Distance Education vs. Classroom Education: Which is better? Are students better off with real professors?

The simple answer is that it depends. I've experienced all three forms of education, distance, online and "real." My best experience was with distance education.

I needed to complete high school and actually attending a public high school was not an option. So I signed with Ontario's Independent Learning Centre. My first course was Grade 11 Math. Imagine my surprise when I ended up with a 92% final mark! That was the highest mark I had received so far. And imagine the greater surprise when I got a 94% in Grade 11 English! (My Grade 9 English/Math mark was 84/82 respectively).

The secret: The structure of the correspondence courses. Each course was divided into four units, each unit into five lessons. At the end of each lesson, there would be a set of "key questions" that I would have to complete and send in once the unit was completed. Only those answers would be marked. There would be no exams in the middle of the course. Once I had completed, mailed in, and then received marks for all four units, a final exam would be arranged in town and I'd go write it in the presence of a supervisor.

My final mark would be the average of the four units plus my final exam mark. So basically, I could get help and answer the key questions in the four units and get good marks and I only had to study for the final.

My strategy: get 90-100 in each of the four units, and then get anything over 50 to pass the final. I'd end up with an 85 final! The higher the exam mark, the higher the final!

So the correspondence courses worked out pretty well.

My online course experience in university was similar albeit not as great, but that was due in part to the incorrect structure of the course's marking guide.

Pros: You work at your own pace, set your own timings, save a possible commute, and learn from the comfort of your home with no one to pressure you.

Cons: You must be disciplined since no one is going to force you and you must be able to put aside distractions at home to concentrate on your studies. Also, online/correspondence degrees can be costly.

If you're a disciplined, a self-starter, and a quick study who doesn't want to go through the hassle of getting up in the morning, using public transit, and listen to boring lectures, etc., correspondence/online courses are for you.

If you're someone who needs to be in a classroom to learn, who likes to interact with teachers and classmates, and needs to see others to get motivation to learn, you're probably better off in a study environment such as a physical school or university with a real professor/teacher.

Personally, I'd take all my courses online if I could. It gives me the freedom to study as quickly as I want, when I want, without the hassle of commuting and dressing up, etc. I must admit though that at least some interaction with classmates and instructors is invaluable, as that is how one networks and builds contacts. The best is to split between online/correspondence and "real" classes.

Here is a self assessment quiz.

The overall trend of lifelong learning is very big, and online learning (or "e-learning") is really an extension of that. While it's still a relatively new phenomenon, it's really taking off. The largest private university, the University of Phoenix, now has more students online than on campus - a whopping 89,000.

In a recent survey, 63 percent of Internet users said they had a high interest in taking a course online. Those between the ages of 25 and 44 and those with children in their homes are also more likely to express interest, and I think that speaks to that age group's comfort with the medium and the need for -- and value of -- flexibility.

CBS News

Whatever you decide, do it with the your educational success as your priority. Don't do it to save $80 on a monthly bus pass or to get more time on the Internet. Do what you think will help your educational success and choose what you will excel at.

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