I see no difference in the online classroom versus the seat except that I don’t actually see my classmates. I do talk to them more in the online than I ever did in the classroom.

2. What distance learning program are you enrolled in? Major or Area of Interest?

I’m an MBA student taking an elective course in Media Communication Management at Webster University

3. Why did you choose distance learning vs. a traditional learning institution?

The local campus doesn’t offer Media Communication Management and I find the field interesting. I may decide to pursue another MA in this area.

4. What are the challenges that you face with distance learning programs?

There is a lot of reading and a lot of writing. You don’t get the advantage of simply sitting through a lecture, taking a few notes, and never cracking the textbook. We’re required to interact with all of our classmates – even if we don’t like/know them. There are no multiple-guess quizes; the assessments are papers and not all that short. It’s HARD!

5.What are the advantages you experience with distance learning?

The biggest advantage is that I can take a course that wouldn’t be offered here from a professor who wouldn’t come here. I’m also being required to read the text and to think through the objectives enough to write papers on them.

6. Do you think distance learning is the new wave of the future? Why or why not???

It’s clear, it’s here now. Almost every college in the country has courses by DL and many have full degrees online. To me, the biggest thing is that you can study at the finest colleges in the world with absolute experts as professors. It will be the way we see education delivered in many fields in the future, it’s cost effective and meets learning objectives as well as (often better) than in-the-seat courses.

Your list of schools includes the heavily advertised programs only and some of these have a questionable academic reputation. Don’t forget to include the DL offerings at Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Florida State, UMass, etc… these are not in the same class as your examples but they too are DL.

I chose distance learning because my husband is gone 7-10 days at a time and home 2-3 days at a time. I have two teenagers, and I work outside the home too. I don’t have time to go to a campus school, especially if I want to see my husband when he is home, or my kids for that matter.

My GPA at the end of my associates was 3.96, I won’t complain about that at all. 🙂

There were actually few challenges; I think the hardest one was that there was no one there to physically show you how to do some of the work(especially when it came to algebra). And even though you aren’t going to a campus school you still have to spend time doing a lot of school work. Even with distance education I have decided I am taking next summer off so my boys and I can actually take camping trips and stuff.

The rewards are numerous. I can do my work whenever I feel like it, even at 1 in the morning if that’s the only time I get a chance to. I have time with my sons and hubby that I wouldn’t have if I was going to classes phsyically. I can work and do my school around that schedule. I stay busy, with family, school, work, and everything else.. but it’s not overwhelming. Any campus school I could go to right now is an hour away from me (2 hours total drive time daily), that would take a lot of time out of my schedule as well.

Companies are starting train employees through distance learning. Schools are creating online programs all over. From when I started my associate’s until now 15 more schools have popped up in my degree field. I definitely think that more people will be utilizing online education in the future. It’s convenient for even the busiest of people. 🙂