Three Facts about Distance Learning
- Distance learning isn’t so new. Although online learning is a somewhat new phenomenon, correspondence education is centuries old. Individual teachers offered lessons through the mail as early as 1840 in the U.S., and the first large-scale distance education system emerged about a decade later in England with the establishment of the University of London’s External System. Correspondence courses quickly spread across Europe and the United States. In the past ten years, many of these courses have been moved online, and thousands more internet-based courses have been developed.
- Prestigious universities offer online degrees. According to the nonprofit Sloan Consortium, about 70% of America’s accredited universities offered courses online by 2007. Many state universities offer continuing education and full degree programs through distance learning, and the Ivy League is now competing for online students as well. Columbia University offers online engineering programs, Stanford University has a wide variety of nontraditional master’s programs, and Dartmouth has also introduced online degree programs. Some other top schools to check out include the University of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania State, and Boston University.
- Online learning can save you money. Pursuing a degree online instead of on campus is generally a cost-effective decision. Credit hours usually cost the same or less for distance learners. Additionally, distance learners save on fuel costs, parking, child care, and other expenses.