Time And Money - The Keys To Learning
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday July 15, 1999
Australia is at the forefront of distance education, a tradition that began in the outback but now reaches the world through online technology.
So you want to study by distance education? What will you need? Money, for starters. Courses cost anything from under $100 to more $15,000. And time. You'll need least 10 hours a week.
A letter box is (still) required, too, for mail-outs. Access to a computer for writing assignments - while not mandatory - is almost becoming the bottom line. Preferably access to a modem for e-mail communications with lecturers and for contact with other students. But probably the most important prerequisites are self-discipline and a supportive environment in which to study.
Leonora Ritter, a senior lecturer at Charles Sturt University, has taught on-campus and distance students. Distance education students, particularly at undergraduate level, are considered more likely to drop out than those studying on-campus.
She says the biggest factor in determining whether students succeed is the level of support they have. "The most profound thing is emotional support and understanding of the stresses and extra workload involved," she says. "If there is an assignment due, a student may spend their entire weekend in the library or over the keyboard."
And unless they have firmly established strong and independent study habits, distance education is not usually encouraged for school leavers embarking on an undergraduate degree.
"I would advise people straight from school not
to do distance education because they need a higher level of support and guidance, which they get on campus," Ritter says.
While prior learning such as the HSC or experience in a relevant field is required for most university courses, Open Learning Australia and OTEN (TAFE NSW Open Training and Education Network) do not have matriculation eligibility requirements. Those hoping to do postgraduate study must have completed an undergraduate degree no matter which distance-education provider they choose.
As for other prerequisites, the big one is money. How much a course will cost varies. Individual subjects can range from $75 to more than $1,000. If you are studying through a university for your first undergraduate degree, then you'll be charged HECS (Higher Education Contribution Scheme).
Technically the Federal Government gives students the option of a loan, which they don't have to start repaying until their annual income is above $23,300 a year. But a Bachelor of Computing, for example, will cost $14,565 over six years. When students must repay their HECS loans depends on their income. Tuition costs for distance education are the same as on-campus, the only difference is that distance study normally takes at least twice as long, and so the cost is spread over a longer period.
For postgraduate study fees are generally payable upfront. There are only a very few postgraduate HECS courses. At an average tuition cost of $800 a subject, a Master's degree will cost about $9,600.
On top of this are books ($50 to $150 a subject) and possibly some optional materials not covered in the tuition fees, such as specific software programs. If students are going to use the Internet, either to deliver course materials online or to use e-mail and chat rooms, then they'll have to sign up with an Internet Service Provider as well.
Is it still possible to do distance education without a computer? Technically, yes. But in practical terms the consensus is that it is not really a good idea. There are few courses now where handwritten assignments are acceptable. The common view is that typed assignments are easier to read and therefore will score better than handwritten submissions.
Many public libraries have computers - and Internet access - available to the public. So for many people it is now possible to use e-mail and online facilities.
"A computer is becoming more influential," says Jim Taylor, the director of the University of Southern Queensland's Distance Education Centre. "We do have students who operate primarily with a letter box and audio player and a VCR. But what we find is that about 90 per cent of our students have access to a computer, and that figure is growing all the time. So, too, is access to the Internet."
In certain courses, he says, such as the Bachelor of Information Technology, it is essential to have a computer. But in other areas you may manage without one.
Wayne Marr, the prospective student adviser at Charles Sturt University, says that while online access is not a prerequisite, "there are a lot of wonderful resources available through the Net. You can access the library and order books; access resource data bases through the library. Trying to do a course at a distance without using the Internet means you just don't have access to as many resources".
But the single most important determinant of success, he says, is the management of time.
"Generally speaking, people who have raised a family or been in the workforce for a while, people with life experience behind them, are usually reasonably good at distance education. But you have to be prepared to sacrifice some social life, some family life and time with friends. You need to be able to commit 10 hours a week per subject - 20 hours if you are doing a standard workload half-time course."
In his experience, those most at risk of failing are people who are new to post-secondary education. However, most universities have student counselling facilities and staff dedicated to helping students learn to cope with demands. For those who need a bit of help to get to the academic starting block, there are bridging courses available, particularly in mathematics and science. Open Learning Australia - among others - offers subjects including an introduction to academic learning, basic chemistry concepts and introduction to mathematics. These are short, usually eight-week, courses designed to ease students back into academic study.
There is, however, one danger in achieving your goal via distance education. Many students who do, find themselves enrolling in further postgraduate study.
© 1999 Sydney Morning Herald
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