Online Learning Demystified

By Mary Hobson
Learning & Life Columnist

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Studying online is probably one of the largest and most profound changes in higher education that has taken place since the advent of distance learning in the early eighteen hundreds. There is no doubt that online learning makes higher education available to many people who would find traditional distance learning too inflexible for their needs.

What is Online Learning?

Studying online is probably one of the largest and most profound changes in higher education that has taken place since the advent of distance learning in the early eighteen hundreds.

The definition of 'online learning' given by the U.S. Department of Education is:

"The acquisition of knowledge and skills through mediated information and instruction. [It] encompasses all technologies and supports the pursuit of lifelong learning for all".

However, for most purposes, one can narrow this down and say that online learning or 'e-learning' refers to courses offered via the Internet.

University of Phoenix is one of the pioneers of online learning and set up its online division in 1989. By mid-2003 there were over 72,000 students enrolled for an online program of some kind, and the number continues to grow.

The Mechanics of Online Learning

Anyone considering enrolling for an online degree should be prepared for a number of virtual techniques used in an internet environment, including:

Web-based instruction: Lectures on the Internet, either written or in the form of video and audio.
Document sharing: By downloading and uploading, as appropriate.
E-mail Classes and Chat Rooms: Where students can talk to other students and professors in real-time in semi-conversational mode.
Message Centers, Bulletin Boards and Threaded Discussions: Allowing students and professors to make points and notices for the whole class to read.
Web links Libraries: Lists of pertinent websites and directories.
Journals and Notebooks: For making notes and having private one-to-one interaction with other students or instructors.
Examinations: Tests in a variety of online formats.
Help Desks: Providing assistance by telephone or e-mail, either on a 'frequently asked question' basis, or one-to-one.

The Online Learning System utilized by University of Phoenix Online allows students to:

Complete 100% of their educational and administrative activities online
Participate in the full range of class meeting and Learning Team activities
Communicate with instructors
Interact with classmates
Conduct research
Register for classes
Pay tuition
Order books
Meet with a counselor
Obtain grades
Request transcripts and morez

All the activities, in fact, that a student might expect to participate while completing a traditional campus-based degree.

Hardware and Software Requirements for Online Learning

In order to study online, it is necessary to have a certain amount of computing equipment and software. Although this needs to be up to date, it does not necessarily have to be state of the art. Usually the required specification will involve a PC with Windows 98 minimum, some easily downloadable software (usually free) including RealPlayer or similar, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or above, and a link to the Internet (dial-up or broadband). Of course, exact requirements vary by institution and you would need to check if you have the necessary equipment prior to enrolling.

A Flexible Learning Environment

Schools offer programs with varying degrees of flexibility. Courses with synchronous elements require specific scheduling on the part of the student. For some this may be difficult, and they may prefer a course with entirely asynchronous elements, where all materials can be visited selectively, depending on the personal learning process and schedule, at any time of the day or night. University of Phoenix Online offers a range of degrees in an asynchronous online format.

Studying online can open up a new world of education for thousands of individuals who would otherwise not be able to consider furthering their education. Using a computer as a window into the world of education allows you not only to gain a degree, but to access people, information, tools and techniques that will be useful for the whole of your life. In reading this you have taken the first step, take the next step and check out the online degree possibilities available.

About the Author
Mary Hobson is the Head of IT School at a Polytechnic in New Zealand. She also works as a freelance writer.

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