Avoiding Pitfalls: The Right Distance Program

[What To Ask Yourself] [What To Ask Potential Schools]
[Courses: Spotting Common Pitfalls]

The right distance course will look familiar.

You'll be engaged, the coursework will be comprehensive and the instructor will be knowledgeable and responsive -- factors that make up any successful class.

"But this is particularly true in a distance learning situation, where self-discipline is so important," says Stan Trollip, director of instructional design at Learning Ventures.

That means if you're new to distance ed, there are several questions you should ask yourself -- and potential schools -- before sending in the first check.

What To Ask Yourself

• Are you comfortable in a less social environment?

  "I can't imagine being 18 and being excited by a distance learning opportunity," says Trollip. Distance ed students need to be comfortable outside of a traditional social setting.

• Are you self-disciplined?

  "In a classroom, when you have to show up before a professor, that's a motivating action," says Trollip. "If you need an external motivator, distance education may not be for you."

• When will you have the time?

  Can you participate in a class every day? Can you log in once a week? How much time will you be able to spend on coursework?

  "We expect learners to participate actively each week," says Trollip. Know your needs and abilities before you ask about the school's requirements.

If you're still not sure whether distance ed is right for you, take a self-assessment test at the PBS Web site.

What To Ask Potential Schools

• What's required?

  How often will you need to participate in the class? Will you need to participate in discussions? Write papers? Take tests?

• Will they be able to help with technical problems?

  If you can't get to your coursework, will the school be able to help? How quickly?

• How responsive are the instructors?

  This is particularly important, says Trollip. If you have a comment or question, how soon will you get feedback? Will there be a one-week delay? Two weeks? A month?

  "One of the interesting things about this field is that most faculty are not full-time," says Trollip. "That person may have courses at another university, or may be a full-time professional."

  Potential students need to find out -- in advance -- what they can expect from their professors. (More About Choosing Schools)

• What if you're not getting a response?

  What can you do if your professor doesn't respond to your questions or assignments in a month or more? Find out who you can call, and what action they will take.

• Ask for names of people who've taken the course in the past.

  "If you're going to pay money for a course, you have every right to ask for the names of people who've taken that course," says Trollip.

  You should also talk with potential instructors before you enroll in a distance program. Make sure they will be able to respond to your questions and concerns.

Courses: Spotting Common Pitfalls

How will you know if your distance course is pitfall-prone? First, you should know what kind of program it is. There are two basic types, says Trollip.

"The first is a self-directed course, where the instructor is a facilitator. Those are the courses that are particularly strong on the Web at the moment."

"It's the other type that I'm a little more concerned about," he says, "the content-rich course."

In a content-rich course, the faculty member still tries to provide all the information to the class through text or audio notes.

Potential students need to ask themselves if the class will engage them. Plain text is not engaging, says Trollip.

"One of the things that happens a lot right now, mainly because it's so easy to get stuff on the Web, is that lots of faculty members think that putting their class notes in HTML constitutes an online course," says Trollip.

Make sure you will interact with the course, says Trollip. Does it have discussions? Will the professor respond to questions and give regular feedback?

All this doesn't guarantee you will be satisfied with your adventures in distance learning. But armed with information, you should be able to make the best of any situation.

Copyright 2001 by Channel 4000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.