The New Learner » Collegiate/Academic Learning

The Online “Training” Myth

Patrick T. Malone — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:45:01 +0000

If you want to know more about a subject you could do any of the following:

Read a book.
Watch a video.
Attend a speech or workshop.
Enroll in an online course

Now suppose that in addition to being more knowledgeable you wanted to become skillful at something. It could be anything like golf, karate, selling refrigerators, negotiating, making presentations, etc. The point is you want to become truly proficient. Your objective is not just to know something; you want to be able to do something, and do it well. If skill is your objective, then your only option is to practice with an expert coach under realistic working conditions until you achieved fluency.

When you do something repeatedly – trying to perform up to an explicit standard – your mind and body get the “feel” of doing it proficiently. And the “feel” of doing it is the skill. If you don’t acquire the feel, you haven’t acquired the skill. Further, the feel is acquired only by using the skills to produce a real result: A good golf stroke, a sale, a successful negotiation.

Coaching the actual performance shortens the time it takes for an individual to become proficient enough to achieve the desired result repeatedly. Eventually, the new behavior becomes a preferred and self-chosen way of behaving.

Yet, when it comes to interpersonal-skills training in the business world – the teaching of so-called “soft skills” such as listening, leadership and teamwork, practicing with an expert coach under realistic working conditions is the least chosen development method. And that is the real reason behind the endless hand wringing in the corporate training field about how hard it is to get “learned” skills to transfer from the classroom to the job. It is also the reason that in difficult economic times, the training budget is often the first one cut, and it’s our fault

Training vs. Education
There is a great deal of difference between training and education, though the vast majority of trainers are not aware of it. Educating is not the same as training. For most people, there is no causal relationship between education and performance. There is, indeed, a causal relationship between training and performance. Knowledge isn’t power. Competence is power. Power is the ability to create a desired effect and that is performance.

To educate is to increase intellectual awareness of a subject. To train is to assist someone become proficient at the execution of a given task. Many wonderful things can be said about education, but education doesn’t cause competence.

Try making a youngster competent at riding a bicycle by sitting her down at the kitchen table and explaining how to ride a bicycle. Try taking a one-hour golf lesson from someone who uses typical online “training” methods. He’ll meet on your computer screen far from the golf course, talk to you about a golf swing for 30 minutes, show you his swing for 10 minutes, let you take make-believe swings at an imaginary golf ball for 5 minutes, then ask you to write an “action plan” describing how you will apply what you’ve “learned.”

Skeptics will protest that some people who receive education in soft-skills areas actually do turn out higher performance as a result: They do, in fact, get better at selling or influencing or working in a team. And this is true-for maybe 10 percent to 15 percent of the trainees. In fact, that 15 percent were already skillful before they attended the latest online educational offering. If you take anyone who is already competent and add more education, you often will get better performance to some degree.

What about the other 85 percent or 90per cent? It make no sense to pretend that the training department’s job is simply to deliver some information about skills (The Five Key Practices of Famous Leaders, The Ten Fabulous Values of Team Players), and then abdicate responsibility for proficiency to the person’s manager/supervisor. If you accept the title of “trainer,” your task is to make people competent, not just more aware. Blaming managers because the “skills” you supposedly imparted in your educational event failed to transfer to the job site is irresponsible.

Real Training For Real People
Begin by abandoning notions of what people ought to know or what sort of attitudes they ought to have or even how people acquire knowledge. Instead, ask, “How does one acquire skillfulness?” The most efficient and effective way to acquire skillfulness is straight forward: 1) Spend a little time educating about the results to be achieved and the skills to be executed in order to obtain those results. 2) Spend a lot of time practicing, with a coach who can reduce trial and error time, until fluency is achieved.

In the hands of a good trainer or coach, Step 1 takes up 5 percent to 10 percent of the allotted time. Step 2 takes up the other 90 percent to 95 percent. Step 1 is purely education. Step 2 is training.

If the student isn’t doing it, it isn’t training. A day spent talking about skills will not make anyone skillful. Nobody gets the “feel” for real execution, done to a specific standard of competence, and if they don’t acquire the “feel,” they don’t acquire the skill.

Even if you agree with these points you may say: “Fine, but all of that would have to be done in the field. It can’t be done in a classroom. And even if it weren’t too expensive and difficult to put that many expert coaches in the field, we don’t want our trainees practicing on real customers. So how we do make them proficient before we send them into the real job environment?”

There is a way.

How to Do It

To do real training in soft skills, start by taking a tip from advocates of “action learning”: Invite people to a meeting room for a genuine working session—into which some coaching will be added. You can provide some online pre-meeting assignments and education to maximize your work session time.

