Tuesday, 5 June 2012

K12 Education Online Learning

In today's high-paced world, many parents are turning to K12 education online learning as a way to provide their children with a good education. There are many advantages and a few disadvantages to this type of learning program. Before makes such a decision for their child or children, it is good to sit down with all members of the family and discuss the advantages and disadvantages as well as the unique ways that such types of learning will affect everyone in the family. By doing this a family can become more aware of what to look forward to while they have a family member enrolled in such a course of study. One of the primary advantages of K12 education online learning is flexibility. When a student is enrolled through a school online, they can work with a much more flexible schedule than they can through a traditional school. This makes it a great advantage for families who are on the go a great deal or have many activities during the day. With an online school one can generally attend classes from anywhere in the world as long as they have internet access and a computer. 

Other advantages to this type of an education are in the fact that there are more choices of the type of K12 education online learning that one can participate in rather than just a few local brick and mortar schools. Online education is growing quite rapidly and there are now multiple private and public schools that one can attend. In addition, many of these schools can offer more individualized learning environments than one can get in a standard school. This works out to the benefit of students who are a bit slower in their learning, as well as those who need more accelerated learning opportunities. 

Of course, as with anything, there are some disadvantages to a K12 education online learning program. One of the most significant can be that parents need to be far more involved in their child's education. This can be a benefit to some, but in many cases, it requires a bit more time from the parents to make sure that their student is doing the work he should be doing and participating as the school requires. In addition, parents will also need to act in many roles that were held by school officials such as guidance counselor, advocate and leader while their child is participating in an online classroom. Finally, many K12 education online learning programs are free, but some of the ones that have more individualized or special classes may cost tuition whereas local schools are generally free. This combined with the cost for school supplies can sometimes be a bit more than a family wishes to spend. It is very important therefore that a family carefully consider all the pros and cons of this type of education before they embark on such a course. For those that can fit it into their daily lives, it can be a tremendous benefit and an excellent way to keep their child in school.

Deepa Singh
Business Developer
Email Id:-deepa.singh@soarlogic.com
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The Key Reasons Why People Fail Online Education

Online education has become a prefer option especial for working adults to obtain a degree from their comfort home and at their convenient learning schedule. But, not all online students will be successful to complete their online education program. Most students who failed with these common reasons:

Not prepare for online study life
The person who enrolled into online degree program is hoping to earn a degree without preparing him/herself to face the challenge of online study life. Be a success online student required self-motivation and proper time management to ensue he/she stays focus on the study and work the way to the completion of the degree program. Without preparing for online study life, the student tends to lose focus on his/her study when there are other tasks to focus on. This student may end up quit half way during his/her online study progress.

Failed To Adapt To Online Learning Style
An online classroom is considerably different from a traditional classroom. Most online study materials are in text format which required you to read from computer screen or download & print them yourself. It's totally different from traditional class-based learning style where you have instructor read and explain the content for you. The person who failed in online education may find the study hard with the reading of text material, he/she prefers to attend the class and listen to the lecture.nIn additional, online students have the most flexibility to plan their study time but many students have bad self-planning behaviors that cause them unable to plan their study schedule properly. Letting them plan for self-paced study will lead them to the failure.

Lack Of Computer Skills
One of the basic requirement for online education is that the student need to have the basic computer skills such as logon to online class, download and submit assignment, communicate with instructors and peer through online media such as voice chat, discussion board, email or video chat. If the student lacks the basic computer skills, he/she will have difficulties to follow smoothly the online courses. The person may quit the courses just because he/she feels that attending online classes is hard due to lack of the necessary computer skills to make progress on the study.

No Commitment To Complete The Degree
The person enrolled into online education because of the impulse intention of getting a paper qualification. After enrolled into an online degree program, the person is not really making a commitment to complete the degree program. He/she just quit the online study program because of other obligations.

Think Online Education Easy
This is one of the major reasons that make many of the online students quit their online study. They choose online education as their option because they think that online education is easier than attending the campus-based classes because they can study from their comfort home and follow their study time. In actual fact, the online education gives you flexibility and convenient learning environment, which does not mean that the learning process is easier than traditional learning method; you still need to work hard to complete the degree requirement before you can successfully earn the degree. These students have set the wrong expectation on online study and when they found out that the actual fact is not what they are expected, they quit. By being aware the key reasons why many online students failed in online education, you can better prepare yourself to face the challenges in your online study and be a success online student who earn your degree through online education.

