What Is Online Learning

What Is Online Learning

And How It's Delivered

Just what is online learning? Or perhaps you're more familiar with similar terms like e-learning, distance learning, distance education or online education.

Whatever you call it, online learning is any form of learning where academic courses are delivered to students off-site.

In some cases though, the students are on-campus connected by technology to a teacher in a distant place.

The courses are commonly delivered through a computer network like those of a office or school.

Other forms of technology are also used, like radio, tv, audio video conferencing, CD-ROM, mobile devices and of course, the mail.

Lessons can be given to the students individually by a teacher or computer-instructed. Otherwise, lessons are given to a class. There is also a hybrid type of learning called blended learning. This is a combination of online learning and face-to-face teaching.

The students of online learning classes can meet synchronously (at the same time) or asynchronously (at different times), or some combination of the two.

If you're planning to do a distance learning course with a college, more than likely the course would be administered to you through a virtual learning environment (VLE) that runs on the net.

VLE is a software system that provides - (a) the templates for the lessons (b) the resources to test students and track their progress and (c) a means for teachers to communicate with students.

Resources like blogs, student-teacher discussion boards and quizzes are all hosted on the VLE platform making it an effective alternative to face-to-face teaching.

Rest assured that today's e-learning environment affords you a quality education that is virtually just as good as that of the classroom.

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