Internet | Education DNA

What to Consider Before Signing Up for an Online Degree Program

Image by Ed Yourdon via Flickr

Earning a degree online is becoming the most popular way to obtain a higher education. Online schools offer the utmost in flexibility, which is ideal for working students and parents. You can complete your school work during your own time, and take classes at any hour of the day. The flexibility of earning an online degree makes this type of schooling seem easier than going to a traditional college. This misconception can hinder your success in an online degree program. Here are a few things to consider before starting online schooling:

The plus side to attending a bricks and mortar school is that you are often held accountable for class attendance. Most online schools don’t require attendance. You have to be willing to complete classwork on your own, which my be difficult if a professor doesn’t hold you accountable.
You must be an expert at time management. The flexibility of online schooling lets you complete your work on your own time. Be careful not to take advantage of this freedom and make sure that you actually get your work finished by all deadlines.
Online schooling is not easier than traditional classes. The fact that you don’t have to commute makes the process physically easier, but you still have to complete the same readings, papers, quizzes and tests.
You may miss out on personal interaction in a traditional classroom. Some online universities create forums for fellow virtual students to interact with one another. Make sure you utilize these tools to minimize any feelings of isolation from attending school on your own.

Filed Under: Distance Learning, Internet Tagged With: Distance education, Higher education, Online degrees

College Surveys Online

Colleges and Universities must grow and evolve in order to continue serving the needs of their students, faculty and alumni. A good way to gather information for use in making sure any proposed changes are beneficial to everyone concerned is to send out a survey and use the responses as a basis for making improvements.

Using Online Survey Tools

One of the best ways that a college can correspond with students, prospective students and alumni is to use online surveys available on the college website. You can create really short and yet insightful survey questions that students will have no trouble answering that will provide your institution with valuable insight about points for improvement in a wide variety of areas. This is more effective than e-mailing a survey to busy students because they may never read the email or it may go straight to their spam filter.

Keep it Short and Simple

Offering a short and simple survey on the website gives it the best chance to be seen by past, present and future students and if you want responses fast, this is the way to do it. E-mailing a survey may net longer and more thought-out answers, but from fewer students, which is not necessarily a better route to pursue. Online surveys make it possible to get feedback on potential solutions for campus issues, information about needed classes or class improvements and other suggestions for campus operations. The best way to determine if the campus is meeting the needs of the students is to ask them–and you can use an online survey to do that.

Filed Under: Internet, Online Education Tagged With: Market Research, Paid survey, Student

Can Your Laptop Truly Be Replaced with an iPad?

College enrollment advertisements have changed dramatically. Now instead of getting a laptop, students are given iPads. Is this really a good thing? Some do not believe that it is.

There are inherent differences between a laptop and an iPad that make them both extremely useful for different tasks. If you are a student who needs to do a lot of writing or statistical analysis—for example—a laptop is much more useful than an iPad.

Image Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivyfield/4686434290/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Lacking in Basic Functionality

Apps are NOT programs. An iPad runs apps, not programs. What many students utilize (even though they may not even be aware of it) is the multi-tasking capability offered by a laptop. There are only a few apps that allow for this multi-tasking capability; and even those are limiting for a student. This also reduces a student’s ability to utilize social networking while working on a paper or studying.

Seriously? No Flash? Nope—No Flash. There are countless lists and reasons why Mr. Jobs did not create the iPad to support Flash, but with the extensive number of websites utilizing it, a surfer will get extremely frustrated and a very short amount of time.

It worked better on the MacBook. They are certainly trying to modify existing Macintosh programs on an iPad, but these versions pale in comparison to the original versions. Perhaps it will get there eventually, but for now, you get what you get.

This is but a small list of reasons why you should keep your laptop. Although no one says you can’t have both.

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: IPad, Laptop, MacBook

Using The Internet As An Education Tool

The internet contains boundless amounts of information. Unfortunately, it also contains boundless ways of distraction. Part of using the internet as an education tool is keeping your child focused the on the information they need instead of wandering off track. Another part is teaching your kids what a good source of information will reveal.

One thing parents can do is to get involved in their child’s search for information. In other words, start with the basic concept of using a search engine and how to use it for what they need. It is essential, for parents to keep an eye on the sites your child goes to. Not only are viruses prevalent, but this is a way of keeping your kids on track with their school project. It does help if the computer is in the main room.