Deepa Singh
Business Developer
Email Id:-deepa.singh@soarlogic.com
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Online Education Continues Rapid Growth

The flexibility, convenience and growing acceptance of online distance education is creating a new trend in how college students attend classes and earn their degrees. Today, almost all public institutions in the United States offer some type of online coursework--either through fully online programs or blended courses where students attend classroom lectures and participate in online class activities. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the number of students enrolled in at least one distance education course increased significantly between 2002 and 2006, from 1.1 million to 12.2 million--and the growth spurt doesn't seem to be slowing down. In fact, the research firm Ambient Institute expects this figure to skyrocket to 22 million within the next five years. By 2014, Ambient predicts that the number of students taking all of their classes online will increase to 3.55 million, while the number of students taking all of their courses in on-campus classrooms will drop to 5.14 million.

In addition to the increased acceptance of online education by students, administrators and employers, University of North Carolina professor Leonard Annetta attributes the growth of distance learning to the younger generations' reliance on technology. In his book, V-Learning: Distance Education in the 21st Century Through 3D Virtual Learning Environments, Annetta writes: "Generation G, the net generation, the millennials, however one might classify them, learn in fundamentally different ways than have students of the past. They have matured in a connected world where information is at their fingertips and entertainment and learning are beginning to become somewhat symbiotic. The growing use of Web 2.0 and social networking is changing how we must deliver instruction."


Online Enrollment at an All-Time High

Research by the Sloan Consortium has found that online college enrollments have continued to grow faster than the total population of college students. This means that more and more students are taking advantage of online learning options at their colleges and universities--particularly at 2-year public universities and other schools offering associate's degree programs.


Schools Increasing Offerings For Many Reasons

A survey of postsecondary institutions by the NCES revealed that a variety of factors influenced schools' decisions to increase distance education offerings in the 2006-7 academic year.
  • 92% - Meeting student demand for more flexible schedules.
  • 89% - Providing access to college
  • 82% - Seeking to increase enrollment
  • 86% - Making more courses available
  • 62% - Responding to needs of employers/business
  • 55% - Making more degree programs available
  • 47% - Meeting student demand for reduced seat time
  • 34% - Making more certificate programs available

Course Delivery Technology

Interactive video and other modes of communication are still far behind the asynchronous (textual or pre-recorded) media used by schools offering any distance education during the 2006-7 academic year.
  • 92% used asynchronous Internet-based technology
  • 31% used synchronous (real-time)
  • 23% used two-way interactive video
  • 19% used pre-recorded video
  • 12% used pre-recorded audio
  • 6% used one-way video with two-way audio
Over half of the growth of online distance education has occurred at the associate's degree level--a fact that can be attributed to the tough economic times and the desire for unemployed individuals to increase their job skills. Another large factor is the flexibility that online coursework provides. "(Community colleges) have this outreach mission to improve the literacy, to improve the employability...for their target audience, which tends to be people who are not full-time students...who have significant job responsibilities...maybe family responsibilities," survey director for the Sloan Consortium Jeffrey Seaman said. "The ability for the...anytime, anywhere, for a lot of them is the difference between being able to go to school or not." Growth in online enrollment is also being reported in bachelor and graduate degree programs, but the growth is significantly smaller than that at the associate's degree level. A 2009 report on U.S. community colleges by theInstructional Technology Council reports that enrollment in distance education programs has increased by 22 percent from 2007 to 2008 at 2-year, public institutions.


College and University Response to the Growing Demand

The Sloan Consortium found that 66 percent of postsecondary institutions were seeing an increased demand for new distance education course offerings and 73 percent were seeing an increased demand in their existing distance education coursework. The demand for on-campus classes, on the other hand, was significantly lower at 54 percent. A collaborative study between the Sloan Consortium and Babson Research Group reports that public schools in particular are working on enhancing their online program offerings to meet student demand. While only 51 percent of for-profit and 50 percent of private, non-profit schools believed that online distance education was a critical component of their future growth, a whopping 74 percent of public colleges and universities were focused on enhancing their distance education offerings.

