How Online Distance Learning Changes Education in the Caribbean

Looking back at the education trends in the past couple of decades, what do you see? A classroom, hundreds of students scurrying here and there and a tutor delivering a dull monologue. And all this was available only to the ones who could afford to go to university. The bricks-and-mortar education system that was restricted to privileged people had little to offer to learners coming from less affluent backgrounds.

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With the innovation brought by the Internet, most impediments to education have been removed. Students can now access information whenever they want and learn wherever they are in the world.

RDI supports hundreds of Caribbean students to fulfil their dreams

RDI’s vision is to change people’s world through innovative learning by delivering UK university courses that fit around work and family. Their convenient learning programmes cost up to 60% less than traditional, on campus universities and provide lifetime opportunities to many residing in Caribbean countries.

Josina France

“My experience with RDI was excellent. The enrolment and course selection process went smoothly. The financial cost of the program was affordable, and because of this I did not have to obtain a loan or seek financial assistance from my place of employment”, says Josina France who got her MBA degree from the University of Sunderland through RDI.

She found studying online a wonderful experience, which enabled her to achieve a UK university degree from the comfort of her home in Antigua and Barbuda.

“I would recommend RDI to anyone who intends to obtain a degree through distance learning because of its credibility; the professionalism and level of support given by the staff; the flexibility it offers to study, and the affordable cost of the programmes”.

(Source: http://www.rdicaribbean.com/student-experience/)

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Advantages of studying by distance learning through RDI

• Expert academic tutors and dedicated programme co-ordinators guide you throughout your studies to help give context to your learning.
• RDI gives you the support you need to achieve a degree from an accredited UK university. And pursuing an online qualification from a well reputed UK university rewards you with a degree that is recognised all over the world and could boost your career and earnings.
• Tuition fees are 30-60% less than campus learning in a UK University.
• Flexible payment options such as Pay-as-you-go and instalments are available to make learning more affordable.
• Access to an international network of students that enables you to share knowledge, bounce ideas and career opportunities.

Virtual Classrooms Are Equally Effective In Terms Of Interactive Connectivity

With the speedy acquisition of space in education sector, online learning is covering almost the complete public needs for intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth. But one might have in mind whether online learning can replace the in-person interactions, common in in-person classrooms. When one studies online his living room turns out to be his lecture hall, and online chat as student bar, and the computer screen as the interactive window. So, distance learning is not any isolated session of learning without the scope of mutual enrichment from peer-assisted, co-operative learning experience.




Online Community     
   

Virtual classrooms are actually a passive formation of online community that grows with the course of time. Online forums, Social Site Groups are but the online communities gathered online to share views among them. The communities encourage discussions on several problem areas in their course content, and make efforts towards peer-assisted solutions.

Unlike in-person classrooms the tutorials and lectures and supports from the lecturers takes online form in virtual classrooms where the students are not mere audience with no reactions towards the course content. Rather, online distance learning takes the shape of an interactive session between the teacher and the students physically distant from one another, yet connected with the chain of learning interest.


Supports from e-Tutors

Tony Priest who is a course director for the foundation degree in drug and alcohol counselling at the University of Leicester says on “e-tutors” to give support to the students, “Each e-tutor has a certain number of students who they follow through their comments on the discussion boards and answer their questions. They’ll also contact them if they don’t appear for a while and ask if they have problems and how they can help.” Some distance learning programmes give enormous emphasis on time spent on campus, and letting considerable time use on understanding each other’s problem zone. Distance learning, therefore, not merely a session conducted from distance any longer. It actually involves students to get in touch of their peers on account of their mutual benefits.


Students’ Unions are Immensely Supportive
 

The most noteworthy part in this regard is that the universities designing their online curriculums for distance learning programmes are supportive towards the online students with generous backups provided to them via students’ unions. They also provide access to student counsellors through Skype. One is getting all types of information and solutions to his problems from the counsellor even though he is communicating with his counsellor online. Practically, there is no difference in effect. The difference is all in process and medium.

The maximum benefits online students can ascertain from their learning programme through the self-motivated study, engaging the peer students in every little affair in the process. Being online the possibility even becomes bigger. One can get in touch of his teacher, counsellors and friends continuously, even on the go.

The benefits of technology in online learning are immeasurable. The development of mobile learning has made the advantages of unperturbed connectivity intact whereon one remains always attached to one’s course content, teachers as well as peer students. The interactive effects are, therefore, not any less in online distance learning. Of course, the style and mode is different from the on-campus learning sessions.

Summaries:


 

A) online learning is as effective as offline one in terms of interaction

Online learning involves as much interactive benefits as any on-campus course. Here, in distance education the style and mode of interactions are different. But, at the end of the day the process serves all requirements of online students.



B) Online distance education complies to the every communicative requirements

The modern technological developments supply every requirement online students need to communicate with each other, and with their teachers and counsellors. Online students enjoy the full session of collective connectivity like the ones in any campus-based course.

C) Distance education is no inferior so far interactive utilities are concerned

In terms of connectivity among students and between students and teachers online distance education is far above than being any inferior to the on-campus education. The techniques and medium of communication is only different.


Source:
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/nov/13/human-interaction-distance-learning