Questions to Ask When Deciding if an Online Program is Suitable
Important questions are provided for adults to consider when evaluating one or more online degree programs to ensure their academic success.
Selecting a distance education program requires research, planning, and learning how to ask specific questions tailored to potential enrollment in an online program. A thorough understanding of a program under consideration is critical to reaching personal and educational goals. You should know everything from an essay format for the particular program to methods of evaluation. It is important to never accept vague program guidelines or enroll in a distance education program with questionable accreditation.
Education Flexibility: Course Scheduling and Enrollment
How flexible is an online school’s scheduling of courses?
Adults enrolling in an online degree program must balance their educational demands with life requirements. One important criterion to support this balance is to ascertain how flexible a potential online school is with the scheduling of courses. Better distance education schools are very flexible in their course scheduling to support a student’s work and family commitments.
Classes Online: Delivery and Interaction
What type of support is provided to complete online classes?
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Ndiraya concerned as goals dry up
- DeMbare’s double boost
- ‘Zifa suspension won’t affect player transfers’
Keep Reading
An online school must provide an easily accessible support system for students to obtain all the help they need with admittance, technical issues, essay payment and other questions as they arise during classes. This support is best provided through both online and person-to-person access; however, minimum support should be accessible by phone seven days a week.
How are courses delivered?
There are many techniques for delivering online courses. These methods must include e-mail, PDF documents, links to reading resources, PowerPoint slides, online videos, casts, teleconferencing, webinars, podcasts, and student-to-student interaction.
Course content is more easily understood if presented in a dynamic engaging manner involving interaction between students, instructor, and course material. When selecting a program make sure that the online school utilizes many different methods to convey course information.
Also ask if courses use an online blackboard system, online bulletin board, forum, or Lister to engage students in online conversations and submit completed course requirements. Some additional uses of these communication methods include:
Provide another venue for students to ask questions related to course materials and clarification of course assignments.
Instructors typically post responses to similar questions asked by multiple to students.
Students share their reflections on assignments.
Students can share additional online resources they found with other students.
Evaluation: Assessment of Student Progress
How are online students evaluated?
Evaluation and assessment are important for all students. Evaluation methods must include essays, problem-solving situations, presentations, research, and internships. These types of assessments are important to current or future employers because these are valuable skills they seek in employees.
Avoid online programs with vague evaluation methods and degrees are handed out with little or no verification that students completed course and program requirements. These distance education programs are worthless and less likely to be accepted by employers.
Does the program provide comprehensive monitoring services?
Online learning students find comprehensive monitoring helpful in keeping track of their learning progress. These services help students identify problems and obstacles before they become roadblocks to success. This monitoring also includes time logged online in a course management system, courses completed, and continually updated scores.
Online Resources: Supporting Materials for Courses
What types of library and research materials are available?
It is important to make sure that any online school being considered has a reliable system for providing reference materials, AI essay writing, texts, and other resources. The school should be accessible from anywhere at any time and the material available should always be up-to-date.
Also, ask about the online database access and types of databases available. Distance education students rely heavily on receiving library materials through the mail and research using online databases.
Accreditation: Online School Certification
How does a potential student determine if a distance education program is an accredited?
Most programs are properly accredited and certified to offer diplomas or certificates for their programs; however, many fake schools or diploma mills are lurking on the Internet. Many fake or unaccredited online schools will eagerly grant a degree for a fee; however, degrees from these schools are worthless.
Also, ask a potential online program about their school's credentials and degrees instructors teaching the program’s courses hold. Instructors employed by accredited schools hold terminal degrees in the programs in which they teach.
Making Connections: Not Compromising in Goal Achievement
The process of selecting an online degree program requires planning and research. There are many important questions to ask potential schools regarding their accreditation and ability to provide a quality program accepted by current or potential employers. Besides the questions listed above, there are also financial considerations that adult students need to consider. When considering adult education, only enroll in a program that supports the achievement of personal and educational goals.
