THECOLLEGEDEGREES.COM BLOG

If you’re enrolled in a distance learning degree program, you already know about many of the conveniences of online degree programs. Did you realize, though, how many distance education degree journals and publications are designed specifically for distance learning students and professors from online degree universities?

For example, The Chronicle is one of the leading publications for distance degree students and their instructors. This journal offers daily information about the latest controversies and issues in online degree programs. It also includes classified ads for professors who are interested in teaching online degree courses.

The Journal is another quality publication that offers the latest discussions on many educational issues, both for distance learning and traditional college degree programs. Look here for the latest information about new degree programs. You can even find out more about the “No Child Left Behind” legislation, and how secondary schools are working to incorporate that legislation.

Another excellent publication is the Journal of Instructional Science and Technology. If your professor demands peer-reviewed journals that are authoritative and informational, here is an excellent place to stop.

There is a wide variety of other educational journals available online as well. Take advantage of the distance learning materials available to online degree students and professors. Check with your university before subscribing to see if you can access these journals without charge. Some universities subscribe, and offer their students free access.

If you are a professor at an online degree university, you probably enjoy and appreciate the diversity and unique perspectives of your students. Sometimes, though, it may be hard trying to facilitate learning among such a varied group of individuals. If you’ve ever felt like you longed to walk down the hall and knock on a colleague’s door to discuss a classroom issue or learning topic, this post is written just for you!

In November, a group of professionals just like yourself will be meeting in Georgia to discuss the latest issues in distance education degree programs. You can listen to keynote speakers present solutions, discuss problems with other professors, and gain new ideas for promoting learning for distance degree students.

This conference is called the Distance Learning Administration Conference, and is designed especially for professors and administrators at online degree universities throughout the United States. Sponsors for this conference include the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration and The University of West Georgia.  If you want to find out more about this valuable opportunity, visit www.westga.edu/~distance/dl

Online university degree programs are rapidly becoming the future of postsecondary education. The wide variety of college degree programs available to distance degree students makes this option convenient, flexible, and attractive for the majority of adult learners. Keep learning, so that you can expand your knowledge and offer the best possible learning experience to these highly motivated individuals!

Today, Wall Street was a disaster. The biggest disaster since 1929, the news headlines screamed. People have been talking about avoiding major purchases, and arguing about whether to purchase or sell more stock. Corporations are closing, and cutbacks in businesses are happening everywhere.

Many people are turning to college degree programs to help them gain new skills and become more competitive in a rapidly dwindling job market. Online university degree programs are available from a wide variety of online degree universities. But will the economy make people stop and think - before spending their money for school?

Surprisingly, people are more likely to invest in education when jobs are scarcer. They recognize that degrees are essential to demonstrating that they have the skills and knowledge to survive in today’s business world. And most people, especially now, just can’t afford to quit work and go back to school.

Distance learning is still the best option for people who need to further their education while working full-time. The wide variety of distance learning degree programs and majors makes this possible for almost everyone. Practical people everywhere are turning to distance degree education programs to help them get - or keep their jobs.

If you are looking for work, or if you are concerned about keeping your job, consider taking some online degree courses to help you gain or maintain that competitive edge. In today’s job market, that edge may mean the difference between working in a career you enjoy - or not working at all. Is it worth the risk?

Online university degree programs face challenges that are unique to distance learning universities. Most people don’t take time to consider the unique difficulties faced by professors teaching online degree courses. These problems, however, are real, and often play a significant role in the design of university online courses.

First, academic honesty can be a problem. Because students log in from home and complete their homework assignments online, it is impossible to ensure that the person who is enrolled in the course is actually completing the assignment. Occasionally, a student who is pressured to complete a distance degree course for employment or professional reasons may not be strongly motivated to do so on his or her own accord.

Often, online degree universities try to solve this problem by having the student take examinations at a testing center, in the presence of a proctor. A proctor is someone who verifies the identity of the test taker and watches to ensure that the person taking the test does not cheat.

Another issue faced by professors at many top online schools is how to offer learning opportunities using a variety of teaching styles. Each person learns differently. Some learn primarily through visual methods, while others learn mainly through listening. A number of people learn through hands-on activities. 

Because most people learn best using a combination of these approaches, the professor must learn to utilize technologies that incorporate all of these methods. Although rapidly evolving technological advances can make this difficult, being able to do this is critical for many students to the successful completion of an online college degree program. Even the best professors will find themselves constantly challenged to meet the wide variety of educational needs experienced by students who want to earn a degree at home.

Impossible to earn a college degree at home in cooking? You might think so, but there really is a distance education degree program that will allow you to do exactly that. This college degree program offers a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management.

Many people say they are interested in learning how to cook, but really only want to take a gourmet class or two. They really aren’t interested in actually earning a degree in culinary arts. This distance learning program is for people who are serious about their cooking skills, and want to learn how to manage a five-star restaurant or hotel.

Managing a successful restaurant or hotel establishment is much more complicated than most people actually realize. Learning how to successfully juggle the demands of customers, employees, budgets, and product costs requires more than merely working alongside an experienced person for a few months. Furthermore, top establishments are looking for the best managers, individuals who truly excel in their professions.

