Description:
Not long ago, those school kids in rural Australia who take their lessons over a shortwave radio were oddities--the subjects of novels and television documentaries. Now, it seems that everyone is taking a class of some sort at an institution whose campus they've never seen, if in fact the institution has any physical premises at all. Distance Learning Online For Dummies explores the burgeoning universe of Internet-facilitated education in all its forms, including casual self-improvement classes, certification programs for professionals, and degree programs at accredited colleges and universities. It's a subject that's difficult to cover in a book, considering the diversity of educational goals and range of technical expertise that the readers of this book are bound to have. Author Nancy Stevenson has done a decent job of setting her readers on their way to figuring out what's available to them in online education. In large part, this book is an introduction to the basics of personal computing and Internet connectivity. That material likely will appear to most readers to be padding. After all, people who aren't familiar with computing aren't going to seek computer-aided education services. Her advice on acquiring school supplies (she actually advises her readers to go out and buy some paper clips) is just silly. On the other hand, Stevenson provides some directories of online learning programs. They're worth a perusal. --David Wall Topics covered: The growing profusion of learning institutions that do business on the Internet, and the programs they offer. Advice on applying to online programs, getting credit for previous coursework, and preparing yourself mentally and in terms of equipment, also appears here.
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