The purpose of this working session is to evaluate and make decisions about ideas for improving the business: Real ideas for real improvement that will make a real difference to the company. Ask participants to bring their own ideas to the meeting. Stipulate that these ideas must meet two criteria. First, the people in the meeting must be capable of implementing them; that is, someone in the room must have the authority to give a real yes or no to the idea. Second, if adopted, the improvement must be both measurable and capable of producing financial consequences for the business within 90 days.

In other words, you don’t want ideas such as, “Let’s change the cafeteria’s vending machines.” That might be an improvement, all right, but it’s unlikely to produce a measurable ROI within three months. Your online pre-work gave them a quick educational overview of the skills that would most likely help them gain the commitment and support they’ll need to implement their ideas.

Next you must also clearly define what “skillful” means – not just what the skills are. For instance, you are skillful at “showing respect” if you can acknowledge another person’s point of view so well that the person begins to feel they are being taken seriously within 15 seconds.

Make this introduction as succinct as possible. Then put everyone to work on the task of trying to gain commitment and support from one another. Coach them while they do so. Make them do it over and over again, until at least 85 percent of them have become proficient at the skills and have achieved concrete desirable results.

An obvious “desirable result” is that a participant gains the needed support and approval for a good idea. A less obvious but no-less acceptable result is that the participant becomes persuaded that his idea is flawed, but accepts this with no hard feelings; that is, the participant and his “adversary” agree that the idea is a nonstarter, and emerge with their relationship undamaged or even strengthened.

You can stop worrying about “reinforcement.” Why? Because we all naturally keep doing what works. We only need the goading or encouragement or reminding of managers when we can’t produce the results we want.

Online “training” is acceptable and even preferred when the desired outcome is to educate.

Doing the real training is required and perfectly feasible, even with large groups of people when the desired outcome is acquiring skill and proficiency. This approach – Educate briefly, then train at length – is the method of martial arts trainers. It’s the method of sports teams. It’s the method of coaches in the performing arts. It works.

This formula almost always achieves measurable success, regardless of the skills you’re trying to develop: Selling, leadership, teamwork customer service, problem-solving and so on. Instead of seeing slight improvements in the performance of those 15 percent of trainees who were already capable, you’ll send 85 percent out the door with genuine skillfulness instead of mere awareness.

The group is producing real initiatives that will make or save money, your company can expect a very healthy return on investment within three months. These outcomes are critical in these difficult economic times. And nobody will have to ask you again if your training actually makes a difference.

G. Thomas Herrington and Patrick T. Malone are co-authors of the new book Cracking the Code to Leadership and Senior Partners at The PAR Group, an international training firm headquartered in Atlanta. They may be contacted at info@thepargroup.com.

Learn and Save Brings Savings and Tutorials To Consumers and Companies Alike

Dan Blau — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:20:57 +0000

BELLEVUE, Wash. – Jan. 1, 2009 – Learn and Save, a new consumer networking Web site bringing how-to tutorials, high-quality information and coupons to consumers, is unveiled today – passing savings to consumers who want to learn about products they seek to purchase and secure the best value. Learn and Save is the first company in 2009 to announce a new online consumer solution.

Learn and Save launches with more than 15,000 online tutorials for consumers. Along with the tutorials, consumers will have access to related information and coupons so they can save money if and when they need to purchase related products. Learn and Save corporate sponsors benefit because the Web site provides them with a new and enhanced way to engage directly with their customers.

“Our vision is to provide tutorials on a wide range of topics where each tutorial is matched to savings opportunities that also match the subject and content of the tutorial,” explained Charlie Gillette, chief executive officer of Learn and Save. “We have designed the site so it is simple, safe and convenient to use. We recognized that as economic conditions continue to tighten, people are looking for ways to save money. Tutorials married with coupons help meet that need by allowing consumers to get instructions in a safe online environment while taking advantage of savings and connecting with other experts to maximize the use of their products.”

According to Gillette, companies also benefit from reaching consumers who are already interested in their specific products and ideas. “Corporate sponsors are really excited about Learn and Save because they can engage with people who have a demonstrated interest in a particular topic or product. They’re presenting ads or savings directly to a consumer who has searched for ‘how-to information’ and this group of people simply has a much higher propensity to buy.”

Consumer and corporate reaction to the site has been overwhelmingly positive as Learn and Save sits at the intersection of the acute need for consumers to save money, businesses looking for improved methods to engage consumers, and the growing use of videos on the Internet.

“As an avid coupon clipper, I’m always on the lookout for ways to spend my dollars more efficiently and appreciate hearing helpful tips about products I’m considering purchasing,” said Kayla Sando, Learn and Save customer. “I love that Learn and Save provides me with a one-stop destination where I can learn about the topics I like while at the same time gain access to relevant coupons.”

