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Independent Learning |
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Independent learning has many names: correspondence school, home study, independent study, or distance learning. Essentially they all mean the same thing. Independent study is work done outside of the traditional classroom situation and without direct instruction from a teacher.
Independent study allows the student to learn at home rather than in a classroom. In correspondence programs you enroll in the class and are provided your materials but then proceed at your own pace, turning in your work when you are done. This allows you to create your own personalized course schedule that is flexible and convenient. As long as your assignments are turned in on time instructors usually don't control your study time. However, not all courses are like this. In distance learning programs, instructors require you to follow an established program schedule and keep pace with the entire class. Sometimes a weekly journal is required to make sure you're keeping on track. Assignments for independent study programs are usually completed on a one-to-one basis with the faculty member who is teaching the course. The instructor will guide your study, answer any questions you may have, and usually respond to your submitted assignments with comments and suggestions. Correspondence vs. Distance Learning These may seem like two names for the same thing but correspondence programs as opposed to distance learning programs are more like two different faces of the same coin, distinct but similar. Correspondence programs are generally the more packaged of the two. You receive the entire course at the outset. This may be supplemented by scheduled features but not controlled by them. Distance learning programs deliver their courses through the use of cable and satellite television, computer modem, or video conferencing. Such courses are often broadcast only at certain times and take a lot of the scheduling flexibility out of the course. They often require you to work according to a schedule that is on track with your other distance learning classmates. Distance learning programs are often more interactive than correspondence programs as members of the class meet together for established class times. | |||
Independent study programs are nothing new. Colleges and universities have
offered correspondence courses for over 100 years. But, with the wide-spread use
of technology there has been a fresh burst of renewed interest in
independent learning programs.
