Online Learning - Evaluating an Online Course

Here´s how to check out a distance learning school, college, or university. Before you invest your money in a degree program, spend some time to find out whether it is legitimate.
1. Look for accreditation information on the school´s website or print catalog.
2. Look for the school in the lists of schools on this site. (more are coming) Is it listed? Is its website informative?
3. Visit your library or bookstore and look for the school in one of these guides: Marcie Thorson´s Campus-Free College Degrees, Bears´ Guide to Earning Degrees Nontraditionally, Vicky Phillips´s Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools. Is the school listed?
4. Doublecheck the school´s accreditation by contacting the accrediting agency.
5. Ask the school for more information. When you call during working hours, do you always get an answering service? (A very bad sign.) Can you talk to a professor or two? An academic adviser? Can the school provide names and numbers of graduates who will talk to you about their experience?
6. Ask others in distance learning forums whether they know of this school and would recommend it.
7. Check several different sources of information. Even the most thorough miss some schools, especially new schools, and each has a different perspective.
8. Take your time. Better to spend several weeks evaluating schools than to spend several thousand dollars on a worthless diploma.

Starting At The Beginning

Electronic networking enables computers to communicate with each other. To network, you will need a computer, a modem, (a device that enables computers to communicate with each other), a telecommunications software package, and a subscription to a network that allows access to other online services or the Internet -- a global computer network of computer networks. Users connected to the Internet at local sites are able to talk to colleagues connected to the Internet worldwide. Some important mechanisms that ease navigation on the Internet are: the Gopher, an organizing tool for tunneling to different sites on the Internet; Telnet, a connection to a host at a distant location; and the World Wide Web, a graphic user interface for organizing and presenting text, video, and sound electronically. To obtain a listing of Internet access points to ERIC, send an e-mail to ericdb@aspensys.com.

Computer networking can have both rewarding and trying moments. Although user manuals or classes are helpful in mastering the basics, it is usually best to have someone show you how networking is done and answer your questions. Contact your building or district technology staff, regional or state technology centers, or the public library. Local computer stores may provide some assistance or the name of a local computer user group.

Converting MS-Explorer favorites into Netscape bookmarks

You started doing research, and collected dozens - and maybe hundreds - of sites. Now you may want to bookmark those in Netscape, and not only put them in MS-Explorer "favourites". These pages won´t be lost: -

To convert your Internet Explorer favorites to Netscape bookmarks, first locate your favorites file through Windows Explorer. Once you locate the file, double-click on it and it will open in either WordPad
or your browser as an HTML page. (After all, that´s really what the favorites or bookmark page is--an HTML file that the browser interprets within frames.) You can then save the file as bookmark.htm and place it in the correct directory for your version of Netscape.
You can recognize the subdirectory because there´s a default bookmark.htm file already there. If you have difficulty converting your favorites, contact your local Internet service provider´s technical support division and ask for assistance.

Online Learning - Continuing Education

Are you ready to go back to college but just don´t have the time? You don´t attend Regents College, Regents College attends you! Regents College is America´s first virtual university. They specialize in adult learners. Check it out at Petersons.com.

Online Learning - Virtual University

Capella University is a fully accredited university that is completely virtual. Studies are conducted entirely on-line.

Computer Networking

Interaction through networks helps break down communication barriers and connects students and teachers with the outside world. Access to a computer, a modem, and phone lines frees students and teachers from the physical limits and time constraints of the school environment. Networking allows them to send electronic mail, participate in computer conferencing, and access information from remote sources.
=>Electronic mail (e-mail) allows you to exchange information with other teachers or students, locally or worldwide. E-mail is like an answering machine using text: a sender composes a message which is stored on the network; the receiver pulls it up onto a screen and reads it. By talking to others across continents, students can continually improve their writing and reading skills.
=> File transfer allows you and your students to send or receive files across networks -- referred to as downloading or uploading files.
=>Computer conferencing/group communication makes it possible for groups of teachers and students to work together and share information without having to be in close physical proximity. Global classrooms may be created where students work cooperatively with other students as if they were in the same location. You and your students can join organized discussion groups (also called listservs) that focus on a wide variety of topics. For more information on education listservs, send an e-mail to askeric@ericir.syr.edu.
=>Databases of abstracts and full-text publications comprise a vast library of information available to you and your students. This includes the Department of Education´s online library INet (Gopher: gopher.ed.gov), NASA´s Spacelink program (Gopher: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov), and the National Parent Information Network -- NPIN.

Online Learning - Preparation for distance learning

Before enrolling in a course, make sure you have access to the tools necessary to complete assignments. A word processor can help you to organize your work and communicate your thoughts more clearly. If your lessons appear through cable television, you´ll want to know how to program your VCR to record the programs to refer back to. Access to a fax machine, computer with adequate hard disk space and modem for e-mail transmission are "musts" for many classes
Source: Petersons.com

Online Learning - Communication Skills

It can be intimidating to speak into a microphone in a video or conference call, but your communication skills are an important part of any assignment--on the job, at home, and at school. Distance learning provides the opportunity to enhance these skills. Pay careful attention to instructions and be certain that you understand what is being asked. It often helps to develop a brief outline before responding to questions whether they are submitted in writing, via e-mail, orally or on video/audio tape. Organization, grammar, and the appropriate style are important whichever medium you choose.
Source: Petersons.com

Connecting To A Network

There are many ways to connect to the numerous networks, and sometimes finding a connection is not an easy task. Some options are:

Local bulletin board systems allow users to ask questions, offer ideas, and receive feedback from other network users. Local systems are readily available, and a free connection can usually be arranged. Computer stores, the public library, education agencies, or computing centers at local colleges may provide information about bulletin boards in your area.
College and university computer systems are usually available free or at low cost to students. These normally connect to a network that in turn provides access to the Internet.
Statewide and regional systems offer opportunities for K-12 teachers and students to connect to the Internet. Contact your state education agency about services and costs in your area.
Local school and district computing facilities are being developed. Check with your building or district computer support personnel about what is available to you.
Commercial vendors provide a wide range of information resources for a fee. Many, including America Online and CompuServe, offer connections to the Internet.

Online Learning - Free Online Geneology Classes

Diana Hanson, a professional geneologist, offers free online courses in Geneology. Right now she has beginner classes:
Beginning Geneology
Ausralian Geneology
Hispanic Research
Scottish Research
German Research
Iowa Geneology
Irish Geneology
African-American Research
English Geneology.

Online Learning - Western Governors University

Western Governors University offers degrees and certificates based completely on competency, through demonstrated skills and assessments. They include a Masters and two post-BA certificates in Learning and Technology, and Associates degrees in Network Administration, Electronics Manufacturing, and Liberal Arts. The WGU also has a catalog for you of for-credit, distance-learning college courses from institutions across the U.S.