Do Online Students Need Good Grades?

Children are taught while growing up that going to school means striving to earn good grades. As an adult, especially a new online student, grades are often the initial focus because it is a tangible result. Whether or not their instructor provides written feedback, grades are perceived as the ultimate outcome. When an instructor does provide feedback it may or may not change that perception, if they believe that their hard work and effort should equal a "good" grade. When students don't believe they are getting the grade they deserve it can be easy for them to become discouraged and disconnect from the class, especially if they have not establish rapport with their instructor. The challenge for maintaining this type of mindset is that it can become a constant struggle for students. Grading often varies by instructor and the requirements or expectations for written work can be different from course to course. In addition, students may or may not have realistic expectations about the grading process and the criteria or components that make up a grade. For example, if the student has earned a "B" grade they may equate that with either not doing their best or believe that their instructor has not properly assessed their work or performance. It becomes important then to change the point of focus and develop a new perspective about grades. Grades Demystified In order to demystify the grading process it is important to consider the origins of a grade. For most assignments and learning activities in an online class there are specific criteria that establish what is expected for both the content and mechanics of the activity. As a general rule points are earned for an assignment or activity, which means instructors are not giving grades but rather calculating points. While there are many exceptions to this rule this is a general standard for online classes. Some instructors will utilize a rubric to show how points were earned and this breakdown of the points earned helps to ensure some level of uniformity when feedback is provided. Having Control of Grades If students view assignments and other activities from this perspective it means that they have direct control over the final outcome based upon their performance for that activity. But keep in mind that this is a measurement of something that has occurred at one point in time during that online class. An assignment is given to assess a student's progress in meeting the learning objectives, a test measures knowledge acquired and recalled, and a class discussion allow students to collaborate. All of these activities allow students to demonstrate specific skill sets that can change over time. A New Focus Instead of being concerned about a potential grade students can channel this energy into the learning process and focus on being prepared for activities such as a discussion or assignment. What's more important than grades is the capacity to learn and the effort put into their classroom performance. This means finding inspiration in the process and enjoying what can be learned instead of worrying about trying to achieve a certain outcome. For example, statements such as "I need to earn a certain grade" or "I should earn a certain grade" can be replaced with "I am" statements. A better phrase for students would be "I am doing my very best and learning along the way" to set a positive tone for their involvement in class. Effort and Engagement It is certainly possible that grades can reflect effort and engagement in the class. If a student is putting little effort into their studies then they are likely to not earn as many points and therefore receive a lower grade. But those grades are not an indicator of who a student is rather it is a measure of progress that can always be improved upon. If grades are on the decline then this should be a warning indicator that there is an adjustment that needs to be made. This is the time when students should talk to their instructor and discuss their progress in class so they can learn how to improve and obtain a better result the next time. Purpose of Learning If a student wants to use grades as a benchmark that is understandable; however, the ultimate purpose for taking a class is to learn or acquire new knowledge and develop academic skill sets. Allow grades to inform rather than distract or discourage your progress. Maintain ongoing contact with your instructor and carefully review all of the feedback provided so that you are aware of the method for determining your grades. Plan ahead and be prepared for your assignments, along with all requirements of the course, and you'll find that this shift in your perspective will help you improve and as a consequence so will your grades.