Discuss the individual links that the child is clicking on and ask them about whether the link makes a good source of information or not. They should be able to identify the sites that are best suited towards their needs. Also, keep them advised of sites they should not visit, if the anti-virus software starts showing red.

Finally, remember to define the rules of safety for internet use and the consequences for breaking the rules. Stress internet safety above all else. Don’t be afraid to use the parental controls. The internet has a lot of information waiting to be discovered. Help your kids in the right direction for their school projects.

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: Anti-Virus, Internet safety, Parental Control

The web world of learning

Internet has reached high peak of excellence. At present there is nothing which one cannot do on internet. Learning on the net is a new means of this generation. Education now is not just limited to classroom lectures. It has become something more than that. Students can now easily study online sitting back at home. The teaching methods too have changed a lot. Online education provides a kind of virtual learning for the students. Education with the rising web world has reached new heights. Students get relief form the boring classroom lectures and can study anytime which is feasible for them. The web world has even made it easy for the parents to teach their children. Parents can easily refer e-books and guides available online to teach their children. The new teaching methods through online learning have even made it possible for teachers to introduce these learning methods in schools. Students can easily seek helps from online books and guides which help a great deal in learning the studies and getting a knack of learning. The new teaching methods are applicable for both parents and teachers. Parents can seek help from online learning classes and guide their children accordingly. Teachers can teach children with the help of the new online learning methods effectively. It provides a break from the continuity of the classroom learning and makes studies interesting for the children. The web world of learning is vast and knows no end. There is lot of information one can seek online without much hassle. One can truly makes education interesting by adopting the different online learning methods available. The fascination of the web world has helped a great deal in increasing the spectrum of learning and seeking information among students.

Filed Under: Internet, Online Education Tagged With: E-learning, Education, Student, Teacher

Internet As An Educational Tool

In this fiercely competitive world, everyone is striving to make the best of the opportunities they are getting. Education is one aspect whose importance can never be demeaned. It has been looked upon as a tool for securing a bright future for centuries. With competition increasing, the importance of education is also increasing at a rapid pace. Parents have been always stressing the importance of education to their children which continues even today.
Nowadays the parents are looking at newer tools and means of education so as to make learning and education fun and innovative. Internet is a tool which has been prevalent for quite sometime. People are finding new usages of the internet every now and then. Now it is being used for the purposes of education as well. Internet offers a wide range of educational tools for parents, teachers as well as students. It is becoming a useful tool as more and more people have started using it.

Internet helps in providing easy and quick access to a world of knowledge and information. One can browse the sea of information available on the internet at the simple click of a button. Information is not limited to the text books which are made available by the schools. For further knowledge on what is happening at the different areas of studies, one has to take the help of the internet. It offers you with the latest updated reports and news on various subjects.

Previously people had to work extremely hard to get hold of reference materials. Now with internet in place, getting reference materials and articles has become easier. There are also some sites which have content for school studies. They are written in such a manner that makes it easier for the students to understand. The graphics and photos add to the fun and innovation making it more attractive for the students.

Filed Under: Education, Internet Tagged With: Education, Student, Teacher

Learning made easy online

Image via Wikipedia

Online education is a new means of learning. At the present time more and more people are turning up for online learning tools to make learning easy. Many schools and colleges too have made their online presence to impart education online. The teaching methods through online education have changed a lot. The tools of the online learning or e-learning are very flexible, which is the main reason due to which people select this method of learning. The teaching methods are simple and direct. People can see the written words and can even hear them through the audio medium. People can study online anytime whenever they want. One can even pursue studies with work or while doing any other thing. The tools of e-learning make this form of learning very flexible. There are several benefits behind this kind of learning method. It is simple, easy and convenient. One can study whenever they want to. Further online learning can even be done one the mobile devices such as iPod or iphone which makes it easier to carry them while traveling. These m-devices or mobile devices have made learning really simple. Teaching methods due to invention of these devices have changed even in schools and institutions. People can seek help from the online learning methods to ease the studies pressure. Online learning is on rise due to the invention of new tools of learning. Learning has seriously become easy and simple with the easy methods of learning which has developed through the online learning methods.

