Since online courses are flexible, inexpensive, convenient and come in wide range of options, distant learning courses are gaining wide popularity amongst the students. Especially, during the Covid-19 pandemic online learning websites and online courses have envisaged a significant boost since schools were closed down. Looking at the swiftness at which online education has evolved in the last few months, distant learning has emerged as an advantageous option for both traditional and non-traditional learners. Enhancing the academic skills of students by providing them with an opportunity to learn more about their existing subjects and expand their skillsets simultaneously, the benefits of distance learning are immense. But there are also some Pros & Cons of Distance Learning and students should keep some important factors in mind before going ahead with their choice of distance learning.
To make the most of a distant learning course, there are certain factors that a learner must keep in mind and some of them are mentioned below,
Quality of the Course
It is necessary to know more about the educational and professional background of the course designers and the expertise they hold in the subject matter. Apart from that, don’t forget to check the interactivity and engagement level of the course, because that’s what make learning much more effective for higher education students. Apart from that, features such as gamification, badges, points, certifications they offer and tests they undertake after each course matters a lot and depicts the quality of the course.
Institution’s Accreditation
Before selecting one course for distant learning, one should thoroughly check about the university/institute that is certifying the courses you are opting for. A certified degree is more acceptable in the industry because of its creditability. For distance learning programmes, do investigate if the different subjects are amalgamated and synchronized in an eloquent way that matches with the present-day academic standards. Get a clarity about the practical relevance of the study programme, because you are going to showcase the same as your skill.
Feedback from the past Learners
Ask the students of previous sessions, who have already used or are currently using the services offered by the online platform about their feedback. These valuable recommendations can help you make an informed decision. Apart from highlighting the key reasons regarding why they chose the particular online platform to undertake the course form, the past users can also offer various other insights about the course. All these feedbacks can help you to access the course portfolio to know if it’s well designed, organized and consistent.
Flexibility of the Course
Flexibility is one of the vital reasons that enables students to opt for distant learning. Going simultaneously with your present-day commitments and personal duties, an online course should not impose any more difficulties on your shoulders. If the distant learning platform offers a flexible learning standard, it’s certainly worth exploring. In the meantime also check the availability of the module electives, the duration of the course, any obligatory requirements, total hours of study required, along with the timings and frequency of the discussion sessions conducted per class or subject.
