an accredited online university. Without accreditation, the degree that a university gives you will be practically useless. I guess you could use it for kindling or wall paper, but employers and other universities will only honor a degree from accredited colleges.
One way to spot unaccredited schools is to watch out for education courses that seem too good to be true. For example, you should be wary of a school that promises to hand you a degree after a few months that takes most people four years to complete.
In addition to being accredited, it would also be nice to find a school with a reputation in the field that you want to study. A school with a good reputation usually means that they have good teachers, abundant resources and successful students. This enables them to provide a good education and a little boost to your resume, but it also usually means more money too.
Even though online learning can be more affordable and flexible than studying in a classroom, it also requires a lot of self-discipline. In some courses, students can work through the material as fast or slow as they choose as long as they finish within the given deadline. For some people this is an opportunity to work extra hard and finish early while others procrastinate until there is no time left to complete the assignments. Don't put yourself in the later of the two positions. Without sufficient effort, the money you spent on the courses will definitely be wasted.
If you do decide that online learning is the way to go, you have to be very careful about which online university you choose. At the very least, you need to make sure it is an accredited online university. Without accreditation, the degree that a university gives you will be practically useless. I guess you could use it for kindling or wall paper, but employers and other universities will only honor a degree from accredited colleges.
One way to spot unaccredited schools is to watch out for education courses that seem too good to be true. For example, you should be wary of a school that promises to hand you a degree after a few months that takes most people four years to complete.
In addition to being accredited, it would also be nice to find a school with a reputation in the field that you want to study. A school with a good reputation usually means that they have good teachers, abundant resources and successful students. This enables them to provide a good education and a little boost to your resume, but it also usually means more money too.