Article  Distance Learning Shifts Focus from Teacher to Student Many arguments can be made about the benefits of distance learning as compared to learning on a campus. The most common arguments that we hear in favor of off-campus education are that it allows students to attend school on a flexible schedule, to learn at their own pace and to take courses that may not be available in their own geographic area. However, there is one more important benefit of distance learning that often gets overlooked when the topic of this type of education comes up. That benefit is the advantage that distance learning offers in the form of shifting the focus of the education away from the teacher and on to the student. When you get an education in a traditional classroom the experience is typically that you, as a student, will sit among a group of students and listen to a lecture from the teacher. There may be variations on this in different classrooms which allow for more hands-on interaction between the students. Even in these variations, though, the format of the classroom is almost always that the teacher is the focal point of the classroom. The teacher decides what will be taught, directs the flow of the conversation within a specific time frame and serves as an expert who disseminates information. There is a shift away from this when you start engaging in distance learning. The teacher does still direct the flow of the classroom in the sense that he or she chooses the class materials and creates the assignments for the classroom. However, there is no longer an entire classroom of students sitting together focused on this one teacher. Instead, the computer conversations between each student and the teacher can occur in a more one-to-one format. This creates a more personal relationship between teacher and student and allows the student to direct his or her learning to some degree through the questions that are asked and the way that assignments are approached. The role of the teacher then shifts away from being an expert who doles out information and towards being a consultant who aids the student in finding answers to his or her own questions. The freedom of the distance learning format also opens up options for students to select the best method for their own learning. One of the most important things for a student to learn about themselves is the type of learner that he or she is. Some students learn best visually, others have to take notes to learn and others learn best through kinesthetic activity. In the campus-based classroom, the type of learning that is available to the student is directed by the teacher. The teacher may present visuals through PowerPoint presentations or may require activity in the form of group exercises. Students who do not learn best in the way presented by the teacher are at a disadvantage in this type of classroom. With distance learning, the student has more freedom to identify the means through which he or she best learns and to implement the learning methods that work best for them so that they can ultimately earn the online degrees that are desired. Students who excel at distance learning are students who are self-motivated. They have to be in order to stay disciplined enough to complete a course that doesn’t require them to show up in a class room. As a result, these students typically take a hands-on approach to their own education. This means that they are naturally good at directing their own education. Students who get bored in regular classroom environments or who don’t like being told what to do by their teachers are students who may find that distance learning offers options to them that allow them to truly direct their own education. In the end, being at the center of your own learning is going to help you to gain more from your schooling. Category Online Learning Author CVAdmin Add To Favorites Print This Article Email Article To A Friend Post Comments   Rate This Article (0) 1 - Poor2345 - Good678910 - Excellent Added On 2009-09-24