Internet Info 1997 December/Internet_Info_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_December_1997.iso/faqs/alt/answers/education/distance-ed-faq/part3

Internet Message Format | 1997-10-19 | 9KB

Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!faqserv
From: [e-mail] ( RITA   LAWS)
Newsgroups: alt.education.distance,alt.answers,news.answers
Subject: alt.education.distance FAQ (part 3 of 4)
Supersedes: <education/distance-ed-faq/[e-mail]>
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Date: 18 Oct 1997 10:17:13 GMT
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Message-ID: <education/distance-ed-faq/[e-mail]>
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Summary: This document offers answers to the most Frequently
    Asked Questions regarding distance learning, also known as
    distance education, or non-traditional education. Distance
    learning most commonly involves the earning of post-secondary
    credits via non-traditional means, i.e., correspondence
    courses, and college courses via the Internet, TV, radio,
    satellite, etc.
X-Last-Updated: 1997/03/07
Originator: [e-mail]
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.education.distance:22163 alt.answers:29715 news.answers:114893

Archive-name: education/distance-ed-faq/part3
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1997/03/07
Version: 4.0
URL: http://pages.prodigy.com/PAUM88A/

The alt.education.distance FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Part
3 of 4 parts
Continued from Part 2...
"If an educational act is to be efficacious, it will be only that
one
which tends to help toward the complete unfolding of life. To be
thus
helpful it is necessary rigorously to avoid the arrest of
spontaneous
movements and the imposition of arbitrary tasks."
---Maria Montessori
7. What about financial aid?
    In Australia, many Australian programs are "free" to citizens,
although a program called HECS calls for students to pay for
their education following graduation, but only if they make more
than $25,000 per year. Some programs are fee-based, such as
MBAs, and call for fees. Foreign students will always pay a fee.
These can be as high as $12,000 per year.
    In the US, most non-loan financial aid is targeted at young
adults in traditional, regionally accredited, residential
programs with a set calendar of class dates. DL students, most
of whom are mature adults in non-traditional programs with no
set start-up dates, can have a difficult time finding
scholarships. It helps to seek out web sites and books that
cater to helping DL students find money for school. DL experts
John and Mariah Bear, for example, (see the DL Booklist) have
written a book about Financial Aid with a special emphasis on
assisting DL students. Called "Finding Money for College", it is
updated annually.
    To find financial aid web pages, use electronic directories
called search tools. Your web browser software should have an
area that features search tools. A search engine called "Yahoo"
at http://www.yahoo.com is very popular right now because it is
very easy to use. Just type in your subject, such as
"scholarships", press the enter key, and Yahoo offers several
scholarship web sites to try. www.search.com is the URL of Search.Com,
 a Grand Central Station of search tools. And the federal government
has financial aid information waiting for you at http://www.ed.gov

