google search

Custom Search

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Distance Learning – Success is a Function of the Development Index!

Distance Learning – Success is a Function of the Development Index!

In the sprawling canvas of education, distance learning has a preeminent and controversial presence with its own set of merits and demerits. Truly speaking, the horizon of education has widened with the conceptualization and implementation of the outside-the-classroom-setting learning. Distance learning has often been crucified by the salvo from the critics. Let us closely examine the advantages of this off-beat program and also meticulously judge its disadvantages in the perspectives of both the developed and underdeveloped countries.

The traditional program of learning has failed to reach the nook and cranny of a country. The remote corners are not touched by the primary education facilities, let alone the higher education. The climatic adversities have been the major impediments in building up the facile transportation system as well as providing the brick and mortar classroom facilities to the students. The unique concept of promoting education through the distance learning format in these far-flung territories is very much justified to initiate them into the basic as well as advanced education.

Not only the students in the outlying areas will be greatly benefitted from this off-beat mode of learning, but the professionals are equally grateful to it. Distance learning is flexible without any sort of rigorous binding fobbed upon them. That helps them in maintaining the horizontal balance between the professional commitments and higher studies. Though the facility of the face-to-face interaction is done away in the distance learning, but a routinely arrangement is done once or twice a year for the direct communication between the mentors and students at a common venue. This is often termed as the ‘doubt-clearing session’. This is an imperative and important feature of the distance learning facility. The students are allowed to throw any question regarding their courses and teachers provide the substantial amount of guidance within the short duration.


Distance learning is not flawless; it has several demerits that have paved the way for the cynics to hurl the stones of criticism against it. The success of this new mode of learning is not uniform throughout the length and breadth of the globe. The developed countries have been gainers whereas in the underdeveloped countries, distance learning is still in a very nascent stage. The benefits of the UK MBA in Nigeria are the clear indications of this statement. In the leading countries of the world, the distance learning mode of study has strengthened and extended its ambit by incorporating the online-based training. Internet has invaded far and wide of these nations with a flock of good intentions and its omnipresence has made a proper ground for the thriving of the distance learning courses. The prospect of this new facet of learning is often set at naught by the academics due to its lack of focus on the practical training. But there is also the other side of a coin. It is argued that such axiom only holds good in the underdeveloped countries where the education sector does not undergo any process of reform for a long time. In these countries, the course curriculum is backdated and out of sync with the industry needs. The laxity in the rules is good for the office-goers but the cynics feel that in reality, such a facility is not in the favor of the progress of any individual. In spite of several criticisms labeled against the distance learning study program, it has still managed to pull a considerable rush of the ambitious learners.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Visitors