Whenever you are thinking about taking one of the distance learning courses offered by various colleges in Ontario, you have to weigh the differences between learning online and learning within the classroom. In this article we are going to limit our look to the continuing education experience in terms of learning alone; that is, we don't worry about the monetary, social, or ease of access issues that usually come into such a discussion.
First, think of the hours you would spend on an Ontario online course versus that spent at home. E-Learning is all about flexibility; you can work around your job or just schedule your courses the way that you want to. You don't have to try and focus at a time of day when you might not be at your peak. Of course, if you are not a self starter you might have some trouble keeping up in the Ontario colleges' online programs.
Next, the issue of classroom time: There are benefits in having a physical presence within a classroom. There, you are forced to take notes due to the fact that there is nothing else to do. Online education means that you do have the opportunity to let your mind wander away from your task with the risk of not being able to focus again.
Finally, classroom learning does include a lot of discussion between the professor at an Ontario school and the students. These discussions can really help stimulate the learning process, something that is missing when you access education online.
Of course, for many Ontario residents, the comparison of the classroom versus the home learning experience is moot. Many people who take Ontario distance education courses do so because they lack access to Ontario school campuses; thus, distance learning is the only possible road open to them whether or not it is the best choice as far as learning goes.
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