Shedding New Light on Distance Learning

At some point, most of us have seen a commercial advertising an online university, whether it was University of Phoenix, Capella, Kaplan, or another school that promotes distance learning. For students considering enrollment at one of the aforementioned universities, we begin to ask questions. Some of these questions include: Is the school accredited? Will I be able to find a good job if I receive my degree from an online university as opposed to a traditional school? Will my degree be recognized by other schools or employers?

Then, we hear the criticism online universities receive from mainstream academia, such as the scrutiny of comparing an online education with a traditional classroom education. It has been said that an online education does not meet the quality of academic standards, and it is not as prestigious. Simply put, critics of distance learning have said an online education is just not as good as receiving an education from a traditional university or ground school.

I have recently enrolled at University of Phoenix to complete my degree, and I disagree with the negative response many distance learning institutions have received. I was also once a student at a traditional university. There are differences but, based on my personal experience, I feel that I am learning more online than I did at a traditional school. I remember going to class, sitting in my seat, and listening to my professor lecture for an hour while I took notes. About a week or two, we took a test based on the lectures and the material from the textbook.

Through my online education, I am using the information I learn week-by-week to engage in online discussions with my facilitator and fellow classmates. In fact, we are required to post at least two responses per day for four days to meet our participation and attendance requirement. Our responses must be substantive and consist of more than 'I agree' or 'I disagree.' These methods encourage students to think and express their opinions in a professional tone. No derogatory remarks allowed in this classroom forum. We also type and submit multiple assignments per week based on the information we read in our electronic textbooks.

As a student of a traditional university, I cannot recall the professor taking a break from his or her lecture to engage the classroom in a lengthy discussion. Nor did many of my classes, except English, require homework or weekly written assignments. We took a test. Of course, I am not trying to negate a public university education; this is thoroughly based on my own experiences with each type of institution.

However, mine is just one example demonstrating there are good schools and bad schools, and the quality of an individual's education should not be determined based on whether his or her education was received online or at a ground school. In high school, my grade point average (GPA) was 3.8; in college, 3.6. Currently, it is 4.0. My grades have not been affected by the type of education I receive. Therefore, I believe it is for each student to determine the quality of education he or she receives come graduation day.

For many of us, it is impossible to attend classes at a traditional university. Despite the fact that numerous schools now offer day and evening classes, it is still not possible for some to make time in their busy schedules. We work, raise families, and pursue other extracurricular activities. An online education or distance learning makes it possible for individuals who have no time to attend a class but wish to further their education.