Lingering doubts regarding the effectiveness of online learning exist even though the Department of Education released a study that showed students in classes with an online learning component learned better than those who only attended on-campus classes. According to the Sloan Consortium study, "Those institutions most engaged in online (education) do not believe it is a concern for their own campus, but do see it as a barrier to a more widespread adoption of online education." This may explain the findings of the Instructional Technology Council, which found that almost all community college administrators strongly believed in the effectiveness of distance education. The study found that 82 percent of administrators at 2-year community colleges believed online courses were just as effective as on-campus courses and 9 percent believed online courses were superior to on-campus courses.


The Future of Online Distance Education

Although the Sloan Consortium reports that 69 percent of academic leaders believe student demand for online education is still growing, the rapid level of growth that has occurred over the past decade is beginning to slow down. The report states, "Compound annual growth of 20 percent is not sustainable. Most institutions that plan to offer online education are already doing so. The transition is nearing its end." That is not to say that the future is not bright for distance education. Of the postsecondary institutions that offer online coursework, 83 percent expect their enrollment numbers to increase over the next year--particularly in psychology, social sciences and liberal arts.

Deepa Singh
Business Developer
Email Id:-deepa.singh@soarlogic.com
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Sunday, 3 June 2012

Professional Online Education System

Teaching Career And Job Prospects
Teaching is challenging job and enables you to make positive and lasting impact on people’s lives and help shape minds of the future. As a teacher you could be reaching out to tiny tots in Montessori or kindergarten, or pre-teens in primary schools, teenagers in secondary or senior secondary and young adults in college and university.

Skill sets and work environment : If you want to be a teacher, you should be creative and firm, tolerant, happy to be among young people, enjoy working with groups , be hard working, be a strong communicator, and enjoy imparting knowledge, and inspiring enthusiasm for learning. The typical Teaching options are nursery or early childhood years, teaching pupils in elementary/ primary schools (Up to class V, usually), secondary school teaching class (VI to X) , senior secondary teaching ( classes XI to XII) up to the age of 18 years and latter, it is lecturership in college and university.

Education and Training : Pre-school or nursery education is usually available as a one year program. Montessori training or diploma in early childhood care & education after +2/ equivalent qualifies you for these positions. Primary/elementary school teachers may be a B. Ed with elementary specialization ( a four year programme after + 2 or one year program after graduation ) or a two year diploma in education (Also called TTC, BTC) after class xii/equivalent in any discipline .B. Ed after post graduation opens up opportunity for teaching higher secondary/ +2 classes. B. Ed course is usually of one year but the regional institutes of education and a few universities offer a two-year programme. Art teachers are usually graduates in fine arts ( BFA or equivalent) after passing +2. Physical education teachers usually hold a Bachelor’s in physical education ( Three or four years duration after class XII) or BP ED of one year duration after graduation. A two-year certificate in physical education (CPED) is usually required for teaching in elementary schools.

The benefit and Job prospects : The job market for teachers is good, and many more schools are coming up. Private tuitions and coaching classes for schools and professional entrance tests provide alternative employment in teaching. Educational websites like TeacherLane.com is a great help for those who are providing tuitions or running their own coaching classes. This website enables teachers to market their teaching skills, lessons and classes and get connected with more and more students. Online tutoring for India and international students opens another good opportunity. Higher education teaching opportunities abound not just in the traditional university and college settings, but also in a wide range of professional colleges / institutions across disciplines. Govt. salary structures for teachers and faculty members have improved considerably in recent years. Teachers and faculty members at the international institutions managed by corporate houses are paid well.

The benefit of teaching career is that you can get vacation on regular basis ( Summer, winter, autumn, semester break etc.), though some may have to be devoted to refresher courses or re-skilling in new technologies and methodologies or in planning ahead for the next academic sessions. Teaching can be frustrating when you have to deal with unmotivated or disrespectful students, cope with unruly behavior, handle large classes and heavy workloads. Schools or colleges that are run down and lack modern amenities and adequate infrastructure make the job even more difficult.

Deepa Singh
Business Developer
Email Id:-deepa.singh@soarlogic.com
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Benefits of Online Education

Online education has become an increasingly popular and productive means of furthering your education, whether than means actually getting a college degree or simply taking courses that will expand your knowledge in the field in which you are already employed. Both are possible, often without ever having to step foot on a “physical” college or technical school campus.