The Benefits of Choosing Online Education

The internet boom has connected the people of the world together. The World Wide Web has provided an influx of vast amount of information. You can now avail valuable knowledge from Internet, easily and swiftly. It is also convenient and affordable to access knowledge from the World Wide Web. Online education is one of the sources from where you can acquire knowledge on any subject. This form of education has many advantages. E-learning offers you online courses on several subjects. You can learn any foreign language for increasing your communication skills. Traditional form of education only provides you with a basic knowledge of a foreign language or any other subject. However, E-learning courses offers you practical training with interactive tools such as through video or audio files. A person does need not to take out spare time for attending classes or spend three years in completing a course. One can learn a subject at one's own convenience and at own pace. At times, you want to upgrade your profile by pursuing some useful course matching your job profile. For instance, you are in the field of finance and banking and in your college days you have pursued accountancy. However, now along with work you want to pursue an additional course which is helpful for your future career growth. There are many recognized degrees and institutes that offer you such online courses. A person does not need not to leave work in order to pursue such courses. Such courses are popular among young professionals and teenagers. The online learning has an advantage of learning a particular subject at one's own free time, without spending money on traveling, attending tutorial classes or visiting library. A person can study history, geography, foreign languages, life sciences and much more. In order to pursue these courses, one requires an Internet connection, a Personal Computer at home and dedication. A person can prepare several projects or presentations using e-learning tools. In other words, one can learn a variety of subjects from such tools and at your own convenience. The growing popularity of these courses has made many institutes offer distance learning courses for the benefit of students.

7 Opportunities For Using Pictures in Your Content

If your presentations and online learning courses are filled with too much text, there is a good chance you will lose your audience. Graphics are often superior to words because they attract attention and help communicate your message. People are naturally aligned with graphics because more of our brain is dedicated to visual processing than any other sense. Here are 7 opportunities for you to supplement or replace your words with a graphic. 1. Use Visual Metaphors Help your audience understand a difficult concept by comparing it with a familiar object or idea. Metaphors offer an excellent opportunity for using visuals, because they'll help your audience comprehend and remember new information. For example, you can define what a database is by using a picture of a file cabinet. 2. Make Abstract Ideas Concrete Diagrams and graphs help people comprehend abstract concepts by using visual language to show meaning. For example, in diagrams the connecting lines between elements help learners understand relationships. Bar graphs make it easy to compare data; line graphs help learners understand trends. So, make abstract information concrete with a corresponding visual when possible. 3. Show the Parts of an Object Use labeled illustrations when your audience need to understand specific components of an object. This is particularly useful when there are many components or when the parts are microscopic, hidden or invisible. 4. Depict Motion and Paths Visuals are a potent way to show the movement of one or more objects. You can depict motion along a path with dotted lines or depict motion with arrows, such as when showing the moving parts of a machine. 5. Bring Stories to Life We often use stories in presentations and courses. To bring a storyline to life, find stock photos of how you picture the characters of your story. These can add emotional depth to the story and ensure the audience gets the message. If you're using an audio voice over, move across the photo or zoom in to add a sense of action. 6. Make the Most of Maps You already know that maps are great for showing location and geography, but did you know they can be used for other purposes? Newspapers and magazines often use maps to show quantities, like variations in population, crime rates, cell phone use or political affiliations by city, state, province or country. People quickly perceive and understand map information because it's a very common format. 7. Eye Candy is OK Lighten up a dull course or presentation with some eye candy. These are visuals that are there for decoration. They might not help with comprehension, but they lighten the visual appeal of a dense screen. Be careful that what you select for a nonessential visual doesn't distract from the most important content, but does make the screen more aesthetically pleasing. If you want to ensure you communicate your message most effectively, add visuals to your content using a few of these approaches.