Filed Under: Internet, Online Education Tagged With: E-learning, Education, Mobile device

Education tools

Education is a very necessary need of individuals today. The educational system has undergone many changes in the past few years. With education becoming compulsory and free, there have also been new tools that have been implemented to change the way of delivering education. With the advancements in the field of technology there has been a transformation in the ways of delivering education. There are a number of educational tools that are available in the market today. From online tools to offline tools, there are innumerable ways which the teachers and parents can adopt today. These methods are not just simple but very interesting as well.

Internet has emerged as a very popular medium of educating children today. This medium is not just used in colleges but also in schools today. The students also find such methods interesting and motivating. The traditional and the basic method of imparting education are still prevalent and will always be for centuries to come. But today, online classroom training, vestibule training have also emerged as very popular medium and are now being implemented by several schools and colleges. The online teaching is not only interesting but the students can get an exposure to the real world. They can gain some practical knowledge apart from what they learn from their books.

Thus, the parents and teachers must try and implement such methods so that studies do not become a burden for little ones. Different types of activities, assignments and role plays will help them learn faster and better. These methods are not at all costly and can easily be affordable. E-books and several articles on the Internet will help the students acquire much knowledge and develop intellectual thinking in the little minds. In the long run, Internet will be a very resourceful medium in teaching children.

Filed Under: Education, Internet Tagged With: Education, Teacher, Technology

Online Learning for K-12

When people think of online learning, many believe it only applies to college-level courses. But online learning has expanded in recent years to include children in elementary, middle and high school. It is possible to attend grades K-12 via online programs, as opposed to a traditional classroom setting. Some online schools are private schools and parents pay tuition just as they would for a “brick & mortar” private school. Other online learning options are available through a public school system, meaning that the education is free of charge.

Students in grades K-12 who enroll in an online school complete a curriculum that is similar to their peers in a traditional school. Classes are offered in a variety of subjects, such as English, foreign languages, math, science, psychology, and art. Students participate via virtual classrooms and chat rooms, and can communicate with teachers and advisors via e-mail and phone as needed. Parent-teacher conferences are also conducted to keep parents apprised of their child’s progress, and many online schools offer a “parent portal” so that parents can log in and see their child’s grades on recent tests or projects.

One advantage of attending an online school is that a students’ lesson plans can be individualized. Testing is used to determine grade levels in various subjects, so that students can proceed at their own pace. For this reason, parents of gifted & talented students may find online schooling an attractive option if a formal gifted education program is not available in their school district.

Online K-12 programs include the following:

K12

Connections Academy

The Keystone School

EPGY Online High School

Parents and students can complete virtual tours from the comfort of home and talk to advisors and admission counselors about available curriculum options. Online programs for grades K-12 are designed to prepare students for success in college or in a career, just as a traditional school.

Filed Under: Internet, Online Education Tagged With: E-learning, Gifted education, K–12 (education)

The Ever Changing Screen Size of Communication

: Image via Wikipedia

Anyone reading this right now is of course browsing the web, looking for some bits of information or just trying to find a way to connect with the world. As the electronics industry develops, and computer chips get smaller and smaller their is always the question in the development of a new gadget. Of course we can make this device tiny, but how big does the screen size need to be?

As we all sit here looking at the same text on this web page, we are all probably seeing it a little differently. Some of us may be sitting at home in a home office in front of a desktop monitor. it might be seventeen inches it might even be twenty-six inches or bigger. Some of us are looking at the thirteen inch screen of a laptop, or the ten and a half inch screen of a netbook such as HP netbooks. Still others are on an Iphone or a Droid, and the screen size continues to shrink. How does a company plan for this. Every webpage can not be made the same for all these devices. When one looks at an average webpage on a ten and a half inch screen you often miss some of the content. On an Iphone or a Droid, any kind of hand held device, special webpages are made, but often it seems one is left to squint to see the content of a page or risk missing what they are looking for in the first place.

Is there a solution. Of course there is always a solution and one of them is to make multiple webpages that can distinguish what device they are being observed on. This is not always an option. If we leave this issue up to the user we must remember that some of our content will be missed and it is up to us to make sure our message is heard correctly.

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: Droid, IPhone, Viewable image size