In the past majority of the people were sure, that the degree which was earned in the online university or college is worthless and the diploma is just piece of paper. But nowadays, with development of the computer and internet technologies, online education becomes more accessible, affordable, flexible and convenient. Majority of traditional universities and colleges provide the educational programs which are available online and it is very advantageous, especially for those people who are busy with their work and other responsibilities. Those students, who study online can combine the studying with other activities and do not have to interrupt their current lifestyle.
The students have wide range of choice and everybody can find appropriate programs which will meet all educational requirements, goals and wishes. Besides, in online colleges and universities the students can receive all level of degrees – from associate and bachelor’s to master`s and even doctorate degree.
There are many advantages of online education. The students do not have to attend the traditional cases and the university and they can study according to their own schedule at the convenient place and time. Besides, the students can control the duration and pace of the studying and can complete the education and receive the university degree faster than those students, who study in traditional educational institutions.
The students receive all educational materials and tests trough the e – mail. Besides, they can receive online consultations from the teachers and counselors concerning the studying materials and studying process. Besides, they can participate in the online conferences, discussions and forums.
In the same time the online students have less studying expenses, as tuition fee is lower and the students do not have to cover such types of expenses, as accommodation, transportation and living expenses. You can receive all essential information concerning the admission process to the online universities and available offers on the special websites in the internet.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Benchmarking Quality in Online Degree Programs Status and Prospects
The number of online degree programs offered by universities, both within the United States and in other countries around the globe, has expanded remarkably from the year 2000 to 2005. Recent research [ Pond (2002), Twigg, (2001), Swail and Kampits (2001), Nielson (1997)] indicates that this rapid expansion has superceded our understanding of how to plan, organize, and evaluate these programs effectively. Currently available frameworks provide general guidelines for creating programs of high quality, but they are not specific enough to be of high value in comprehensively organizing and ensuring a quality online degree program. Hence, the development of a solid and comprehensive framework for benchmarking quality of online degree programs is critical to future program growth and expansion.
This discussion is organized around four core themes. First, the authors present the status of currently available quality assessment frameworks for assessing the quality of online degree programs. Second, emerging concepts for quality assessment are reviewed. Third, the authors propose a comprehensive and utilitarian program improvement model, and the model's core concepts, structure, and focus are discussed. Finally, areas for further research in quality improvement and assessment for online degree programs are outlined.
Current Status: The Need for a Review of Existing Quality Guidelines
Increased student demand for flexible education has created considerable interest among many private educational providers who want to capitalize on this emerging market of professionals wishing to maintain and update their skills in a rapidly changing economic and technological environment. With the rapid expansion of higher education generally, and distance education online degree programs in particular, concern for the educational quality of these programs has become an issue of paramount importance globally. Swail and Kampits (2001) observe, “Absent accountability, quality assurance , and evaluation , distance learning increasingly attracts educational providers attuned to marketability and profit” (p. 38). Past approaches to assessing quality based on guidelines have focused primarily on evaluating inputs to the educational process, such as facilities, quality of teaching and research staff, volumes in the library, the preparation and quality of incoming students. This approach for measuring and ensuring quality can no longer be sufficient in an environment that demands institutional accountability for what students learn rather than what the institution teaches. Swail and Kampits (2001) also observe, “Over the past three decades, accreditors (and the public) have supported the rapid rise of distance education with little attention to new benchmarks [ emphasis added] for evaluation and assessment”. Many countries are implementing major new quality assurance processes and requirements that require documentation of learning outcomes, the student experience, institutional planning processes, and proof of institutional financial stability.
Establishing appropriate updated standards and benchmarks for evaluating the quality and impact of online degree programs is now essential. Recently several organizations have proposed new guidelines for assessing the quality of these programs, but the resulting frameworks are still inadequate and incomplete.
To establish the status of currently available quality assessment tools the authors reviewed a number of presently used quality assessment guidelines. Specifically, the authors examined these guidelines with the goal of assessing how well the set of guidelines incorporate the following criteria suggested by literature review as being critical to establishing quality:
• To what extent do the program's teaching/learning materials and processes?
• Foster collaborative learning?
• Facilitate formation of learning communities?
• Facilitate social integration?
• Facilitate career integration?
• Impart the skills necessary to transfer knowledge to job performance?
• How flexible is the program in enabling learners to pursue education anywhere, anytime, at anypace?
• How does the program prepare participants to become successful lifelong learners?
• How well does the program address societal educational needs?
• Are program costs examined comprehensively from the perspective of the learner, in terms of time, access, and dollars, as well as from the perspective of the institution on these measures?
• Are employer requirements concerning the learning outcomes of online programs specifically listed in appropriate situations and contexts and included as a criterion of overall program quality?
• To what extent are requirements of governments incorporated as a critical element of quality?
• Are relevant cross-cultural challenges, choice of language of instruction, and meeting international standards and requirements for accreditation considered a key element of quality online programs?
• Do criteria incorporate performance evaluation criteria appropriate to the goals and processes of online learning, rather than using simplistic comparisons with what happens in face-2-face classrooms?
For more information visit Online Life Experience Degrees and Online Accredited Degrees
This discussion is organized around four core themes. First, the authors present the status of currently available quality assessment frameworks for assessing the quality of online degree programs. Second, emerging concepts for quality assessment are reviewed. Third, the authors propose a comprehensive and utilitarian program improvement model, and the model's core concepts, structure, and focus are discussed. Finally, areas for further research in quality improvement and assessment for online degree programs are outlined.
Current Status: The Need for a Review of Existing Quality Guidelines
Increased student demand for flexible education has created considerable interest among many private educational providers who want to capitalize on this emerging market of professionals wishing to maintain and update their skills in a rapidly changing economic and technological environment. With the rapid expansion of higher education generally, and distance education online degree programs in particular, concern for the educational quality of these programs has become an issue of paramount importance globally. Swail and Kampits (2001) observe, “Absent accountability, quality assurance , and evaluation , distance learning increasingly attracts educational providers attuned to marketability and profit” (p. 38). Past approaches to assessing quality based on guidelines have focused primarily on evaluating inputs to the educational process, such as facilities, quality of teaching and research staff, volumes in the library, the preparation and quality of incoming students. This approach for measuring and ensuring quality can no longer be sufficient in an environment that demands institutional accountability for what students learn rather than what the institution teaches. Swail and Kampits (2001) also observe, “Over the past three decades, accreditors (and the public) have supported the rapid rise of distance education with little attention to new benchmarks [ emphasis added] for evaluation and assessment”. Many countries are implementing major new quality assurance processes and requirements that require documentation of learning outcomes, the student experience, institutional planning processes, and proof of institutional financial stability.
Establishing appropriate updated standards and benchmarks for evaluating the quality and impact of online degree programs is now essential. Recently several organizations have proposed new guidelines for assessing the quality of these programs, but the resulting frameworks are still inadequate and incomplete.
To establish the status of currently available quality assessment tools the authors reviewed a number of presently used quality assessment guidelines. Specifically, the authors examined these guidelines with the goal of assessing how well the set of guidelines incorporate the following criteria suggested by literature review as being critical to establishing quality:
• To what extent do the program's teaching/learning materials and processes?
• Foster collaborative learning?
• Facilitate formation of learning communities?
• Facilitate social integration?
• Facilitate career integration?
• Impart the skills necessary to transfer knowledge to job performance?
• How flexible is the program in enabling learners to pursue education anywhere, anytime, at anypace?
• How does the program prepare participants to become successful lifelong learners?
• How well does the program address societal educational needs?
• Are program costs examined comprehensively from the perspective of the learner, in terms of time, access, and dollars, as well as from the perspective of the institution on these measures?
• Are employer requirements concerning the learning outcomes of online programs specifically listed in appropriate situations and contexts and included as a criterion of overall program quality?
• To what extent are requirements of governments incorporated as a critical element of quality?
• Are relevant cross-cultural challenges, choice of language of instruction, and meeting international standards and requirements for accreditation considered a key element of quality online programs?
• Do criteria incorporate performance evaluation criteria appropriate to the goals and processes of online learning, rather than using simplistic comparisons with what happens in face-2-face classrooms?
For more information visit Online Life Experience Degrees and Online Accredited Degrees
Become a Real Estate Specialist With a Real Estate Bachelor Degree
Are you already working as a real estate agent or working in a real estate office? Do you want to get a better job in real estate or maybe open your own real estate office or consulting business? Getting a Real Estate bachelor's degree can help you accomplish your professional goals in real estate. A Real Estate bachelor's degree is a new course of study that schools are offering now mostly to real estate professionals who want to take their real estate careers to the next level. With the housing market in a slump right now a lot of real estate agents are looking for ways to take their careers in a different direction while still using all the valuable experience they have gained in real estate. A Real Estate bachelor's degree is a good degree to have if you want to open up your real estate career options. Most Real Estate bachelor degree programs focus on teaching fundamentals of business as well as specific real estate topics like how to appraise property, marketing, real estate management, property law and more. Once you have a Real Estate bachelor's degree you can open your own real estate office or you can open your own consulting office and work with other real estate agents to give them expert advice. You can also become a property appraiser or go into real estate management. Once you have a Real Estate bachelor's degree you could even teach courses for other real estate agents or develop your own real estate agent training program. There are a lot of job possibilities that come with having a Real Estate bachelor's degree.
If you are new to the real estate field then getting a Real Estate bachelor's degree can help you get a better understanding of the real estate industry and can give you the knowledge you need to get established as a reputable real estate professional. Lots of people choose to go into real estate as a second career so if you have been in the working world for awhile but want to switch careers getting a Real Estate bachelor's degree is a great way to see what the real estate industry is really like and to see if you want to pursue a career in real estate. Since having a Real Estate bachelor's degree gives you a lot of choices when it comes to areas of specialization within the real estate industry it's possible that you could find an area of the real estate industry to work in that will also use your skill set and experience from your previous career. If you have any previous business experience at all that experience will definitely help you when it comes to starting a new career in real estate although the education that you get when you pursue a Real Estate bachelor's degree will also be crucial to starting a new career in real estate. Most Real Estate bachelor degree programs are offered online so that you can attend classes and do course work when it's convenient for you.
If you are new to the real estate field then getting a Real Estate bachelor's degree can help you get a better understanding of the real estate industry and can give you the knowledge you need to get established as a reputable real estate professional. Lots of people choose to go into real estate as a second career so if you have been in the working world for awhile but want to switch careers getting a Real Estate bachelor's degree is a great way to see what the real estate industry is really like and to see if you want to pursue a career in real estate. Since having a Real Estate bachelor's degree gives you a lot of choices when it comes to areas of specialization within the real estate industry it's possible that you could find an area of the real estate industry to work in that will also use your skill set and experience from your previous career. If you have any previous business experience at all that experience will definitely help you when it comes to starting a new career in real estate although the education that you get when you pursue a Real Estate bachelor's degree will also be crucial to starting a new career in real estate. Most Real Estate bachelor degree programs are offered online so that you can attend classes and do course work when it's convenient for you.
Battery Lights
Battery Operated Lights.
Battery operated lights have come a long way. Many people believe batteries are a fairly new invention. Did you know the first battery was invented in 1800? Or that the first flashlight was made in 1898? Now, those batteries were not the kind you and I think of today. They were actually quite unstable and not very reliable. Lets take a look at how battery lights came to be.
History of Lights.
Light has been used by man for a long time. Light gives our plants energy, which in turn feeds us. We also get vitamin D from light. Before modern scientific times, light was something that was thought just to be seen by our eyes. By the 1500's and 1600's though, telescopes, microscopes and new lenses were being invented. We could then see things on a smaller scope. Isaac Newton discovered the color spectrum in 1666. Soon the electric light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison. Light is useful in many aspects of our life. It helps us to see at night, directs traffic, helps us see while we read and gives us light for photography. It's also useful in areas of health such as giving our food vitamin A, helping plants to grow and fights disease. We use light for everything now a days.
History of Batteries.
Batteries came on the scene around 1800. Batteries were invented by an Italian, Volta. They were rather unstable because they were wet cell batteries. For that reason, wet cell batteries were used to power stationary devices. In 1859, the first rechargeable battery was invented by Gaston Plante. Finally a dry cell battery was invented in 1887 by Carl Gassner that was much safer to use and portable. It changed the liquid material into a paste to make it more stable. In 1955, alkaline batteries were introduced to the public. Up until then, batteries had a short life and were very expensive.
Battery Lights, Together.
Batteries and lights came together. The first battery operated lights were flashlights. Today though, we have battery operated lights. Many Christmas tree lights are battery powered. It allows for mobility of your tree. Also, many people use battery lights for weddings. Battery operated lights are popular for outdoor weddings where electrical outlets are unavailable. You can also string the battery lights through the bouquets to make them shine at an evening ceremony. Actually, battery lights are popular for almost any occasion. The flexibility of battery operated lights allows them to be used almost anywhere.
LED Lights.
LED lights are becoming very popular. LED stands for light emitting diode. They use very little energy and put out much less heat. This attracts many people trying to save on their electric bill, especially with rising energy costs. LED lights are more expensive, right now, but the total cost of ownership is far less then the average incandescent light. LED lights produce more light than the average bulb, per watt. LED lights are the way of the future.
Battery operated lights have come a long way. Many people believe batteries are a fairly new invention. Did you know the first battery was invented in 1800? Or that the first flashlight was made in 1898? Now, those batteries were not the kind you and I think of today. They were actually quite unstable and not very reliable. Lets take a look at how battery lights came to be.
History of Lights.
Light has been used by man for a long time. Light gives our plants energy, which in turn feeds us. We also get vitamin D from light. Before modern scientific times, light was something that was thought just to be seen by our eyes. By the 1500's and 1600's though, telescopes, microscopes and new lenses were being invented. We could then see things on a smaller scope. Isaac Newton discovered the color spectrum in 1666. Soon the electric light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison. Light is useful in many aspects of our life. It helps us to see at night, directs traffic, helps us see while we read and gives us light for photography. It's also useful in areas of health such as giving our food vitamin A, helping plants to grow and fights disease. We use light for everything now a days.
History of Batteries.
Batteries came on the scene around 1800. Batteries were invented by an Italian, Volta. They were rather unstable because they were wet cell batteries. For that reason, wet cell batteries were used to power stationary devices. In 1859, the first rechargeable battery was invented by Gaston Plante. Finally a dry cell battery was invented in 1887 by Carl Gassner that was much safer to use and portable. It changed the liquid material into a paste to make it more stable. In 1955, alkaline batteries were introduced to the public. Up until then, batteries had a short life and were very expensive.
Battery Lights, Together.
Batteries and lights came together. The first battery operated lights were flashlights. Today though, we have battery operated lights. Many Christmas tree lights are battery powered. It allows for mobility of your tree. Also, many people use battery lights for weddings. Battery operated lights are popular for outdoor weddings where electrical outlets are unavailable. You can also string the battery lights through the bouquets to make them shine at an evening ceremony. Actually, battery lights are popular for almost any occasion. The flexibility of battery operated lights allows them to be used almost anywhere.
LED Lights.
LED lights are becoming very popular. LED stands for light emitting diode. They use very little energy and put out much less heat. This attracts many people trying to save on their electric bill, especially with rising energy costs. LED lights are more expensive, right now, but the total cost of ownership is far less then the average incandescent light. LED lights produce more light than the average bulb, per watt. LED lights are the way of the future.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Basic Information on Online Associate Degree Programs
Online associate degree programs are something to think about. The right program can lead you to the company of your dreams or a position that you have always aspired for. There are however, some crucial points that you must know about online associate programs before you can decide to get into one.
Fact 1: Associate programs provide so many great choices.
There are various reasons why people decide to take associate degrees. For some, this may be more affordable than a four-year bachelor's degree program. A full time associate program can take as little as two years to finish. Others specifically choose to take this option so they can quickly get entry level work after completion. An associate program can also be a good way to test your interest and capacity for a field before you decide to transfer to a bachelor's degree program. Associate courses are either intended for entry level occupations or for transfer to a full four year program.
The different areas that associate program graduates can work in are numerous. You can choose a work area related to your degree. These may include business, management, arts, technology, marketing and health.
Fact 2: Online schools aren't any less great than schools with campuses.
It is no secret that online associate degree programs were once belittled. The truth is that there are still some people who look down on graduates of online programs. It is a typical misconception that online graduates miss out on some crucial aspects of learning available only to classroom students. This negative idea is probably due to actual scam schools and diploma mills that really aren't worth anything. There are however, genuine online programs that are really legitimate.
In order to get a degree that will be respected by others, you need to get into a reputable school. Online schools that are of good standing have academic programs that have been thoroughly reviewed and accredited by regional education boards. Accreditation is an assurance that you are under a useful, comprehensive and meaningful program.
Fact 3: Online associate programs aren't easier than campus programs.
It would be a mistake on your part to think that online students have things easy. Online associate programs are equally as demanding as courses taken in classrooms. For some people, an online course may even be more challenging. A number of online programs may involve just a little bit more research and reading. Other online courses have the same reading, research and paper requirements as their classroom course counterparts.
Fact4: Much of your potential to succeed depends on your inner qualities.
The hardest part about completing an online course is pushing yourself. If you are not naturally motivated, you may have to exert greater effort to study and complete your requirements. This is especially since many online programs have flexible schedules. Online education truly requires a lot of inner determination and discipline to complete. If you want to succeed in a program, you have to put some effort in it.
Online associate degree programs are truly worth a shot. Check the details of associate degrees first before enrolling in a program.
Fact 1: Associate programs provide so many great choices.
There are various reasons why people decide to take associate degrees. For some, this may be more affordable than a four-year bachelor's degree program. A full time associate program can take as little as two years to finish. Others specifically choose to take this option so they can quickly get entry level work after completion. An associate program can also be a good way to test your interest and capacity for a field before you decide to transfer to a bachelor's degree program. Associate courses are either intended for entry level occupations or for transfer to a full four year program.
The different areas that associate program graduates can work in are numerous. You can choose a work area related to your degree. These may include business, management, arts, technology, marketing and health.
Fact 2: Online schools aren't any less great than schools with campuses.
It is no secret that online associate degree programs were once belittled. The truth is that there are still some people who look down on graduates of online programs. It is a typical misconception that online graduates miss out on some crucial aspects of learning available only to classroom students. This negative idea is probably due to actual scam schools and diploma mills that really aren't worth anything. There are however, genuine online programs that are really legitimate.
In order to get a degree that will be respected by others, you need to get into a reputable school. Online schools that are of good standing have academic programs that have been thoroughly reviewed and accredited by regional education boards. Accreditation is an assurance that you are under a useful, comprehensive and meaningful program.
Fact 3: Online associate programs aren't easier than campus programs.
It would be a mistake on your part to think that online students have things easy. Online associate programs are equally as demanding as courses taken in classrooms. For some people, an online course may even be more challenging. A number of online programs may involve just a little bit more research and reading. Other online courses have the same reading, research and paper requirements as their classroom course counterparts.
Fact4: Much of your potential to succeed depends on your inner qualities.
The hardest part about completing an online course is pushing yourself. If you are not naturally motivated, you may have to exert greater effort to study and complete your requirements. This is especially since many online programs have flexible schedules. Online education truly requires a lot of inner determination and discipline to complete. If you want to succeed in a program, you have to put some effort in it.
Online associate degree programs are truly worth a shot. Check the details of associate degrees first before enrolling in a program.
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