05.27.07
Posted in General, NCHE at 12:29 pm by Matthew Bass
To those of you who made it to my talk at NCHE last Saturday, thanks for attending! One gentleman pointed out to me afterwards that Baker’s Guide to Christian Distance Education by Jason D. Baker was not listed in the handout. I apologize for the oversight. Aside from the book, Baker also has a new web site that provides a lot of good information on distance learning. Finally, if you didn’t get a copy of the handout at my talk then you can download a PDF version of it. Feel free to e-mail me with any additional questions you may have.
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05.25.07
Posted in General, Colleges at 5:34 pm by Matthew Bass
Here’s an interesting article about distance education that was published by a news station in Madison, Wisconsin. Despite the fact that it’s targeted at adults who want to go back to school, it contains a good overview of distance education along with some valuable warnings about what to watch out for when picking a program.
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05.24.07
Posted in General, NCHE at 2:43 pm by Matthew Bass
I’ll be speaking at the North Carolinians for Home Education (NCHE) state conference in Winston-Salem again this year. I’m giving my distance education talk on Saturday, May 26th, from 12:30 to 1:30 PM in South Main 3. A few of the points I’ll cover include:
- Why distance education is a good alternative to traditional college for homeschool graduates
- How I earned my own four-year degree through distance education
- Which colleges currently offer distance education and how to choose wisely from among them
- An overview of the different methods that can be used to earn credit through distance education (portfolio review, CLEP, etc.)
There will be a few surprises too! I hope to see you there.
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10.29.06
Posted in General at 8:01 pm by Matthew Bass
For the student who is really looking to cut costs, here is an informative article contributed by one of our readers. It seems that more and more colleges and universities are offering enough tuition assistance to basically eliminate most or all of the cost of earning a degree. Of course, you typically must meet certain criteria to be eligible for such programs.
The interesting thing here is that, despite common perception, many distance education schools are now offering similar programs. When it comes to scholarships and other financial assistance, distance education programs are no different than traditional college programs.
In fact, one barrier to earning a college degree that was brought up in the article (namely, the inability for lower income students to sacrifice their work income for spending time in school) becomes a moot point when pursing a degree through distance education. Students can study in the evening and on weekends and work during the day. As tuition for distance education programs continues to fall, this option will become more and more viable for a broader range of American students.
Read the full article at U.S. News.
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09.05.06
Posted in General, Bias at 11:00 pm by Matthew Bass
Well, no, not necessarily. But what Walter Williams is arguing in this column is that many professors are against those who are anti-Communist. As Walter writes:
Leftist elites love the ideas of communism so much that they are either blind to, or tolerant of, its many shortcomings.
I certainly witnessed a small portion of this intolerance during my time in community college. I’m not saying that all professors are this way, but for those who are, academia suits them perfectly. Once tenured, they don’t have to compete with anyone or even produce anything. They have a captive audience of students whom they are free to influence without accountability.
I found it much easier to avoid the influence of such professors by taking distance education courses. I was able to be more selective in the courses I enrolled in, and the professor-student interaction was much more natural and free. I think this was due in part to the geographic separation between professor and student. It was also due to my separation from the campus environment. I didn’t feel pressure to conform to what other students were thinking, saying, or doing. I wasn’t made to feel “un-cool” if I voiced opposition to a professor’s philosophical viewpoint. And I had my friends and family around to straighten me out if they saw me drifting too far in a certain direction.
Read Walter’s article and consider that, however slim the chance might be, do you really want to risk subjecting yourself (or your son or daughter if you’re a parent) to such an influence just to earn a college degree? Distance education is one of many attractive alternatives to traditional college.
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