The internet has brought a new dimension to studying. Called ‘e-studying’, it provides a unique opportunity to improve your business skills in a certain area. According to a 2009 study by the US Department of Education, “students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction”. And students who mixed online learning with traditional coursework (‘blended learning’) did better still. The trick is to choose an accredited institution. The one thing you certainly don’t want to discover is that your certificate isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Numerous Advantages
E-studying can be cheaper and more convenient than traditional learning.
- Textbooks are often not needed as study material can be found online.
- You don’t have to travel to a lecture theatre, which makes it easier to study part-time.
- You can schedule your studies to suit your current lifestyle. This allows busy mothers with children, for example, to upgrade their professional qualificiations and re-enter the job market with an improved CV.
- Many short courses offer specialisation in certain fields, an ideal way to improve your skills.
- Online forums and blogs allow students to interact, while queries can easily be emailed.
- You can ‘attend classes’ at any university in the world offering online courses.
Affordable overseas study
Recently I did a price comparison between an accredited South African institution and e-Cornell.com, the online ‘arm’ of Cornell University (an Ivy League university, along with Harvard, Princeton and Yale). I found both the local and US institutions extremely helpful and efficient in replying to my emails, and was pleasantly surprised when contacted on my cellphone from the US shortly after sending an email.
In addition, I found the fees of e-Cornell.com highly competitive when compared with a top South African university. Another useful contact is www.getsmarter.co.za, a premier online education company that partners with prestigious universities, offering excellent, up-to-date short courses.
Contact Greg Miles at [email protected] with ‘Online Farmer’ in the subject line.