If you are already working in a good restaurant or hotel, and want to climb the corporate ladder, get a degree online and earn the knowledge you need while continuing to perfect your hands-on skills. Online degree universities are designed especially to help working professionals continue to advance their careers while they work. Get more information today and see how a top online school can benefit you.

For more information about distant degrees in the culinary arts, visit:

http://www.thecollegedegrees.com/Online/Degree-Certificate-Coursework-Diploma/Culinary-Arts-Hospitality/

For years, online degree schools have been warning people against diploma mills and fake degrees from online universities. Educators and site sponsors such as www.thecollegedegrees.com have been warning people to check to make sure the colleges are accredited. Now, however, these fake college degree programs have added a new twist to their masquerade.

Some of these schools are now urging students to get an accredited graduate degree online. Others are claiming to offer accredited undergraduate programs. They proudly post accreditations on their websites or offer information about their accreditation with their brochures and advertisement mailings.

The only problem with these online degree schools, however, is that they are NOT ACCREDITED AT ALL! They are posting false information about the status of their programs. Furthermore, some schools are failing to list the fact that not all of their online degree course offerings are accredited.

If you are considering a distance degree, check reputable websites such as www.degree.com, wwwthedegree.com, or www.thecollegedegrees.com to find schools that are actually accredited. Don’t waste your money and your time falling for someone else’s scam.

Because this is a relatively new phenomenon, it remains to be seen how the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will handle complaints concerning this problem. Fake accreditation does constitute false advertising, and these diploma mills may find out that they have bit off considerably more than they can chew with their latest ploy.

I was very surprised when I first learned how many fake college degree programs are preying on people who want to get a distance degree. In fact, when I began to look around at all the university programs advertising on the internet, I began to wonder how anyone could tell whether the degreees were real or whether they were products of disreputable diploma mills. I became curious about how a future student could tell a scam from the genuine article.

So I started doing a little bit of research on my own. I started looking at the online programs that were offered to students, and visiting online degree university’s websites. I quickly learned a few things about separating fact from fiction when it caming to earning a distance education degree.

First, if a university promises to grant a degree within an amazingly short time frame, don’t be fooled. If you are trying to get something for nothing, you are probably going to end up with nothing instead. So don’t trust the programs that tell you you can complete a PhD online program in less than a year even if you don’t already have a Bachelor Degree. It just isn’t going to happen.

Second, if you have never heard of the type of diploma being offered, it probably isn’t real. Don’t fall for a scheme that promises you a degree in holistic law practice - because there is no such degree. And don’t try to earn a college degree at home without taking taking a number of online degree courses.

Finally, websites such as Thecollegedegrees.com offer reliable information about top online schools. Don’t be misled by another scam artist who wants your money. Ripley once said that “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Don’t let it be you. Make sure the college is regionally accredited and has a good reputation before you send them money or apply.

I remember thinking when I went to college that I was so glad I had left high school behind. No more catty comments, no more focus on whose designer jeans were classier. No more nasty comments based on the color of my hair or someone else’s skin. I imagined that everyone would be focused on which college degree programs were best for them, and what courses would help them accomplish their life goals.

Then I walked into the student commons and heard one girl comment, “He’s such a geek!” She was talking about the guy with the thick glasses and scruffy jeans across the room. I saw students from different ethnic and racial backgrounds in small clumps against the wall, and was disappointed to see that nothing had really changed. We might all be getting a degree, but the same issues with which we’d struggled all through high school were still before us.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to be involved in online degree courses while teaching at a local university. I was amazed at the free interaction between students. Many spoke openly of the struggles they had encountered before they decided instead to earn a college degree at home. They talked about how much more rewarding and painless it was to get a college degree online rather than by attending a traditional college campus.

In the last few months, I saw an interesting article stating that the majority of students from minority backgrounds were flocking toward online degree universities. I was puzzled by this, until I thought of the free interaction I had witnessed between students in the online class with which I had helped. Students were able to share their thoughts and feelings and ideas openly - and no one ever behaved with disrespect toward another.
It made me wonder - do we lose our prejudices when we don’t see our differences, or are distance degree students just more enlightened in that regard? Are they people who have the ability to focus on what really matters, and grow beyond the “high school” behaviors of labeling and discrimination? Are distance education students more mature than traditional college students, or are their priorities more focused?

For most of us in the United States, the nearest university is, on average, less than 30 minutes from our house. Not all of these schools have the degree programs that interest us most, but we do have easy access to higher education. Sometimes, you have to travel farther for college degree programs that interest you, but they are still available.

Now imagine instead that you are in another country, perhaps alone or with your family. You may or may not be fortunate enough to speak the language of that country, but the idea of earning a college degree at a foreign university can be very challenging. For many military or professional people who live overseas with their family, it is much easier to get a college degree online.

Top online schools offer these excellent distance learning opportunities. Furthermore, the wide variety of online degree programs makes earning an adult college education much simpler and less complicated than struggling through the application and admission process at a foreign university. These online programs make learning much less painful.

If you are a military person or located overseas on business, search through the list of distance degree programs to find the one that benefits you most. Next, search through the list of degrees to find the top online college that offers that distance degree. Then, click on the name of the university to get more information. Don’t delay your education any longer; start today!