In the past, some employers saw distance learning as a poor relative of face-to-face on-campus learning. Not any more, if the proliferation of distance learning courses and the increasing number of students worldwide taking on the challenge are anything to go by. Let’s looks into how the industry has quietly evolved into an education that is making students and employers sit up and take notice such as Beacon Academy of Nevada.
Distance learning, the catch-all term used to describe any of a number of educational courses offered off-campus, from the recent innovations in web-based education to videos, DVDs, correspondence courses by snail-mail and by TV, has entered an advanced phase. The education style, which started off principally through snail-mail correspondence courses, has been going on for a long time.
The virtual online distance learning method, such as that employed by Beacon Academy of Nevada, suits a variety of people, those with families, who don’t wish to relocate, those perhaps with disabilities, people for whom it is simply not affordable to attend full-time on campus courses or for any number of other reasons.
During its early stages, there was a lot of skepticism because employers didn’t have access to information about the courses. However, through the 70s and 80s it became demonstrable that graduates were as well educated as those from a face-to-face on campus school. “In the past, distance learning courses didn’t achieve high recognition. The courses were seen as the poorer cousins of the on-campus method and, in some cases, perhaps they were. The overall experience of attending school was seen by employers, who probably went through the on-campus education system themselves, to provide a rounded experience of networking and communication that distance learning courses couldn’t provide.”
With more recent technological advancements such as the Internet, audio-visual technology such as CDs and DVDs and telephony, virtual online distance learning has developed into a viable alternative to the quality face-to-face learning schools have to offer. An excellent example of this modern up-to-date model is Beacon Academy of Nevada.
Self-motivation, or the lack of it, is what keeps some students from considering a virtual online school/distance-learning education. Some doubt their ability to get up and actually do the work, to force themselves to the books or the computer when TV or other distractions seem far more appealing. Those people may function better with external motivators, such as lecturers or peers and if they are honest self-assessors, distance learning may not be for them.
For the self-motivated student – and it is important that you assess yourself and be realistic about this because it is definitely not an easier option over on-campus education – taking a distance learning course and balancing this with the rigors of work, life and family can work to your advantage.
For more information on Beacon Academy, check out the links below:
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Why Enroll at Beacon Academy – Click HERE
Frequently Asked Questions – Click HERE
Learn About High School From Home – Click HERE
Wonder Why You Should Enroll – Click HERE
James Karas
Tech Support
Beacon Academy of Nevada
Nevada’s Online High School