Education Foreign Ministry and the State Expert University Leadership Council decided to organize the implementation of overseas training, this year’s total of about 100 university leaders will go to Japan, the United States, Britain, Australia and training. National long-term development plan for education reform and also suggested that by 2020, and built a number of internationally famous, distinctive high-level universities, a number of universities at or near world-class. (May 18, “Beijing News”)

Not to mention that this event has been playing the public for public funds, waste of public money questions and criticisms, so launching a campaign to overseas training really effective? Really necessary?

Asia First-class university On around us, but we who ignores is scorn. Recently, the University of strength in Asia Top Just released, although we did not enter the top ten North Tsinghua University, the University may be the best in Asia but not in Japan, the top four universities are the University of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, National University of Singapore and Hong Kong Chinese University. Building world-class universities can first put aside the issue, first learn to follow first-class university experience in Asia a long point talent, first into first-class universities in Asia, it is certainly necessary. So of course we can question management experience to the university study abroad why should “detour” it ran across the oceans, to learn a school’s educational characteristics of Hong Kong and Singapore it is more a “yellow” and as Reference?

In fact, these problems are not far from the surface of “to whom learning” level. Another point of view, the University can build what, no way to build what is simply not the man to define ourselves, if our universities have built first-class university environment, conditions and soil, even without school, they can achieve “Inaction and everything is “to build the best in Asia, or the universe, a world-class management first-class university is its chapter things along. If you want to build a first-class university is able to build power won, then our country had to be less than one thousand vocational schools MIT ah? Ding Xueliang

scholars in his book “What is a world-class universities” mentioned, in order to become a world-class university has three conditions: physical strength, systems and ethos. “Professor, Professor,” Mr. Chen Yinke to the highest state college or academic definition of “freedom of thought, independence of spirit.” For more than a few who are relatively lacking in Chinese Universities. The root of the problem is also including women and children?? University administration, academic bureaucracy. Needless to say, build a world-class universities in China is not impossible, the premise is to eliminate the administration and the first official standard model.

Mr. Chen Danqing resigned from Tsinghua University, said, “I went to Tsinghua University, the day filling the meeting, but the real art is not about filling fill out.” And now, tour abroad to study is the guidance system of the a big attack, it is a “donkey looking ass” “Let the blade cutting knife,” the issue, the Chief of the weaknesses of the University to build a world-class university, and finally can only be treated as a joke about posterity.

Fact, “10 years of building first-class university,” more terrible than to study abroad. Because study abroad was a waste of a few public money, and “10-year first class university” is a typical construction and laws of society do not understand education. Building first-class universities is not a planned economy, not the practice of two five-year plan will achieve.

One of the most innovative and exciting applications of internet technology is in the field of Distance Learning. Here,instruction in any field and any topic takes place around the world. Time and travel are no longer any impediments. This article discusses factors involved in becoming a recognized authority in this field.

What is “Distance Learning?”

Distance Learning is a field of education that focuses on instructional systems design that delivers education to students who are not physically “on site” to receive their education. Instead, teachers and students communicate by exchanging printed or electronic media, or through technology that allows them to communicate synchronously in real time The types of distance learning courses are as follows:

1 Correspondence conducted through regular mail

2 Internet conducted either synchronously or asynchronously

3 Telecourse/Broadcast where content is delivered via radio or television

4 CD-ROM where the student interacts with computer content stored on a CD-ROM

5 PocketPC/Mobile Learning where the student accesses course content stored on a mobile device or through a wireless server

Origins and History Of Distance Learning

Modern distance education has been around at least since Isaac Pitman taught shorthand in Great Britain via correspondence in the 1840s. Since the development of the postal service in the 19th century, commercial correspondence colleges have provided distance education to students across the country. Computers and the Internet have only made distance learning easier, just as they have for many other day-to-day tasks.

One of the oldest distance education universities is the University of South Africa, which has been offering correspondence education courses since 1946. The largest distance education university in the United Kingdom is the Open University, which was founded in 1969. In Germany, the Offern University in Hagen was founded in 1974. There are now many similar institutions around the world, often with the name “Open University”.

There are now many private and public, non-profit, and for-profit institutions offering courses and degree programs through distance education. Levels of accreditation may vary. Some institutions offering distance education in the United States have received little outside oversight. Others may be fraudulent diploma mills. In many other jurisdictions, an institution may not use the term “University” without accreditation and authorization, normally by the national government.