Online Education Degree - Just Make Sure it is Accredited

People know how important education is in our life. As much as possible, every parent wants their children to have an education or degree for them to work when they graduated from the degree course they get. The dream of every parent for their children no matter how hard life will be. In modern generation like now, you can have your education degree through online. This online education helps a lot to people who are working and want to continue their master degree or good for working student as well. This is one of the modern waves of the future although there are also some advantages and disadvantages on it depending to the student or individual. Let us go first to the disadvantages on online education degree: One of the disadvantages is the communication since you are communicating through e-mails only. You missed the voice and some pronunciations you need to learn. Sometimes if the instruction is not clear to you, you cannot ask immediately because you have to send it to e-mail if you have any question to ask. The course online that is offered since not all courses or degree are offered online. One thing also is that, the courses you have is more on the field or practical aspect so you cannot ask your question immediately since it takes time to e-mail and wait for the answer. Another disadvantage is when you have to discuss the validity of your courses or degree or about school accreditation and assignments such as copy of syllabi or assignments on how to convince a client or employers, etc. You cannot meet your classmate or teacher and ask for help anytime you want to. Ask regarding your assignment or other topic you need to know when you missed it. The advantages of online education degree: It is accessible in time and convenient to working individual having online education degree. Your classmates or peers will include students from different countries. Some might be professionals, manager, military or person who is working oversea. You will meet different types of people online when you have online degree education. The cost of online education degree is almost the same with enrolling in the universities or colleges. In online degree, you don't need to run here and there and you can save your fare in going to school. All the documents, transcript records, training material and live discussion are all archived or save to that anytime you want to have can be retrieved via e-mail or school website. Instructors are available to prepare to work with diverse student with a range of lifestyles and needs through email. There are fast respond and there are also time that the respond is not as quick since they have other things to do. Depends on the availability of the instructor actually when pertaining to responding emails. When you are in online education degree, you must communicate and can relate well to others, patient, enjoy school and have a love of learning so you will learn easily. Teacher plays important role in every society, since they were the one who help the student of all ages to learn, strive hard just to teach their student and most of all, that's their day to day life teaching the students of different age. They have less time for their family but more to their students. There are also online education degree programs for teaching assistant, speech therapist and other closely related careers associated with educations. Since we are in computer world now and most people have their computer at home, so it is more advantageous for working individual to have online education degree during their spare time after their work. If you are already a teacher and you want to get a masters degree then online education is a great tool for you.

What Are the Major Challenges Faced by the Course Developers in the Product Training Sessions?

Nowadays, product training is an important aspect of the big corporate houses. In fact, organizations want their employees to have an in-depth knowledge of their products and services, so that they can deliver their best. However, different people require training for different purposes. For example, sales people require product training, so that they can convince the prospective customers about the benefits of using such products. Furthermore, customer care representatives also need to have product knowledge to make presentations to existing customers about the changes and modifications made in the product. Keeping all these requirements in mind, the Elearning course developers have designed the product training programs so that it fits to all at an ease. Depending on the complexity of the products and their respective usage, the Elearning training program varies. However, in spite of their best efforts, the training program developers are faced with various challenges. Let's take a look at these Learning objectives are not clear In developing a product training module, identifying the learning objectives becomes difficult. Hence, before you start to develop any learning program, it is essential to conduct a need analysis. If the learning objective is not clear to the instructional designers, they won't be able to present it precisely. With a vague idea of the learning objective and the target audience, it would be extremely difficult for them to come up with an effective instructional strategy. Keep in mind that when it comes to product training, the approach of learning varies significantly as per the requirements of the target audience. Access to an SME or Multiple SMEs Many a times, training module developers do not have the access to the subject matter experts or SMEs. However, inputs from the SMEs are important for developing storyboards or product training courses. Since the subject matter experts may not be available at all times, the process of developing course modules slow down. Moreover, different products have a different product expert, which makes it difficult for the training developer to co-ordinate all information simultaneously. A significant drawback in this connection is the slowdown of designing study modules. Technical content is Highly Technical Product training is mostly used by the companies, which deal with a complicated products line. Naturally, product information will be highly technical and industry-specific. However, the learning content developer has to present all these information in such a way that it fits with the learning objectives as well as the requirements of the learners. Preparing learning content according to diverse requirements of the learners becomes difficult. According to industry experts, these challenges need to be addressed effectively, while designing product training courses. Course modules should be short and relevant for learners to grasp the content quickly, without facing any difficulty.