Most people begin considering getting an online education for a number of reasons. These may include:
  • When they become aware of exactly how much time they are spending in front of a computer performing non-work related tasks;
  • When they realize that the only way they are going to advance in (or keep, for that matter) their current position is to further their education and knowledge of the field in which they are currently employed;
  • When their attention is captured, through advertising or other means, because the online educational opportunities being discussed really do meet their needs, budget, and other areas.
Once the decision to pursue an online education has been made, you will immediately notice certain things. The first, and probably most important, is the ease in which you can register and/or enroll for online education. Often, it only requires filling out a registration form to get the process started. The next thing you will discover is that getting an online education is usually less expensive than attending classes on a “physical” campus. If nothing else, you will not have parking, facilities usage, and other fees that are associated with attending a “brick and mortar” college.

Many employers already offer tuition reimbursement or partial tuition payment for those employees who are working on their degree in the traditional sense. A number of them have extended this benefit to include those who are receiving an online education. And, of course, there is the convenience. You don’t have to leave home, but, if you want to, you can take advantage of internet access capabilities at coffee shops, libraries, bookstores, and other public places. Further, you can pretty much pick the time when you want to attend class. Flexibility is a major selling point of online education programs. You may have to interact with other students who are taking the same course at some point, but chances are you all will be able to agree on a time that is mutually satisfactory for all of you.

If the number of institutions that offer online education (University of Phoenix, DeVry, Kaplan, and Herzing are but a few) is any indicator, this method of obtaining a college degree or certification in different areas of one’s chosen profession will be around for a while. Therefore, if you have been considering online education, there is no time like the present. Conduct some research, and determine which institution really does offer you the best options. Get information on several different ones, so that you can make the best, most informed decision on what you are really looking for, and start enjoying the benefits of online education immediately.

Deepa Singh
Business Developer
Email Id:-deepa.singh@soarlogic.com
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Friday, 1 June 2012

The Importance of Online Education & Accreditation

The importance of accreditation and online education cannot be underestimated. Understanding why accreditation is important and that not all online or on campus educational programs are accredited will help you make a well-informed educational choice when looking for an online college degree program.

What does accreditation mean?
Online college programs must go through the same accreditation process and meet the same standards as on-campus college programs. Both are subject to a voluntary review process called accreditation. what exactly is accreditation? The best definition this writer could find follows. It is from the U.S. Network for Education Information. "Accreditation is the process used in U.S. education to ensure that schools, postsecondary institutions, and other education providers meet, and maintain, minimum standards of quality and integrity regarding academics, administration, and related services. It is a voluntary process based on the principle of academic self-governance. In international terms, accreditation by a recognized accrediting authority is accepted as the U.S. equivalent of other countries' ministerial recognition of institutions belonging to the national education system." The United States Department of Education states: “The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality.” 

Accreditation is not a guarantee of your probable satisfaction with a school, but it should be a bottom-line consideration when looking into any online college program. Some of the aspects you can be sure of when finding that a school is accredited are:
  • That school has voluntarily submitted its institution and programs to an extensive review process. 
  • The institution meets specific minimum standards of quality and will need to keep those standards in lace for the next accreditation review. 
  • The school has a structured curriculum and educational program that is worthy of review by peers. 
  • Monies paid to that school can be considered by students, parents and financing institutions to be a wise investment in a student’s education, and that the student will get what been paid for. 
  • All facets of the institution and its programs have been evaluated and found to be worthy and can be viewed by the public, employers and other institutions as such. 
Why is accreditation important?
  1. There are three main reasons why accreditation is very important to you. 
  2. Federally sponsored financial aid is only available when enrolling in schools and programs that are accredited. This applies to online programs as well as on-campus programs. 
  3. Transfer credit is only honored by accredited schools when the credits have been completed at other accredited schools. If you plan to transfer, for example when applying to a 4-year school from a 2-year college, or to a graduate program from an undergraduate school, it is important that the school you are transferring from is accredited. 
  4. Employers may not recognize education and training completed at a non-accredited institution. Potential employers may look for proof of accreditation before honoring your credentials. Opportunities for advancement, certification and licensure can be negatively impacted by attending and graduating from a non-accredited educational program. Perhaps the most important reason is having the peace of mind that you are going to receive a quality education from an accredited online college program! 
Who accredits online programs?
In the U.S., accreditation is conducted by state approved agencies and organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education. A detailed list of state approved regional accrediting agencies can be found at this link: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg7.html#RegionalInstitutional .