In the present day, radio, television, and the Internet have all been used to further distance education. Distance education programs are sometimes called correspondence courses, This was an older term that originated in nineteenth-century vocational education programs that were conducted through snail mail. This term has been largely replaced by distance education, and expanded to encompass more sophisticated technologies and delivery methods.

In Distance Education, students may not be required to be present in a classroom. That also may be a question of option. As far as an electronic classroom or Virtual Learning Environment goes, it may or may not be a part of a distance education setup. Electronic classrooms can either be on campus or off campus. We would call such institutions as using a flexible delivery mode.

Distance Education may also use all forms of technology, from the printed page to the computer. This range will include radio, television, audio video conferencing, computer aided instruction, or e-learning. A distinction exists between open learning and distance learning. “Open” education is the system in which the student is free to choose any time and place. “Distance” education is a teaching methodology used when the student and teacher are separated by time and place.

Distance Education has traversed four to five generations of technology in its history. These are print, audio/video broadcasting, audio/video teleconferencing, computer aided instruction, e-learning/ online-learning, and computer broadcasting/webcasting. Yet, the radio remains a very viable form, especially in the developing nations, because of its reach. The increasing popularity of the iPod, PocketPC and Smart Phone has provided an additional medium for the distribution of distance education content, and some professors now allow students to listen or even watch video of a course as a Podcast. Some colleges have been working with the U.S. military to distribute entire course content on a PocketPC to deployed personnel.

Thus, it follows that not all open learning institutions use distance education and not all organizations that use distance education are open learning institutions. Indeed, there are many cases in which students are in traditional classrooms, connected via a video conferencing link to a teacher in a distant classroom. This method is typical in geographically dispersed institutions. Conversely, the term virtual university is sometimes used to describe an open-learning institution that uses the Internet to create an imaginary university environment, in which the students, faculty, and staff can communicate and share information at any time, regardless of location.

Importance / Significance Of The PhD In Distance Learning

A PhD degree in distance learning has thus become the most prestigious degree awarded in the field of education these days. The PhD or Doctor of Philosophy is awarded for a number of specializations including

1 Instructional Design for Online Learning,

2 Leadership for Higher Education,

3 Leadership in Educational Administration,

4 Postsecondary and Adult Education,

5 Professional Studies in Education, Training and Performance Improvement.

The PhD degree is awarded in recognition of

a) An original contribution to the subject,

b) The demonstrated mastery and knowledge of the subject or

c) For conducting and presenting scholarly research on a selected topic. This is known as the doctoral thesis or dissertation.

Educational Requirements for the PhD Degree

An earned doctorate degree in distance learning requires completion of a master’s degree in education accompanied by two to five years of postgraduate research training. Some institutions may not require a master’s degree, if the candidate has relevant expertise. The aspiring doctoral candidates in distance learning are selected on the basis of written and oral examination. Then, they must conduct the research on their chosen subject and write a dissertation. On completion of the research, doctoral students have to satisfactorily present the dissertation before a committee of professors in the field, and then must defend the dissertation.

The registration period to achieve a full-time PhD is a minimum of two years and a maximum of three to four years. There can be broad variations from university to university. Most of the PhD programs in distance learning have a residency requirement. Doctoral students are required to spend a specific time at their chosen university. This provides the support and valuable sources of information from fellow students and instructors.

Advantages of Acquiring a PhD Degree

The PhD degree in distance learning can lead to a high level position in a number of educational settings whether they are traditional, corporate or online. The PhD program in distance learning is designed to prepare researchers a in the field. It includes coursework, internships, and independent work in distance learning course planning, data analysis, and instructional theory. A PhD degree is required to become a professor, dean or an administrator in an accredited university.

The PhD degree in distance learning is offered by a number of accredited universities. Some of them are Un iversity of Phoenix Online, Walden University, Capella University, University of Maryland University College, Boston University, University of Florida, etc. PhDs in distance learning offered by these universities prepare students to lead and manage challenges in a variety of educational settings. The program provides expertise in designing, organizing, teaching, and evaluating course work for online education.