Learn and Save tutorials provide consumers with free instructions on activities and topics that best suit their interests – whether its how to taste wine, prepare for a job interview or taking better digital pictures, there is likely a how-to tutorial on LearnAndSave.com addressing that topic.

Imagine you are a consumer looking for information on backcountry skiing and snowboarding. By watching the “Basics of Backcountry Travel,” tutorial submitted by REI, the national outdoor retail organization, you can learn helpful tips about the four main modes of backcountry travel and what items you should bring on your trip.

Companies selling to other businesses also will benefit from LearnAndSave.com. Kent Hellebust, general manager with AccessLine explains. “At AccessLine we are committed to helping businesses select the right phone system. We are participating in the Learn and Save community so we can provide business decision makers with information about what they should be looking for when they select a PBX. Our tutorial focuses on how they should approach making this important decision and what features and functionality to consider before committing to a system.”

Learn and Save enables organizations, including manufacturers and service providers, to connect directly with consumers or business decision makers in a value-added way. With sponsored tutorials, organizations can provide a quick and effective way for people to learn about their products and services. These tutorials help organizations reduce product returns as well as consumer calls to customer service contacts. By providing detailed information online, consumers are less likely to pick up the phone to ask a customer care representative for help. In both cases, businesses can improve their bottom line.

“The Learn and Save concept has interesting potential,” said John Montgomery, chief operating officer, North America, GroupM Interaction. “It is evident that consumers value this kind of short form instructional content and combined with the Learn and Save business model, could generate meaningful audience engagement.”

The debut of Learn and Save aligns well with consumers whose New Year’s resolutions are to learn something new and save money. Categories spanning across numerous topics include business and finance as well as health and fitness – both popular picks for achieving New Year resolutions.

The Learn and Save development team is lead by Bill Allocca, a former senior member and technology leader in the e-commerce software division at Amazon. With more than 10 years experience at Amazon, Bill brings a deep understanding of consumer and e-commerce related Web sites to the Learn and Save team. To learn more visit www.Learn and Save.com.

About Learn and Save

Learn and Save (www.Learn and Save.com) was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of Knowledge Anywhere. Knowledge Anywhere started in 1998 and is a leader in the corporate e-learning market. Learn and Save will be headquartered in the greater Seattle area and co-located with Knowledge Anywhere (www.KnowledgeAnywhere.com). Learn and Save will have offices in Bellevue, Wash. and Minneapolis with client business development managers throughout North America.

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For more information, please contact:

Charlie Gillette, Learn and Save, (425) 454-4454 ext. 3801,

Charlie@LearnandSave.com

Jennifer Gehrt, Communiqué PR, (206) 282-4923 ext 112,

jennifer@communiquepr.com

Ready for Online Distance Education? Read These 10 Rules First

Mary Jackson — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:34:28 +0000

Check to ensure the college is accredited by a legitimate accrediting agency. Accreditation means the college and its programs meet certain set educational quality and standards. This also means courses and credits acquired can be easily transferred to another accredited institution, whether online or brick and mortar college. You will stand a better chance of securing employment or promotion at work if you have an accredited degree.

Be on the look-out for unaccredited online distance education colleges otherwise known as “degree mills”. There are many fake institutions granting “accreditation” to any organization willing to pay some money for it. Before you pick your college, make sure you research that it is accredited by a legit body. If you are not sure the college you wish to attend has a legitimate accreditation, consult with the United States Department of Education or CHEA to confirm.

Before you choose an online college, it’s also important to think about what your long-terms plans and goals are as far as your education is concerned. Incase you intend to pursue further education, think about if you’ll need to transfer credits from one college to another. With this knowledge you’ll be able to choose a college that allows and accepts credit transfers.

Class size plays a big role in an online distance education college as it does in a traditional classroom. The smaller the better, thus you should investigate the class size of the institution you wish to join.

It good to know more about the instructors of the programs you are interested in. Are they qualified to teach that class? Do they have experience in their field or specialization? Have they taught online classes before? How long have they been teaching? Get the answers to these questions. It is more reassuring if more instructors hold degrees from the college that you’re planning to enroll.

Support is very important to your success of online distance education program. Make sure you find if any and what level of support you will get from instructors, faculty and technical staff should you have problems with your classes or experience technical difficulties. Select a college that meets your standards of expectations.

One of the great things about online distance education programs is that you can begin almost anytime. Thus you shouldn’t let anyone rush you into starting your program until you feel ready to put the time and effort it will require for you to succeed.

Check out if your program will be offered entirely online or if it will require residency at some point in the course. Some online courses have site projects and require residency so let this not come as a surprise to you.

Most online colleges offer financial aid and tuition assistance. You’ll be pleased to discover how much financial help you have available inform of loans, scholarships, financial aid and other federal loans. Some institutions even have tuition payment plans and employer-reimbursement programs. Find out if your college of interest offers such programs.

