and I am a senior lecturer.
I work in distance learning,
designing and organising courses
for distance learning.
Distance learning takes place normally
in people’s homes at a time
that they choose when it’s convenient for them.
The learning comes from a number of sources:
it could be websites, books,
all sorts, and you digest
that information at your own pace.
I think anyone
can be a distance learner.
Some people just like
an app on their mobile phone
so they can learn
small chunks of information.
Other people want
to get a qualification out
of their studies.
Or they may want something
a lot more geared up
towards their professional development.
There are very short courses
and there are very long courses
that lead to full on university qualifications.
The difference between face to face
and distance learning
is that in a face to face situation
you have the opportunity
to ask questions
if you haven’t understood something.
What you tend to find
is that the materials
have been written
so that they provide the answers
to any questions you may have
already in the materials
and the answer goes beyond whether
it’s correct or incorrect.
It normally has an explanation
of why it’s right or wrong,
and that helps you as a learner.
As a non-native speaker
you may find that
it’s an extra challenge to study in English.
You are expected to
submit assignments in good academic English
and you may need a little
bit of extra support with that.
A really good idea is
to try shorter courses.
There are institutions that
offer lots of
free learning materials as
samplers of their courses.
Studying at a distance
doesn’t necessarily mean
that you have to do more work because
you’re on your own.
It just means that
you have to be more committed,
and you have to
be motivated to make sure
you see this through.
Go the distance.
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