The term Virtual Campus describes any educational institution that offers courses either partially or wholly online, including diplomas and even some degrees. Several universities around the world today have such bodies that allow students to undertake this form of distance education, most commonly by establishing courses that can be completed via the Internet. Thus the main components needed to study at a virtual campus are a personal computer and internet connection. Campuses carry out the programs using Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Blackboard and WebCT, and offer learning tools via e-mails, websites, video conferences, audio files, and similar multimedia.
Of course, given this method’s dependence on modern information technology, it has not been in use for very long. In the past, universities carried out distance education using paper-based correspondence with their students. However, the disadvantage of this was that students had to submit questions and doubts by mail, so any interaction that students and teachers had was very slow and cumbersome. Today, the existence of the Internet, e-mail, online discussions and similar facilities has made distance education much easier and faster, giving rise to virtual campuses that can assist students halfway around the globe in their academic pursuits. The world’s first distance teaching university was the UK Open University established in the 1960s, which was dedicated to offering all students a higher education regardless of their ability to do so due to remoteness or inadequate funding. It went online in the 1990s and today the university’s virtual campus teaches more that 180,000 students.
When planning whether to enter a virtual campus, one must consider several factors before committing to any one program. Below is a list of pros and cons that may help you in your decision:
Pros:
Thus it is important that you ask yourself many questions before you enter an online course for your higher education, as the success of this method depends largely on the type of student who uses it. Do you have the self-motivation and adaptability needed to deal with the change? Will you feel lonely or will you flourish working on your own? Do you really need to take the course online? Different individuals will have different answers to these questions. It is up to you to find your own.
Of course, given this method’s dependence on modern information technology, it has not been in use for very long. In the past, universities carried out distance education using paper-based correspondence with their students. However, the disadvantage of this was that students had to submit questions and doubts by mail, so any interaction that students and teachers had was very slow and cumbersome. Today, the existence of the Internet, e-mail, online discussions and similar facilities has made distance education much easier and faster, giving rise to virtual campuses that can assist students halfway around the globe in their academic pursuits. The world’s first distance teaching university was the UK Open University established in the 1960s, which was dedicated to offering all students a higher education regardless of their ability to do so due to remoteness or inadequate funding. It went online in the 1990s and today the university’s virtual campus teaches more that 180,000 students.
When planning whether to enter a virtual campus, one must consider several factors before committing to any one program. Below is a list of pros and cons that may help you in your decision:
Pros:
- The campus is accessible to people from remote areas
- Spending on transport, room and board and in many cases, tuition, is less
- Those with speech impediments and similar conditions will feel more comfortable learning online with written assignments
- The campus offers flexible study hours as there is no fixed schedule
- There are usually no entry requirements for undergraduate courses; only for specialized vocational or post-graduate courses
- A variety of materials is offered by the campus for the completion of the course
- Students are isolated as they work on their own with only online interaction with peers and teachers
- Students may find it difficult to stay motivated. It will be hard keep schedules and meet deadlines, though some universities maintain timetables and constantly update students on what they need to get done
- Students may need to install and learn new types of computer software to access information. Some courses may be difficult to navigate, especially to those who are less computer-literate
Thus it is important that you ask yourself many questions before you enter an online course for your higher education, as the success of this method depends largely on the type of student who uses it. Do you have the self-motivation and adaptability needed to deal with the change? Will you feel lonely or will you flourish working on your own? Do you really need to take the course online? Different individuals will have different answers to these questions. It is up to you to find your own.