If any educational specialist aspires to achieve a high level position in any type of educational set up or to gain indepth knowledge and expertise in the field of distance learning, a PhD degree is extremely helpful. In some instances, it may even be mandatory. Opportunities in this area may abound as we go forward in this year 2007.

Masters degrees in distance learning are conferred by a number of colleges and universities. The Master’s program is offered in various subjects including Education in eLearning, Teaching Online Specializations, Instructional Design for Online Learning, etc. Master’s degree specializations provide effectiveness and expertise in diverse educational settings like traditional, corporate as well as online education. Admission requirements for Master’s degree courses in distance learning are a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally or internationally accredited university accompanied by GPA of 2.7 or higher on the scale of 4.0. Minimum 3+ years’ work experience in educational settings after graduation is essential.

Description of Masters degree programs

Masters degrees in distance learning prepare students in using internet resources effectively. These programs also teach how to use distance learning technology in delivering education with focus on how to construct effective instruction materials and rich learning environments for a variety of learners. The programs cover all the minute details like multiple distance education modalities, assessment and evaluation, distance education strategies for different learners from various backgrounds. At present Master’s degree programs offer specializations in mainly three fields, which are Adult Education, Instructional Design and Distance Learning Technology and Administration of institutes offering distance education courses.

Universities Offering Masters Degrees in Distance Learning

University of Maryland University College offers a Master of Distance Education online. This is a 36 credit hour degree program consisting of seven core courses and four elective courses. This course is designed for employed educational professionals to prepare them to be competent enough to manage distance education enterprises within educational, Government and non profit organizations. Course work includes planning, budgeting, development, delivery and support of distance learning and distance training programs.

Touro University offers a unique online post graduate degree program in Education eLearning, which has no residency requirements. This program prepares students for leadership qualities in the field of distance learning with a focus on elearning. Students gain expertise in various tools and technology for delivering distance education.

The University of Phoenix Online is the largest accredited private university. It provides a number of Master’s degree programs in Education. Master of Arts with specialization in Adult Education and Distance Learning is one of them. This program covers adult learning theories, multiple distance education modalities, instructional design, assessment and evaluation techniques, tools and technology associated with distance education.

Masters degrees in distance learning provide an enriching experience on a personal as well as professional level. They are helpful in achieving career goals and professional advancement.

What is the most traumatic thing for an adult learner? The long commuting hours? The tremendous pressure on the family if they have to leave their jobs? The impossibility of doing justice to personal and professional life? It is hard to say. However, it is obvious from the above that not many adults are really in a position to pursue higher studies, once they are ensnared in family life.

The Distance Learning Degree Can Change All That

It is possible today to pursue higher degree courses without compromising on your family, on your job, time or finances. The distance learning courses makes it possible. What are the distance learning degree courses, you will ask. Well, these are regular degree course, offered over the Internet. Hence, the student does not need to attend classes; neither he/she needs to stay on Campus as the regular students would be required to.

The distance learning students would choose their time frame, they would choose where they want to live and how they want to live, while still being part of the University/ College that offered them the distance learning degree course. A few decades ago, there were very few choices. Today, almost all world-famous leading colleges and universities offer online distance learning degree courses both for undergraduate and graduates.

The distance learning degree courses have also spread to professional fields, such as nursing, accountancy, computer science and MBA. The list is not all inclusive. There is a great deal more courses that have not been named here; and their numbers are growing steadily. It does not matter what is your preference – you can study anything at all – maybe with the exception of medicine which necessitates practicality.

Though the distance learning courses offer a good deal of flexibility and freedom, by no means these are easer than the regular courses. In case you think that these courses need less study time or effort, then you can think again. The courses are on par with the regular courses. Many find the online courses more demanding sometimes, in terms of the level of inputs.

Hence, the online course would need as much effort as any other regular course. What you gain as advantage is that the distance learning degree course is offered to you at your doorstep. You will have the instructor, your classmates, your material, and everything else pertaining to your studies on the Internet, right at your home.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) May 11, 2006 – The United States Distance Learning Association, the nation’s premier distance learning association, today announced its Annual Call for Nominations for the 2006 Distance Learning Awards. According to Dr. John G. Flores, Chief Executive Officer of USDLA, “the USDLA Awards program is the distance learning industry’s premier awards event recognizing the best of the best for both education and training distance learning markets.” This year’s awards highlight the deployment of various distance learning technologies and include online, satellite and videoconferencing components. The USDLA prestigious award recognition is presented to organizations and individuals. Included for the first time this year will be a new 21st Century Best Practice Award, as well as the Best Practice Awards for Distance Learning Programming and the Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching Awards.