Cyber School During Elementary Years

My younger cousin, who is in fourth grade now, will be going into virtual school soon. I'm interested to see how he does in online school because I think it would be harder for younger grades. Cyber school needs more patience and self-discipline than public school. I mean think about it, you have to create your own schedule, and spread out your work in a specific amount of time. Just waiting to do all of your work on the last week is pretty tempting. I don't know if kids who have only been in school for a few years could easily control themselves. This is why I personally wouldn't suggest virtual school for anybody under the age of about 13. Also I do find public school important growing up. In public school you do learn really important things like how to manage your time and get homework done. Along with that you learn how to interact with people, how to handle different situations, how to respect teachers and students and making friends. You can see how without all of these traits it can be hard for a kid later in life. So if you don't do public school you have to find another way to learn these things like my friends the O'Wells. They have always been cyber and home schooled, and their way of coping with that is getting involved with community things like church and their local fire hall. Another reason I wouldn't recommend cyber school to younger kids is because having real teachers in a classroom setting is important. During those years most of the subjects are reading, writing, basic math and logical thinking. All of these subjects are very important foundation lessons that you need to really grasp well before moving on. In virtual school it could be hard to spend a lot of time on one subject, instead of just barely grasping the concept then doing the test and just completely forgetting about it. Also it would be frustrating to learn those subjects that are so complex at that age, and not have a teacher next to you to answer your questions. Not to mention it would be tough to learn reading if you can barely read the instructions. Home schooling is a little bit better than cyber school in lower grades, but even though it eliminates the whole idea of grasping a subject and having somebody with you, it doesn't really eliminate the first problems of less developed social skills. With all of that said, I do think there is a way to do virtual school and home schooling the right way like the O'Wells and have the children turn out absolutely fine, but I still don't recommend it.

Online Education - Becoming Widely Used in Colleges For People Without Access to a College

We often forget that prior to the wide use of the Internet people do not often have the opportunity to receive a higher education, be cause they could not afford to pay for college education and also work at the same time. But with a computer and access to the Internet, you can receive an education from anyplace in the world. Therefore, more and more colleges are offering online opportunities to receive an education today. All you have to do is open up a webpage and you will see Google ads for universities where individuals can apply for college and receive an education while at home. Just think how this has opened the doors for people with disabilities who do not have the mobility to attend a college and live on campus, especially when there was no accessibility for people in wheelchairs since many of the buildings were built before the Americans with Disabilities Act became law. Under this law at any building being renovated has to be made accessible, and any buildings built after 1992 have to be made accessible. Higher education with the advent of online learning also allows older Americans the opportunity to receive a higher education even while they are working. Since we are currently in a down economy there is a big debate about whether or not receiving a higher education will make you more unemployable and valuable to a company. What we often forget that we are learning continually even after we finish our formal education. Here is a scenario for you to consider about how online learning has become a part of your every day life. You completed your formal education at the undergraduate level during a time when jobs were plentiful and went to work for the corporation thinking you had a job for life. After 20 years on the job your company has decided to cut back the number of employees in the workplace and you have to do side whether or not you were going to stay in the same field, or whether or not you are going to go into a totally different field. Once making this decision you have realized you have to go back school and update your formal education but feel uncomfortable living on campus and attending classes with students who were 15 or 20 years younger then you are. With the use of the Internet you can apply for and attend classes from the comfort of your own home, and also continue to work. Here is another scenario that will help you decide whether and not this is for you. When you went to were 20 years ago you used a typewriter where you had to use carbon paper and white out for corrections. Today, with the use of computers, you have to learn how to use the software and incorporated into the work you do on a daily basis. You don't have the opportunity to attend classes, but you can learn online how to use the software and incorporated into your business. This also makes you more valuable to the company because they would rather not have to pay to retrain an employee.

Are You Thinking About Pursuing an Online College Education?

For many people, an online college education is the only way they could pursue a college degree. For others, online degree options present the option of convenience around an already busy life. Online colleges open up a world of possibilities to otherwise nontraditional students like retirees, those who have already entered the workforce and are heading back to school to either earn another diploma or finish courses they've already started taking, those with kids, and more. These are just a few of the situations where an online college education program is not only convenient but often a requirement. These, and others like them, simply wouldn't be able to work in the time around any otherwise full schedule to earn their degree. Does this sound like you? On the other hand, even traditional students who are fresh out of high school are pursuing an online college education as well. For these students, they may want to enter the workforce straight from high school yet still pursue a college education. Others may have personal commitments at home, such as caring for a sick relative or even small kids to take care of. Still others simply find that the college scene isn't for them and they feel more comfortable learning from the comfort of their own home. Whatever your situation is, pursuing your college education over the internet is a great step. You will enjoy the same quality education, but can take your courses at a time and in a place that is most convenient for you. There are many different schools from all over the world that now offer online degree programs, so there is a world of opportunity open to you for pursuing your college degree online. Today, just about anyone with some extra time and financial resources can purse a college education with college degree programs available over the internet.

