Online and Distance Learning

Do you want to know more about about online learning?  The pages in the online and distance learning web site have been developed to help you find out what it is, the difficulties, the advantages, where you can find suitable programs, and more ...

Online learning is becoming increasingly popular.  It is such a convenient mode of study for many people, especially those who are working and do not wish to take time off work to attend campus for their studies.

In this web site, teachers can find out more about how ICT is changing classroom education, the social media tools that are facilitating so many of the changes, and obtain tips and resources for their own teaching.

Students can find out more about how you learn by online distance learning (e.g., in tips for learning online) and obtain help in finding a suitable distance learning online program or a school that offers the program you want, and more ...

About online learning for students

Are you a student wanting to know more about what distance learning is all about? Or how new ICTs are changing classroom education?  Or are you wanting to find out about online programs in a particular discipline, or about college admission, or financing for your studies, or free education? This section of the web site tries to help you find some answers.

Are you wanting to find a school for an online program?  If you know the subject area you want, browse the online schools and programs at the foot of the page, and/or use the search form to the right to find the school or program most suitable for you.

What is online learning?

In these difficult financial times, there has been a massive increase in the number of learners wanting to know more about taking their studies at a distance using elearning (online learning) technologies. Not only is learning online usually more affordable, it is also more convenient for these distance education learners.

What is important to recognize is that anyone can register for online courses and earn their degrees. In this manner, they can study full time or part time, if they have other responsibilities. Many people have found that this is the best way to start a new career or complete certain credits they were lacking in their degree, while they maintain their current job.

But one of the good things about elearning is that it is not only used in distance education programs - it is also used for campus-based programs.

What is the difference between online learning and distance education?

Distance education has been a method of learning for individuals wanting to study at home for at least one hundred years, starting with correspondence learning (home study) via postal mail. With the greater use of computers and the Internet, it is now possible to offer distance education programs using only the online modality. In fact, distance education programs in the US and Canada use online learning so much, that for many people distance education is thought to be only about elearning.

But in reality, not all distance education programs are offered offered totally online. In fact, many distance education programs use a mix of modalities in that they also refer the learner to physical books. However, even these books are increasingly available online.

In many developing countries where the availability of computers and access to the Internet cannot be assumed, distance education very often still uses a mix of hard-copy study guides, books and attendance at weekend classes. There are many initiatives to try to change the problems of access to ICT, e.g., "One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)", so that those countries can also reap the benefits of using ICT in learning.

So why all the fuss about elearning?

New information and communication technology (ICT) has made online learning or elearning possible, in which learners can participate in interactive learning using audio and video-conferencing, email, chat and computer-conferencing. The distance learner can now have almost the same instructional contact and interaction as the student on campus. This is why distance learners want to know more about studying programs online.

But elearning is not just the province of distance education. It is also used in campus-based education. The on-campus student can now have another modality to use in addition to the lecture and tutorial. So on-campus students and teachers also need to know more about elearning.  This Online and Distance Learning web site also has a section on campus programs.

List of online schools and programs