Tuesday, 10.04.2007
Flexible Distance Learning

Distance learning is ideal for those whose who need a course to fit in with their lives - rather than the other way around. This writer has spoken to former Bachelor of Arts student, Jason Morgan, about his experience of studying from home.

Morgan is a senior library manager with Cambridge University in England. Before moving to his job there, he earned his degree over four years while also playing attentive parent to his two children, Brian and Anne. He began the MBA with Open University in 1996 and graduated last October.

"I chose distance learning because the kids were young and I was then working in the logistics department of a major trucking company and spent a lot of time travelling. With these pressures on my time, it would have been very difficult to fit in a regular part-time or evening degree programme. I wanted to change careers though but I needed something that would fit my lifestyle. My wife is English and we'd planned to move there so I needed to do the course sooner rather than later. With the Open University you get to choose where and when to study. I've studied on trains, planes and automobiles as they say - and I also chose the pace of my learning."

According to Jason, "good materials are essential" to distance education. "I was more than satisfied with the standard of the materials provided. The Open Univeristy gave us every thing we needed, and it also provided a paced study guide which tells you every two weeks what material should have been covered or what assignments should be done."

Prospective students mustn't worry about the isolation of studying along, says Jason. "Some people worry about feeling isolated as a distance learner, but the Open University offers good support. There are monthly tutorials in Dublin where you get an opportunity to meet fellow learners, plus there's the option of a residential school, and we did e-conferencing to sort out different interpretations of course material. Each student has a personal tutor too. These people also have a day job, so they appreciate your position and are support you."

Time management is essential to distance students Jason believes. "Keep up with it all, because if you fall behind and you could get dispirited. And don't take on too many modules simultaneously, it's counterproductive as it leads to cramming and a feeling the course is ruling your life."

Another option for Irish students looking for a distance education qualification is OSCAIL, The National Distance Education Centre now headquartered at Dublin City University. It was established in 1982 to give adults access to higher education qualifications, regardless of location or previous education. Unfortunately, conditions at the time in Ireland saw higher education restricted to relatively few and quite a low proportion of adults had third level qualifications. Access to degree level qualifications through part-time or adult education was minimal. Oscail now offers courses at diploma, degree and postgraduate level in association with the major Irish universities. No previous qualifications are required if you are over 23, except, as always, for postgraduate courses.

Founded in 1915, the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA) is the main US organization for continuing higher education. The Association assists higher-level institutions in every state across the US, as well as affiliated non-profit organizations, to increase access through educational programmes and services. UCEA also pushes state and federal governments on policies that advance professional development. The Association's role is to make higher education available to all, as well as ensuring that programs and services address societal and economic trends. Also, UCEA works a lot with counterparts abroad to organise exchanges and better international understanding of continuing higher education.

Member institutions provide pre and/or post Leaving Cert level education to degree-seeking students, students seeking professional credentials, and those seeking learning for pleasure.

The International Centre for Distance Learning (ICDL) is more commonly known. It's an international centre for research, teaching, consultancy, information and publishing activities based in the Institute of Educational Technology in London. ICDL also promotes international research and academic collaboration with information from its library and databases as well as its international publications.

Without a doubt a world leader in its field, the ICDL has distance education databases that can provide information on over 31,000 distance learning programmes and courses, mostly in British Commonwealth countries. It's linked to over 1,000 higher-level institutions worldwide. For providers of distance education, it's got a massive library of books, journals, research reports and various literatures on the theory and practice of distance education.

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• Methods of Distance Learning
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