Going The Distance - school courses on the Internet

Black Enterprise, April, 1999 by Robyn D. Clarke

Speaking of the workplace, it used to be that a distance degree was seen as a low-quality substitute for "the real thing." But the advent of new technologies is helping to change the perception of distance learning in the office. "Many companies realize that the only difference between a traditional degree and one earned online is the way in which it's earned," states Vicky Phillips, CEO of Lifelong Learning, an adult education consulting firm in Waterbury, Vermont.

But the truth is, you don't even have to allude to how you earned your degree. "Employers want to know whether you have the degree, not how you earned it," says Dixon. "Think about it. When was the last time you were asked during an interview, `Did you take your courses online?'" On the other hand, if you want to play up your technical savvy, it wouldn't hurt to mention it.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LOG ON

Despite the warm reception online learning is receiving at some companies, there's more to it than initially meets the eye. "I could have earned my degree entirely online," says Ana Diaz, who took only a handful of online courses

toward a bachelor's in liberal arts from the New School in New York City. "But there are some things about the traditional classroom that a computer just couldn't replace," maintains Diaz, who continued her studies in the traditional manner and graduated in January 1998.

The biggest of these is the loss of physical interaction with your professor and classmates. "A face-to-face connection can be an important part of a learning experience," asserts Diaz 32, deputy director of external affairs for the New York City Department of Health Family Day Care Registration Office. "Furthermore, certain classes just don't translate well onto the Net," she says of the music and art courses that comprised her additional certificate in creative arts therapies.

On the surface, a distance degree may seem ideal. Besides books, it may seem that all you need is access to a computer and a working knowledge of the Internet. "You also need to possess the traits suited to this method of learning, such as self-motivation and the ability to study independently," asserts Phillips.

Rowles-Stokes agrees. "There's no professor to make you feel guilty if you don't show up," she smiles. It takes a great deal of discipline to "go to class" on your own and keep up with assignments, "even if you're tired," she says. Time management is another important factor. This means setting a realistic schedule and sticking to it. Diaz made it a point to do her schoolwork with her daughter. "I got the quiet time I needed, and she got a study partner," laughs Diaz, who was required to log on at least three times a week.

Earning a degree from home may also require loads of support from others in the household and some sacrifice. "It was hard to sometimes tell my daughters that I couldn't play with them because I had to study, even though it was the weekend," says Mayo, a husband and father of two. "Fortunately, they understood what I was trying to accomplish, and my wife knew how important this was to me. I wouldn't have completed this program were it not for their support."