Defining Distant Learning

Distance Education is a global technology-based method of education to facilitate easy, immediate learning and interaction for communicators, teachers, and students in education programs. Distance Education can provide mass-education for students, like in schools. It helps people learn individually and shifts responsibility for learning from instructors to students. It facilitates student selection of courses and content to reflect their needs and motivations. Apart from these, it also provides creative and qualified ideas and information to motivate students from diverse backgrounds.
Types of Distant Learning
Synchronous- Synchronous instruction requires the simultaneous participation of all students and instructors. The advantage of synchronous instruction is that interaction is done in 'real time' and as an immediacy. Examples include interactive telecourses, teleconferencing and web conferencing and Internet chats.
Asynochronous- Asynchronous instruction does not require the simultaneous participation of the students and instructors. Students need not to be gathered together in the same location at the same time. Rather, students may choose their own instructional time frame and interact with the learning materials and instructor according to their schedules. Examples of asynchronous delivery include e-mail, listservs, audiocassette courses, videotaped courses, correspondence courses and WWW-based courses.
There are three types of interaction in the distanct education procedure.
1. Learner- content interaction
2. Learner-instructor interaction
3. Learn- learner interaction
These three types of interactions play a key role in distance education. Exempting face-to-face communication, they share ideas through email and chatting.
Summarizing; distant education is evolving based on changing economical and social contexts. Knowledge has become one of the most important economic forces. To survive in the market, companies need to change, to train and retrain their employed.
Understanding the need of the hour, educational institutions are pressurized to create alternative efficient ways to learn through distance education as the pace of change, the need for lifelong learning, and diminishing educational budgets are growing rapidly in the education sector.
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Sikkim Manipal University-Distance Education.

ELIGIBILITY FOR MBA

General

3-year Graduation

Duration

Minimum : 2 years (4 semesters)       Maximum: 4years

Every Student shall undertake a project, preferabbly a live one of six months duration either at place of work or other, in the chosen area of specialisation to complete the program. 

  

1

Fill the Application form as per instructions and submit the following at the Learning Centre.

• Application
• Attested Supported Documents
• DD

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2

The Learning Centre checks & accepts the applications and forwards it to the university.

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3

The University then verifies the application and its status is uploaded on the SMU-DE website.

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6

The Student can collect these from the Learning Centre & start the Programme.

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5

The Photo ID’s, Study Material & the EduNxt password is dispatched to the Learning Centre.

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4

On Approval, the university allocates a Registration Number & Photo ID.

 

 General

Rs 14,200/- per semester (inclusive of Exam Fee Rs 1500/- and Alumni Fee Rs 200/-) or as revised from time to time.

Contribution of LNMU towards Distance Education

Read on to know about different study centre of distance education under LNMU

 

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•   Study centre for LNMU distance education

Lalit Narayan Mithila University is a renowned name in the field of Distance Education.
The Directorate of Distance Education of LNMU was founded in 1998, with the motto of improve the higher education system and provide quality education to its students. The University conducts examinations and provides study materials which are made by various experts. Admission process is flexible to this University

Admission procedure in LNMU Distance Education:
LNMU offers higher education in two modes- distance and regular study. University every year invites application form from eligible candidates various courses. Student can download the application form from University website also.

LNMU Distance Education Courses:
Bachelor Degree Courses
• BA
• BCA
• B. Lib & Information Science

Master Degree Courses
• MA
• M. Sc
• MBA
• M. ComKeshav Kumar, HTCampus Specialist
• MCA

Ph. D Courses
• Ph. D Biotechnology
• Ph. D in Botany
• Ph. D in Commerce
• Ph. D in Economics
• Ph. D in Geography

Study centres for Distance Education under LNMU:
• A.N.D College, Shapurpatory
• B.R.B College, Samastipur
• R.B College, Dalsinghsarai
• S.M.R.C.K College, Samastipur

To check the entire list kindly download the PDF attached here.
Source: Keshav Kumar, HT Campus Specialist

IGNOU VC Talking about Distance Learning and its Benefits

M Aslam, Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University talking about benefits of distance education and its scope…

What is distance learning?
Distance education is a modality which provides immense benefit, not only to the learner’s population but also to the society as a whole. When a student goes to a university, he/she gets a regular degree, here it goes beyond that. The degree becomes more relevant to the society along with being relevant to the learner. Distance learning offers programmes in unconventional areas, so it is incorrect to say that it is a leftover university for students who do not get admission in Delhi University.


What makes distance education different from learning in other universities?
There are three components that make distance education differ from any other learning, i.e. ¬self-learning print material - there is a teacher inside the book. This is further supported by audio-video packages (done through tele-¬conferencing, compact disks) and counselling.


What does Ignou have to offer and to whom?
Ignou aims to promote educational opportunity and social justice by providing high-quality university education for all segments of the society, thus helping achieve democratisation of higher education. Ignou gives hope to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfill their potential. We have school-leavers, teenagers who are forced into the labour market, new learners who want education training for horizontal and vertical mobility, retired officers from the army, navy and air force who want a degree in skill development to serve the society and benefit themselves and digital students who do not believe in the four wall regime and prefer distance mobility.

