Distant horizons

Updated on: Monday, December 13, 2010

The most important reason why anyone enrols in a distance education course is that it provides you with the flexibility of studying at your own time, pace and place. Plus there is also the factor that most courses are available online and some of them are well recognised. But before you enrol in any programme, it is important to check a few essential things...

Accreditation: The most vital factor is accreditation of the institute and the course. Even if the course is not recognised by either the UGC, AICTE or any other such body, the institute must have a good image and reputation. So, before you enrol, be sure to verify the details of the course and its acceptability in the job market. If you are joining a course from abroad, check its credentials. Try to find the contact details of former students from the institute and evaluate the extent the course helped them in their career/s.

Fee structure: Compare the cost of a correspondence course with a regular contact programme. Are there limitations to the number of hours you can log on if it is an online course? If so, are there extra charges for extended use of online facilities or for attending the tutorials at its off-campus centres? What are the provisions for extending the duration of the course in case you have some difficulty in completing the requirements in the stipulated time? If you are enrolling in a web-based educational programme, then check the minimal software and hardware requirements. Nowadays, in order to pursue an MBA or other postgraduate courses, a laptop is essential, just as having a calculator was necessary for technical courses a few decades ago. If special software is required, evaluate the cost factor.

Faculty interaction: Since you will not be attending classes, you need to have channels of communication with the faculty and staff by email and phone. You will have to bear in mind that the turn-around time will be longer in the case of distance learning than it is in a regular programme. Determine the extent of instruction material that will be provided, and the cost of study material, standard text books and other reference books that you are expected to read which you will have to arrange for yourself. Can you avail of the institute’s library facility? Note the timings when your professors will be available to answer your queries online. Does the institute provide some face-to-face contact programme, beside the correspondence medium, to clear doubts prior to the examination? Cross checking these small facts will help you in the long run.

Examination: Finally, the exam. Institutes have varied modes of conducting their exams. Find out how much is based on course work such as assignments, projects and the end of the course examination. Is the term end exam online or at some fixed venue?

Proximity: Although online and distance learning courses do away with geographical limitations, it is advisable to choose a centre that is physically accessible, just in case you face some unforeseen difficulty you can drop into your institute and sort the problem out. Besides you can avail of their library facilities and even establish contact with some other students pursing the same course and exchange notes.

Self-assessment: Find out the level of knowledge and skills that the course requires, and the pre-requisites, otherwise you will face hurdles in following the instruction material and tutorials, if any. And most importantly, these courses are geared for self-motivated individuals; so do not expect to be spoon-fed.

You won’t have the advantage of a campus or face-to-face interaction with your teacher where your doubts are cleared as soon as they arise. So, be prepared for a challenging course, work out a study plan and stick to it, and you will surely succeed!

Distant horizons

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