How to Earn a Degree Online - 3 Benefits to Boost Your Career

Would you be interested in learning how to earn a degree online? Deciding to earn any degree online is not that easy, but if you read the simple reasons why earning an online degree proves to be very beneficial, for sure you will immediately register in an online college or university that offers the degree you want. 1. Convenience - You can earn a degree online while working. Yes, you do not have to resign from your job so that you can have a degree. You can stick to your commitments to your boss and at the same time provide your family's needs. You get to choose the time as well as the place to access your classes. Online classes are so flexible that you can decide when and where to attend your online class sessions. You do not have to leave your family to relocate to the campus. You do not even have to commute daily to get to class. No more worrying about whether you can be in class on time or not. You can even attend class even if you are on vacation if you choose to. All you need is an internet connection to be able to access your classes. 2. Credibility - All online degrees are very much at par with their counterparts, degrees from traditional colleges. You are assured of the same quality of education that traditional colleges give to their students when you earn a degree online. 3. Personalized Teaching - Online degrees gives you more personalized instruction. You get to communicate with your professor on a one on one basis and so whatever questions that you may have, you will have the guts to ask. You also get to have small group discussions that are very healthy to discuss the different points in your lessons. Yes, you get to interact with other online students too. Online education will not isolate you socially. Want to know more about how to earn a degree online and the benefits it has for you?

Why Applying For Accredited Online Programs is Your Ticket to Flying High

Looking for a good online degree or higher program? Not sure which online school or program to join? Is the reason to apply for online education programs - getting a good job? Want to know if the schools are offering worthwhile accredited online programs and not fraudulent certifications? You've come to the right place. In this article, we'll try to answers all your questions. Differentiating The Good From The Bad The Internet medium has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for people interested in studying to improve their educational qualifications in an inexpensive way. Today's online degree programs are committed to helping people from all age groups to achieve their dreams, whether to earn more money in their profession, to jump leap and bounds towards success, to grow professionally, or to simply gain knowledge. While you may be extremely enthusiastic when applying for an online education program, you must remember to first, understand that not all online programs are worth the money you may spend on them. Secondly, not all programs offered over the Internet are accredited. In fact, accredited online programs are the only programs you should choose, but they are the only ones recognized and sought after by those who matter, like the recruiters and the HR managers of the large corporate houses you may wish to join. Learning how to differentiate the good programs from the bad ones can help you in making the right choice. Here are some important pointers. Don't fall for bogus websites - There are many websites that make tall claims of offering you accredited online programs. But that may not always be the case. Not knowing how to find out whether a site is bogus or not can be troublesome. So, research these websites. Google them, search them on Bing, and read up about them as much as possible. Try asking people if they are aware of the credibility of the programs offered by these sites. Finally, if you get enough background info and can verify the credentials of such websites, you can be assured that they are not fake. Investigating the accreditation - This is the next most important to do step. Applying for accredited online programs is the only proper way to enhance your career prospects. So, it's time to understand why accreditation is so important. An accredited program is the only way of knowing and certifying the quality of online academic programs. Most accredited online programs are validated by education agencies on many different factors. Some of these include - objectives, quality of education provided, resources available, type and experience of faculty members and performances of students on a year-on-year basis. Most schools' websites display the accreditation symbols. You can Google the names of these accreditation for more specific information and ensure that the program you wish to join is indeed a recognized one. Finally, remember that when in doubt, directly call up the school or agency to put your mind to rest. After all, accredited online programs are your ticket to flying high!