The universal truth is that online learning allows you to advance your education in a very flexible and practical way.
Online Learning Myth #1: You are on your own in online learning
Online learning undoubtedly requires a certain amount of self-discipline and responsibility. However, you are never alone during online learning, as you are part of the online family of students, tutors and teachers. You study and communicate together in the virtual study environment. Different schools use different types of virtual platforms. There, online students are much more connected than students in traditional study programmes. There is a lot of interaction in the virtual environment – in forums, chats, blogs, in the teacher's office, emails, internal chats, etc.
It is true however that sometimes you find yourself alone with your computer, usually at odd hours of the night. :)
We are convinced that you are well familiar with traditional courses, so why not try something new like online learning. You can take a single course and immediately get the feel for online learning.
Online Learning Myth #2: Online programmes are easier than traditional programmes
Take our word for it – Google is not enough to graduate online. J There is a lot of work to be done in the virtual learning environment, sometimes even more than in traditional programmes. The work is practice-oriented and you need to submit several assignments every week in order to successfully complete the course. Weekly assignments are added up for the final grade for the course. The assignments are practice-oriented and you work on actual practical examples. You need to study a lot of online sources in order to complete the assignment successfully.
The same as in traditional programmes, the complexity of the course greatly depends on numerous factors, i.e. on the course itself, on the assignments and the teacher teaching the course.
Online Learning Myth #3: Employers will not take an online degree seriously
A lot of people fail to recognise the fact that online programmes last just as long as traditional programmes, which is a fact worth mentioning to your employer. What is more, you will not miss work and will not incur additional travel expenses. More than the study mode, employers value the knowledge that their employees gain during their studies thus enhancing the success of their company or institution.
It is true that there are schools that offer low-quality online programmes, however the majority of internationally recognised online programmes are of a high quality and international employers are aware of that. In any case, there were one and a half million online students in Europe already in 2011 (OECD, 2011) and a majority are employed individuals.
Online Learning Myth #4: You cannot reach your teacher
In online learning, the teacher is much more accessible to students due to the numerous communication channels that are offered by the virtual learning environment – forums, teacher's offices, chats, etc. Some students contact their teachers via Skype, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. In addition to the teacher, online learning also offers seven-days-a-week support by an online tutor who monitors your progress, provides expert guidance and answers all your questions regarding the study assignments. There is also the programme manager, who calls you and inquires whether you need any kind of study assistance in the event of your absence. Last but not least, there is also the technical support staff who help you resolve your technical issues.
Online Learning Myth #5: It is easier to cheat in online learning
Studies have shown that cheating is not more likely to happen with online learning than with traditional courses. There are websites that offer to write your seminar papers and diploma theses against payment. However, online teachers and tutors use different tools, both technical that help detect plagiarism and educational, as online learning is very active and the work of every student is closely monitored.
Online tests employ software that records the student when taking the test (both the room and the student's computer) and that prevents the student from browsing the Internet and computer folders when taking the online test. This software also ensures that there are no other people present in the room and that the student does not use any kind of prohibited tools such as mobile phones.
Online Learning Myth #6: Internet failure is a great excuse
The majority of online tutors and teachers will not accept your Internet or computer problems as an excuse unless you provide proof by your Internet provider. Computers are available at home, at work and in cybercafés and they allow you to submit your assignment on time or take an online test.
Online Learning Myth #7: Online learning programmes are not accredited, which means that you do not get a valid degree
This myth is partially true, as there are institutions that are not accredited for providing online programmes, while others do not provide them in a quality manner or simply call their programmes online programmes but the courses are not taken online with the exception of emails exchanged between the student and the teacher which is not online learning.
Always ask the school for proof of accreditation of the online programme or check with the competent national accreditation body.
Interested in online learning? If you believe online learning could be right for you, contact our experts for online learning, who will gladly answer all your questions – live or online. They have 15 years of experience in online learning, both as online students and advisers.
By 2025, there will be between 30 and 80 million online students worldwide (OECD, 2011).
Resources:
