Distance Learning - DSL for College

[LovesToRead]

Does anyone have any comments about this type of learning? I'd appreciate hearing about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Thanks so much for your time.

 

[shakingthedustoffmyfeet]

I have done some of this as a master's student. If you are motivated, it is quite good. You might miss some interaction with other students. For me, it takes the commute out of the situation. I learned just as much via distance learning as I did in traditional classrooms.

A lot of your experience will depend on the professor and the type of on-line interaction. Some on-line formats are confusing, but others are straight forward. I prefer to have little on-line interaction with students because people often misread one another's written remarks.

I enjoyed the classes that did not have students on-line together more than those that did.

 

[fishstix]

Does anyone have any comments about this type of learning? I'd appreciate hearing about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Thanks so much for your time.

In my first year of university, I took a couple of televised classes. There were about 5 other students at the same location as me. Instead of having the prof physically there, we watched him on satellite tv. For discussion time, we had to call in and talk with him on the phone, which was also broadcast on the tv. Our assignments were mailed in for grading and then mailed back to us.

Good points - There was a lot of multimedia stuff (including televised 'field trips') instead of just a plain ordinary lecture all the time so it kept things interesting. If we occasionally arrived a little late (or left a little early), the prof didn't know. We could poke fun at little things on the tv and have a good time in the class without the prof knowing.

Bad points - It was a little more difficult getting help if we had problems with the assignments. Not impossible though - there was email and the phone - but some things are easier to explain face to face. We didn't get the hands-on lab experience that we would have gotten on campus.

It is true that you have to keep yourself motivated and stay on schedule as far as assignments go. With a televised class, we did get reminders for due dates just like we would have if we had a real class. Of course, in any university class - normal or distance - it is up to the students to stay motivated and complete assignments on time. Most profs are not going to stay on your case the way that high school teachers would. So while being one's own 'boss' is a big difference from high school, it isn't all that different from an ordinary university class.

 

[LovesToRead]

Thanks for your comments, I'm hoping to get some from some more people.

We're home schoolers and my son will be going to college soon. Right now he does some distance learning classes and that's been a very good experience. I've just started to gather info on this type of learning for college.

I read the Taylor University site and they have distance learning and look like a interesting college.

 

[Yusuf Evans]

Thanks for your comments, I'm hoping to get some from some more people.

We're home schoolers and my son will be going to college soon. Right now he does some distance learning classes and that's been a very good experience. I've just started to gather info on this type of learning for college.

I read the Taylor University site and they have distance learning and look like a interesting college.

I'm currently doing DLP through Liberty University. It's been a blessing so far. Distance Learning is great for all of reasons, but some of those reasons can get you into trouble. You need to have a Positive mental attitude and motivation to do it though.

 

[Singin4Him]

Thanks for your comments, I'm hoping to get some from some more people.

We're home schoolers and my son will be going to college soon. Right now he does some distance learning classes and that's been a very good experience. I've just started to gather info on this type of learning for college.

I read the Taylor University site and they have distance learning and look like a interesting college.

Does he not want to go off to college?

 

[ashes2beauty]

I attempted the DLP at Liberty. I didn't get past the first assignments. So if you are easily distracted, demotivated, or anything, distance learning isn't a good idea.

However, I'm a bad student all together, lol.

 

[LovesToRead]

Does he not want to go off to college?

The short answer is yes, in many ways he does, but is questioning, given a cost of around $100,000.00 or more, if it's worth it to go traditionally. And that's just for a bachelor's degree. I feel a master's degree is becoming more the minimum expectation, and that a bachelor's degree is starting to be regarded the way a high school diploma was looked on years ago.

The long answer follows:

A few years ago at a home school conference, we met a representative from Moody Bible College who was speaking about distance learning. His question was why home schoolers were willing to use alternative education UNTIL they got to college, and then would just automatically go the traditional, 4-year route. It was the "bee in my bonnet" that got me thinking about the whole picture of college.

At this point, we are exploring all the options as a family. Given the astronomical cost associated with just a bachelor's degree done traditionally, we want to weigh all the options. We haven't ruled anything in or out, but are leaning towards a Christian college - and when I say we, I include my son, not just the parental units.

We have a state college in our town very nearby and are a suburb of one of the mecca's of higher learning. Basically, we have colleges coming out of our ears, right in our general area.

I believe I mentioned my son does some on-line classes already, at the high school level, and for the most part has really enjoyed the experience and made some good friends through the school.

Also, he is currently working part-time while he does his studies and he really enjoys his job and being in the work environment - and of course, making some money! So the work/study option is also very appealing.

Finally, I've been questioning for a while if our money might not be better spent helping him buy real estate - like a condo - rather than having rent going down the drain every month, never to be seen again.

The bottom line is, one huge amount of money is involved in all of this, and I want to spend it wisely.

 

[LovesToRead]

There is a web site called degree info dot com that has so much valuable information. When you type it in be sure to make it one word, there is no space between degree and info. Spend some time looking over the articles because it is a rich source of information for you. Click on the first article that is mentioned in a blue window on the page and that will take you to more articles.

If you ever want to PM me feel free. I have a lot of experience with homeschoolers and college.

Thanks so much for writing and I will have to look at that website. I will also PM you at some point when I put together what I'd like to ask. That's very nice of you to offer your help and I appreciate it.

God Bless.

 

[rodimus321]

I know you want to save money biut many distance ed. programs cost more. Housing isn't involved of course but the tuition is higher.

Where did you get $100,000 that is pretty high unless your looking Ivy League

 

[LovesToRead]

I know you want to save money biut many distance ed. programs cost more. Housing isn't involved of course but the tuition is higher.

Where did you get $100,000 that is pretty high unless your looking Ivy League

I got this information from a private, Christian college that my son is considering. This isn't an Ivy League college. I was actually under-estimating. Here's what I just got from their website:



Tuition (12 to 18 semester credit hours)

$10,965

21,930
​

Board (light eater)..........................................

1,035

2,070
​

Room (double occupancy)...........................

2,100

4,200
​

Services and technology fee

497

994
​

Total..................................................................

$14,597

29,194
​

 

[fishstix]

The short answer is yes, in many ways he does, but is questioning, given a cost of around $100,000.00 or more, if it's worth it to go traditionally. And that's just for a bachelor's degree. I feel a master's degree is becoming more the minimum expectation, and that a bachelor's degree is starting to be regarded the way a high school diploma was looked on years ago.

$100,000??? He must be considering a very expensive school and/or course. I finished my 4 year bachelor's degree just a few years ago at a public univerity. Each year cost me approximately $10,000 - between $3,000 to $4,000 per year for tuition, about $5000 per year for room and board (single room in a private Christian residence on campus, sizeable meals included), and between $500 and $1000 for books. That's all in Canadian dollars of course - the numbers would be smaller in US currency. It wasn't a liberal arts degree either - it was a degree from one of the professional colleges. My master's degree is actually turning out to cost a bit less per year than my bachelor's degree did.

One thing I'd add to what I said earlier - I'm really glad that I did a few classes by distance education. It was a good experience. However, I'm also glad that I didn't do all of them that way. There is something to be said for the 'college experience'. I'm not referring to drinking and partying - I'm talking about attending classes in lecture theaters, participating in discussions with professors and fellow students, and learning to deal with the responsibility of being out on one's own, away from parents, for an extended period of time.

 

[LovesToRead]

$100,000??? He must be considering a very expensive school and/or course. I finished my 4 year bachelor's degree just a few years ago at a public univerity. Each year cost me approximately $10,000 - between $3,000 to $4,000 per year for tuition, about $5000 per year for room and board (single room in a private Christian residence on campus, sizeable meals included), and between $500 and $1000 for books. That's all in Canadian dollars of course - the numbers would be smaller in US currency. It wasn't a liberal arts degree either - it was a degree from one of the professional colleges. My master's degree is actually turning out to cost a bit less per year than my bachelor's degree did.

One thing I'd add to what I said earlier - I'm really glad that I did a few classes by distance education. It was a good experience. However, I'm also glad that I didn't do all of them that way. There is something to be said for the 'college experience'. I'm not referring to drinking and partying - I'm talking about attending classes in lecture theaters, participating in discussions with professors and fellow students, and learning to deal with the responsibility of being out on one's own, away from parents, for an extended period of time.

Maybe we should be looking at Canadian colleges - I don't think our state colleges are that inexpensive. That's interesting that you say you lived in a private Christian residence on campus. How does that work? I don't know, but I don't think there's anything like that on our state school's properties. Not that I've heard of anyway.

I don't know if you saw my post that was right before yours, but I went to the website of a Christian college and took the numbers and posted them right from their own site. The total figure listed is $29,194. They did say that on average a student gets 7500/year from them, but that's still a hefty price tag in the end.

We also have friends who have teens a little older than our son who are already attending college and we have been hearing figures in the 21,0000 -25,0000 range. I'm not sure if that's with or without help in defraying expenses from the college.

I do believe in young people growing up and learning away from their parents, but I'm not sure that it's always best immediately after high school. Some teens seem perfectly fine at 16 for that type of experience, some seem to need more time.

We have read in more than one source that something like 80% of young people leave their faith after high school. Unfortunately, that doesn't really surprise me. Our culture nutures children and young people in Sunday school and youth programs, then they graduate and all the fun slams shut behind them. What are they left with? All the adult programs that were so off-limits and boring just last year.

I believe young people should be intergrated into the congregation at large as they are growing up. By this I don't just mean attending the services, but given responsibilities too. Sure they can go to youth programs, but encourage participation in the rest of the church too. It's the direction they are heading in, afterall and it needs to be relevant.

The bottom line is, we're trying to look at all the alternatives. We've been using alternative education his whole life and just want to make wise, careful decisions together as a family.

 

[fishstix]

Maybe we should be looking at Canadian colleges - I don't think our state colleges are that inexpensive. That's interesting that you say you lived in a private Christian residence on campus. How does that work? I don't know, but I don't think there's anything like that on our state school's properties. Not that I've heard of anyway.

The university has some of its own residences on campus. There are also affiliated colleges that are part of the university, many of which are part of a Christian church or denomination. Some of those colleges are right on the university campus, and for all practical purposes are indeed part of the university, just the way that the College of Engineering or the College of Medicine or the College of Arts and Science are part of the university. And some of those colleges have their own residences on campus. Thus, while a residence is physically located on the university property, it may be owned and operated by one of the Christian colleges. That results in just the sort of differences you would expect in a private Christian residence as compared to a public university residence. And the colleges don't require students to belong to that particular college to live in their residence - as long as a person is a student in any of the colleges at the university, they are welcome.

Canada (this part of it anyway) isn't as uptight about the whole 'separation of church and state' thing as the United States appears to be. Our government does come up with some very immoral laws, but at least they haven't proclaimed that education and religion must be like oil and water.

I don't know if you saw my post that was right before yours, but I went to the website of a Christian college and took the numbers and posted them right from their own site. The total figure listed is $29,194. They did say that on average a student gets 7500/year from them, but that's still a hefty price tag in the end.

We also have friends who have teens a little older than our son who are already attending college and we have been hearing figures in the 21,0000 -25,0000 range. I'm not sure if that's with or without help in defraying expenses from the college.

Education must be expensive in the USA then. I did see your post and the numbers sounded very high to me, especially when I consider that they are in US $. The numbers I quoted didn't include any kind of financial assistance, although there are plenty of scholarships available here (mainly academic - most Canadian universities don't place as much importance on sports as many American ones seem to).

I do believe in young people growing up and learning away from their parents, but I'm not sure that it's always best immediately after high school. Some teens seem perfectly fine at 16 for that type of experience, some seem to need more time.

That is a very good point. Some people do indeed need more time. And of course, you know your son better than anyone else would. I myself didn't move away to university directly after high school; I lived one more year at home (which is when I had my experience with distance learning). There's nothing wrong with that. But at the same time, it's possible to keep a young person sheltered for too long. I guess neither extreme - leaving too soon or staying too long - is healthy for a person.

We have read in more than one source that something like 80% of young people leave their faith after high school. Unfortunately, that doesn't really surprise me.

I wonder how many of them come back to their faith though? I also wonder whether that 80% includes young people who have been perceived to have left their faith because they started attending a different Christian denomination than their parents do.

There is always the danger that when a person gets out on their own that they're going to make some bad decisions. They can also make bad decisions while they're still at home. Ultimately, it's up to each of us to make our own decision as far as faith goes. No one else, including parents can make that decision for us - whether we live at home or on the other side of the world. As long as you have raised your son right and given him a good solid foundation for his faith, he should have a good chance of being in the 20% that doesn't leave their faith.

Our culture nutures children and young people in Sunday school and youth programs, then they graduate and all the fun slams shut behind them. What are they left with? All the adult programs that were so off-limits and boring just last year.

I believe young people should be intergrated into the congregation at large as they are growing up. By this I don't just mean attending the services, but given responsibilities too. Sure they can go to youth programs, but encourage participation in the rest of the church too. It's the direction they are heading in, afterall and it needs to be relevant.

Again, that's a good point - young people should be a part of the congregation at large. That said, why do adult programs need to be boring?

The bottom line is, we're trying to look at all the alternatives. We've been using alternative education his whole life and just want to make wise, careful decisions together as a family.

It's good that you are exploring the possibilities together There are a lot of different directions that a high school graduate can head, and wise advice from one's parents can certainly help when it comes time to choose one.