New plans for the institute?
I am planning to introduce bridge courses to bring people, particularly the disadvantaged sections of the society into mainstream education. These are skill-based courses which will help students do certificate programmes in areas like motor cycle mechanic, organic farming, bee keeping, sericulture, diabetics care, correctional social work - to name a few. It is only about playing with various courses and making an appropriate combination. Paradigm shift is taking place in education. The focus has now changed to employability, adding this component is the only way to move forward. These days a student doesn’t ask whether he/she will become a scholar after taking a particular degree. They are more worried about whether they will get a job or not. We need an education that fulfills contemporary requirements of the society.


The University of Grants Commission has taken over the Distance Education Council. Any comments?
Ever since the University of Grants Commission has taken over the Distance Education Council, I am concentrating more on making Ignou a formidable institution. It was a part and parcel of me, but there are other problems like unemployment, education, increasing number of dropouts that need to be taken care off. We need to mainstream the disadvantaged sections and I think education is the best tool to do this.”

Advantages & Disadvantages of Distance Learning

Although sometimes considered to be the poorer cousin of regular college programmes, distance learning comes as a blessing to students who want to study further while continuing with jobs or who might not be able to attend a full-time course for various reasons.

Although sometimes considered to be the poorer cousin of regular college programmes, distance learning comes as a blessing to students who want to study further while continuing with jobs or who might not be able to attend a full-time course for various reasons.
The most frequent query from students is related to the confusion over the value of a distance learning programme. The answer to this totally depends on the student. Some students can make the most out of a distance learning programme, but there are also others who are not comfortable with this pattern. Here we will discuss the pros and cons of distance learning/ distance education programmes and help you decide if you should go for it:


Disadvantages of Studying through Distance Learning:


1.No Direct Contact with faculty: There isn’t any fun if you don’t have a teacher you can make fun of! On a serious note, lack of personal interaction with teachers often affects the learning curve for some students. This is one major disadvantage of distance learning. Flipping through voluminous books with no mentor to guide you can be overwhelming for some students.

2.Overdependence on Technology: Some distance learning programmes especially online courses require access to internet. Unless you are comfortable with this medium, you will find studying and interacting with your faculty online difficult.

3.Lack of Discipline: Since you don’t have a teacher standing on top of your head, reminding you of deadlines, asking for your assignments, there are chances that you will not take a distance learning programme seriously. You need to be mature and disciplined to take full advantage of a distance learning programme.

4.It can get Lonely: Even if you’re in a virtual classroom that is full of students, the lack of personal interaction might make you feel detached and lonely. This can be solved as you get more comfortable with using the internet.

5.Not All Courses are Available/ Taught: Another major disadvantage of distance learning is that not all courses can be taught online. For example, subjects like Medicine and Engineering can’t be taught online or through distance learning since practical classes, experiments etc. can’t possibly be conducted over the internet! Some things, you’ve got to do yourself!

6.Not Valued by all Employers: No matter how good the university/college from where you pursued your distance learning programme, some employers will always prefer a candidate who has pursued a regular programme over you.

(Also read: Top Universities for Distance Learning in India)

There are two sides to every coin and here the advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages:


Advantages of Studying through Distance Learning:

1.It's Flexible:  You can earn and study at the same time! Flexibility is the biggest advantage of distance learning courses. This stands true especially if you are a working professional. Not everyone has the luxury of taking their own time to finish their studies. For those who had to take a break from studies to start working, such courses are a boon and provide the opportunity to pursue higher education.

2.Saves Time & Energy: You save up a lot of time and energy on commuting. You can stay in Pune and pursue a course that is available in Bangalore. Or you might be based out of a remote village or town which does not have enough options for higher studies. Distance learning courses eliminate these obstacles.

3.Study at your own Pace: Not everyone has the same pace of learning. Some students pick up things fast, others need time to grasp a concept. One of the biggest advantages of distance learning is that you can study at a pace that is comfortable for you.

4. Saves Money: These courses are almost always cheaper as compared to their on-campus counter-parts. You also cut down on the costs incurred while commuting etc.

5.Convenient: You can submit your assignment with the click of a button or simply drop it off at a post-office! It’s sometimes as simple as that!

6. 24X7 Access to Study Material & fellow Students: This is the best way to study if you are comfortable with internet and technology. You can access your study material online whenever you want and also clear doubts, exchange views and discuss with your virtual class-mates!

7.Study any Topic You Want: Since you‘d already have all your books/online study material with you, you can pick up any topic/chapter that interests you and tackle that first! This way your interest in the subject is sustained.



Various studies have shown that distance learning programmes can be as efficient and valuable as regular classroom programmes sometimes even better! Sometimes the learning material for distance learning programmes by certain universities {eg: Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)} can be way superior to that of a regular classroom course. So as a student, you need to decide if distance learning programme suits your personality and temperament!


In a country like India, where a basic graduation degree is mandatory to get a decent job, where the number of aspiring students outnumber the number of college seats available by an obscenely high number, distance learning programmes is the choice of many.