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Demystifying Distance Learning Myths

Have you been wondering if distance learning might be right for you? If you have and you've been asking acquaintances for their opinions as to whether distance learning is better or worse than traditional learning, you've probably gotten an earful of varying opinions.

You may have heard that distance learning programs and the degrees they offer aren't taken seriously by employers or that distance learning programs are designed to steal your money. Statements like this can actually be true, but they're not true in all circumstances. Here are some truths about what you might have incorrectly understood about distance learning.

The biggest distance learning myth

We've all heard stories of top executives who have 'bought' their higher education degrees from so-called diploma mills. Newsworthy and true, it's also important to know that many distance learning programs award their students with perfectly legitimate diplomas that have been earned through a program of formal education and testing. When it comes to a diploma, what's most important is that the institution has been accredited.

Diplomas from accredited institutions are readily accepted by employers as legitimate. When you are applying for a position and you mention that you've got a degree from a particular institution, the prospective employer would have no way of knowing that you didn't actually sit in a classroom while completing your degree requirements. There is nothing on the diploma that mentions it was earned via distance learning. The degree you get will look and feel just like those that are earned the 'traditional' way.

Distance learning isn't necessarily 'easier'

Something else that you might think or that you might have heard about distance learning is that it's easier than sitting in a classroom. This isn't necessarily true either. While distance learning is much more convenient for some students, there is nothing to indicate that such learning differs in degree of difficulty. A course is going to cover certain topics and with distance learning you are the one who is in charge of how much and how fast you learn. As with any type of instruction, this is to a certain degree also going to be dependent on the course instructor. That's why it's also important for you to research the instructors that are involved with the distance learning program.

You usually don't have to worry that credits earned via distance learning won't transfer to another institution, either. If you've started at an accredited distance learning program and for whatever reason it's not working out for you, the time you've spent and the credit hours you've earned won't be lost. In most cases, they'll transfer over to your new school. Again, what's important before you begin any distance learning instruction is that you choose the right institution.

And finally, understand that you won't necessarily get your degree faster when you participate in a distance learning program. You can, if you're learning what you need and you're making the grades. But one of the nice features of distance learning is that you proceed at a pace that's comfortable for you.