    One sure way to save money is to consider a state-approved, but
unaccredited, university. If such a school can meet your
personal, academic, and career goals, you will likely save a
great deal of money on tuition. Some of the bigger
state-approved schools offer interest-free monthly payments
after an initial down payment.
"I was brought up to believe that the only thing worth doing was to
add
to the sum of accurate information in the world."
--- Margaret Mead
8. Where can I find some of the DL resources on the Net?
    The Usenet Newsgroup called alt.education.distance is a great
place to start learning about DL programs and resources.
    Web sites, including university home pages on several
continents, scholarship sites, research and support pages, and
DL innovation pages number in the hundreds. Some of these URLs
will be listed in future revisions of this FAQ. In the meantime,
these web sites are not difficult to find. Using the search
tools mentioned in Q&A #7, type in key or search words such as
DISTANCE LEARNING, DISTANCE EDUCATION, UNIVERSITIES, and
NONTRADITIONAL EDUCATION. You can then print out or save the
list of sites presented to you, and browse them at your leisure.
There are currently several excellent web sites that act as
clearinghouses and link to dozens of other DL-related web pages.
Such clearinghouses are useful additions to a web browser
hotlist.
    There is one DL resource that has helped hundreds of DL
students for years, and needs to be listed here. Dr. E's
Eclectic Compendium of Electronic Resources in Adult and
Distance Education by Dr. Jill H. Ellsworth, a university
professor, lists e-journals, listservs, mailing lists, and more.
It can be found at http://www.oak-ridge.com/topeoip1.html
    On online services such as AOL, CompuServe, Delphi, GEnie, MSN,
and Prodigy, you will find DL areas like forums, chat rooms,
virtual classrooms, and file libraries. Several have DL web
content, too. Use the keywords above in the GoTo or keyword line
to see what each service is offering.
"Life is what happens while you are making other plans."
--- John Lennon
9. Where are the "online universities"?
    While universities that conduct all classes and business online
may or may not exist in significant numbers in the future, they
are few in number today. Many traditional and DL schools have a
home page on the Web Page and e-mail capabilities, but this does
not make them "online schools." Rather, online classes are one
option among various means of learning offered by the
institution. People searching for  exclusively online degrees
may miss the many excellent offerings of degree programs that
are partially online, but that also conduct learning through
other means, i.e. correspondence courses, taped courses, etc.
    Investigate all DL options, including hybrid DL programs that
combine different means of learning, and then choose the one
best for your needs. And remember, more schools are offering DL
options- every day. If there is a certain university you are
interested in attending, ask about DL programs that are
currently under consideration or that are in development.
"My dear dear Mother,
If you don't let me come home I die. I am all over ink, and my fine
clothes have been spoilt. I have been tost in a blanket, and seen a
ghost. I remain, my dear dear Mother,
Your dutiful and most unhappy son, Freddy. P.S. Remember me to my
Father."
---Frederick Reynolds, a letter home, on his second day of school,
1775
10. How do I stay motivated to complete my degree?
    You understand what DL is all about, you know your own needs,
you've been admitted, the books have arrived, and it's time to
study. Feel like procrastinating? You are not alone! Happily,
mature adults are the most self-directed of all students. They
are highly motivated- usually by the need to get a job, keep a
job, or earn a promotion or raise. However, even highly
self-disciplined adults can find it difficult to stay motivated,
especially in the Summer when warm weather activities beckon,
and most "everyone else" is out of school.
    This is where the need to find and keep a support system comes
in. A little encouragement, understanding and socializing is
just the medicine most people need to get back on track toward
their degrees. People with computers and modems are fortunate
because the same newsgroups, forums, and web sites that helped
them learn about DL, their needs, and the available schools, are
often the same places they can turn to for support. These
electronic gatherings are also the place to pass on what you
have learned- to the "newbies" just coming along, the ones who
ask, "So how do I get started?"
    If you are returning to your studies after a long hiatus,
remember that you are not alone. More than half of all people
who begin a dissertation, for example, never ever finish it. Try
your local library for books written to help the ABD (All But
Dissertation) student, and for people finishing all types of
degrees.
    One trick that some people find to be useful is to commit to
achieving one DL goal per day, every day, rain or shine. The
goal may be as quick and simple as ordering the next text book,
downloading the newest posts from a DL newsgroup, or writing one
paragraph on a term paper, or as involved as a marathon study,
research, or writing session. Others set aside certain times or
days to devote exclusively to their studies. Just as one might
invest a set sum of money each month to build a financial
future, so does investing a set amount of time each month create
a brighter future with a completed degree in it.
    The key is to get into a daily habit. Little by little, the DL
degree moves closer to completion.
** Legalities:
    This FAQ may be re-produced for non-profit uses, and as long as
it is copied in its entirety and without modification. It may be
duplicated at other education-related newsgroups. For any other
use, including commercial, or the use of excerpts, permission
must first be obtained in writing from the author, Rita Laws,
Ph.D., at email: [e-mail].
Copyright c 1996 and 1997 by Rita Laws.