How can I be sure the school I’m interested in is accredited? 
Ask! Admissions offices will have accreditation status available to all applicants. College and educational program materials will always list the accrediting agency that reviews and accredits that school. If in doubt, or if accreditation status is lacking on college application brochures and catalogs, you must inquire directly. Being sure the college, university or educational program is accredited by an agency recognized by the Secretary of Education and the U.S. Department of Education is very important. 

Deepa Singh
Business Developer
Web Site:-http://www.gyapti.com
Blog:- http://gyapti.blogspot.com
Email Id:-deepa.singh@soarlogic.com
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Why Do Students Like Online Learning?

Why do students flock to the online learning environment? With over 4 million students are enrolled in online schools and universities (and that number is growing 30% per year), there are many compelling arguments for attending a cyber classroom (Lewis, 2005). 
  • Students can "attend" a course at anytime, from anywhere. This means that parents can attend to their children, then sit down to class; working students can attend classes no matter what their work schedule might be, folks that travel for business or pleasure can attend class from anywhere in the world that has internet access.
  • Online learning enables student-centered teaching approaches. Every student has their own way of learning that works best for them. Some learn visually others do better when they "learn by doing."
  • Course material is accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Students have the ability to read and re read lectures, discussions, explanations and comments. Often spoken material in the classroom passes students by due to a number of distractions, missed classes, tiredness or boredom.
  • In an online environment, attendance to class is only evident if the student actually participates in classroom discussion. This increases student interaction and the diversity of opinion, because everyone gets a say, not just the most talkative.
  • Online instructors come with practical knowledge and may be from any location across the globe. This allows students to be exposed to knowledge that can't be learned in books and see how class concepts are applied in real business situations.
  • Using the internet to attend class, research information and communication with other students teaches skills in using technologies that will be critical to workers in the 21st century business community that works with colleagues globally and across time zones.
  • Participating online is much less intimidating than "in the classroom." Anonymity provides students a level playing field undisturbed by bias caused by seating arrangement, gender, race and age. Students can also think longer about what they want to say and add their comments when ready. In a traditional class room, the conversation could have gone way past the point where the student wants to comment.
  • Because online institutions often offer "chat rooms" for informal conversation between students, where student bios and non class discussions can take place, there appears to be a increased bonding and camaraderie over traditional class environments.
  • The online environment makes instructors more approachable. Students can talk openly with their teachers through online chats, email and in newsgroup discussions, without waiting for office hours that may not be convenient. This option for communication provides enhanced contact between instructors and students.
  • Online course development allows for a broad spectrum of content. Students can access the school's library from their PC's for research articles, e book content and other material without worries that the material is already "checked out."
  • Students often feel that they can actually listen to the comments made by other students. Because everyone gets a chance to contribute, students are less irritated with those that "over contribute" and can ask for clarification of any comments that are unclear.
  • Over 75% of colleges and universities in the U.S. offer online degree programs, with online degrees as respected as "on the ground" degrees. (Lewis
  • Online classrooms also facilitate team learning by providing chatrooms and newsgroups for meetings and joint work. This eliminates the problems of mismatched schedules, finding a meeting location and di)stributing work for review between meetings.
  • Students often comment that online learning lets them attend class when fully awake and attend in increments of convenient time block, rather than rigid 2 or 4 hour stretches once or twice a week.
  • Because there are no geographic barriers to online learning, students can find a diversity of course material that may not be available to them where they live or work. This is especially true for professional training such as medical billing training or purchasing training and for students in remote rural areas that cannot support college or vocational training centers.
  • While "brick and mortar" institutions will never be eliminated, it's easy to see why a growing number of people are attending class in the cyber world. They may be reasons of accessibility, flexibility or quality, all compelling and contributing to the attractiveness of this mode of learning.
Deepa Singh
Business Developer
Email Id:-deepa.singh@soarlogic.com
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