Awards are presented to recognize outstanding achievements for distance education and training constituencies. Eligibility includes five major sectors: Pre-K-12, Higher Education, Corporate, Government, and Telehealth markets. National and international submissions are welcome. USDLA will also honor the 2006 USDLA Hall of Fame Inductees and present its annual Eagle Award, given to a nationally recognized public policy official that has demonstrated unique leadership and long-standing support of educational technology. The prestigious 2006 Distance Learning Awards will be presented at the USDLA sponsored Training 2006 Fall Conference in Denver, Colorado scheduled for October 23 – 25, 2006.

For more information on the United States Distance Learning Awards for 2006, visit
http://www.usdla.org/html/events/dlAwards.htm or call 800.275.5162.

About USDLA
The United States Distance Learning Association is a non-profit association formed in 1987 and is located in Boston, Massachusetts. USDLA promotes the development and application of distance learning for education and training and serves the needs of the distance learning community by providing advocacy, information, networking and opportunity. Distance learning and training constituencies served include pre-k-12 education, higher and continuing education, home schooling as well as business, corporate, military, government and telehealth markets. The USDLA trademarked logo is the recognized worldwide symbol of dedicated professionals committed to the distance learning industry. http://www.usdla.org

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Making the decision to home school is usually a very difficult not and it is not one to be taken lightly. It is a personal decision that no one can make for you, but maybe I can help in the thought process by providing you with a comprehensive guide to making the choice to homeschool your kids a successful one. For reference you can search on The University of Obama.

When making the homeschool decision, you must first consider these things:

1. Time commitment that is involved. Homeschooling has a tendency to take up a lot of time in your day. It involves more than just sitting down with books for a couple of hours. There are experiments and projects that have to be done, lessons to prepare, papers to grade, field trips, park days, music lessons, and the list just keeps on going. You can go online and search for some sample schedules that will help to give you an idea of a typical day.

2. Personal sacrifice. The homeschooling parent has very little personal time or time alone and away from their children. If a lot of care is not taken to set aside time for yourself, it is easy for the parent to feel overwhelmed. Basically, the parent and child are together 24 hours a day and this can get frustrating on both sides.

3. Financial problems can arise. Homeschooling can be accomplished with very little cost to you; however, it usually requires that the teaching parent will not be working out of the home. Some sacrifices will need to be made if the family is used to two incomes. Of course, if you are a single parent, this could pose an even bigger problem.

4. Time for socialization. More attention will need to be given to getting your children together with his/her peers. The best part of homeschooling is being able to have more control of the social contacts your child makes. However, the downside is that you must prepare your child yourself on how to socialize with other kids. Homeschooling has a tendency to make your child feel isolated.

5. Household organization is harder. Housework and laundry and other house work will still have to be done, but it probably won’t get done first thing in the morning. If you are a neat freak, you might be in for a big surprise. Not only does housework need to be let go at times, but homeschooling creates messes and clutter on its own. You will have to get organized so that you can keep your home together.

6. Both parents must agree to it. It is important that both parents agree to homeschooling. It is very difficult for this to work if one of the parents is against it. If your spouse is against it at this time, try doing more research and talking to more people so that you can be absolutely certain it is something that both of you can agree upon. Otherwise, the chances for success are much smaller.

7. Your child has to be willing. A willing student is crucial to the success of homeschooling. Ultimately, the decision is the parents to make, but if your child is dead against it, you might have a very difficult time in teaching them. The fact of the matter is that an unwilling child can sabotage his/her own school efforts.

8. Know that it works one year at a time. It isn’t a lifetime commitment and doesn’t have to become one. If you find that homeschooling just isn’t worth it, you can choose to go the regular route.

There is a lot more to homeschooling than to just do it. As a parent, you must know that your child’s education is the most important factor in his/her future. You need to be thoroughly prepared for all of the time and commitment that is involved. If you are thinking of choosing homeschooling for your child (ren), this guide will help to make it a successful transition.