Take your time to research your best degree option and college out there. Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Unlike there before when online programs were limited, now there are enormous options and colleges to choose from as most traditional colleges are already offering some programs online.

How to Ace the College Interview

Bill McCumber — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:09:08 +0000

Students are often intimidated by the college interview process because they don’t know what they’re getting into, nor do they know how best to prepare. College interviews are a great way to demonstrate a student’s interest to a college admissions office. The more a student demonstrates his interest in the college the more the college will be interested in a student. Students who demonstrate interest often have a leg up on the competition in the admission pool resulting in a higher probability of acceptance.College interviews fall into two broad categories, the alumni interview and the admissions interview. Let’s walk through the process with our fictitious student, Mark Sullivan, who has applied to Great College.

Whether sitting for an alumni or admissions interview, the best thing Mark can do is relax. Alumni representatives and admissions officers are not interviewing so that they can reject students or speak poorly of them. Interviews are a chance for college representatives to sell their school to the applicant and are not used to weed out undesirables. There is some evaluation going on, of course, but Mark should be confident that as much as they are reviewing him, he is also reviewing them. It’s a two-way conversation as to why Mark is a great fit for the school, and why the school would be a perfect fit for Mark. So now that Mark knows the interview can give him a leg up on the competition and will not be used as a reason to reject him, perhaps he can be more confident. Confidence shows, and in addition to preparing for the interview, he should simply do the things our mothers tell us to do. Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Dress comfortably but look good. He does not need a suit and tie, especially since he will likely be walking all over the campus that day, but he should also not show up in a ragged sweatshirt and jeans. He should take a deep breath, wipe his sweaty palms before shaking the representative’s hand, make eye contact, sit up properly in his chair, and have a mature, productive conversation.

Mark may have the opportunity to interview with an admission officer from Great College either in his hometown or on the college campus. If Mark and his family are visiting colleges he will have contacted Great College Admissions to schedule an information session, a student-led tour, and, hopefully, an interview with the admission officer responsible for Mark’s region. He might also have an opportunity to interview with his admission officer in his hometown as Great College visits his community or school. It is likely that the person interviewing Mark will have primary responsibility for Mark’s application. It will be up to Mark to ‘flesh out’ his application; admissions officers like to admit students, not GPA and SAT numbers, and by telling the admissions staff what makes him tick, Mark is personalizing his application process. Since the admission officer will also be very well versed as to all the offerings of the college Mark will have the opportunity to ask good questions and get meaningful answers.

The alumni interview would likely happen after Mark has already submitted his application to Great College, who notifies a local alumnus that Mark has applied so that he can be interviewed. The alumni interviewer is a volunteer whose job it is to share his own wonderful experiences at Great College to Mark. The alumni interviewer will jot some notes and be able to tell Great College that Mark is an interested, and interesting, student, but will not have any authority over the admission decision.

So other than being calm, cool, poised, well dressed, and punctual, how should Mark prepare? Mark’s job during the interview is to ask good questions and explain his strengths and interests. He will have prepared a resume or brag sheet of things to highlight, such as his involvement in the school play, that he is on the varsity soccer team, that he is active in community service, and recently got an “A” on his research paper called “Political Activism In China”, and that he intends to choose international relations as his Great College major. He will also have a short list of good questions to ask that he really wants answered, as these will help him make his decision as to which college to attend. As these questions are answered Mark will take some notes, showing his sincere interest to the interviewer. One simple caveat is that Mark should avoid easy questions, the answers to which can be found by a quick look at the college website or brochures. He will want to ask questions such as, “How many international relations majors are able to study abroad, and where do they study most often?” as opposed to asking the Dean of Admission, “How many kids go here?”

The college interview process is an opportunity to make the application come alive, impress the admissions staff, and get some questions answered. Interviews can almost never hurt you, and they sure can help. Be confident, mature, and prepared, and the interview process will be a snap.

Article Source: http://www.articles.ask-me-about.com

Bill McCumber is the founder of the iCollegeCoach program, a leading provider of comprehensive high school to college family services, including college search, admission, financial aid, and college funding programs. For more information please call 1-877-Coach-13 or visit iCollegeCoach.com.

Which Type of Education is Better: Online or Traditional?

Harris Jhosta — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:04:12 +0000

With the rise in the popularity of the internet over the last ten years, the world we live in has been redefined many times. Many of the things that we used to take for granted have completely changed. One area that has been greatly impacted by the internet is education. Not only has the internet greatly enhanced traditional education, but it has actually redefined the way individuals can pursue their education. Originally, the only way for someone to receive a life experience degrees was by attending high school or college for a minimum of four years. Unfortunately, this schedule was not compatible with many people’s lifestyle. Individuals who had other priorities but were still interested in obtaining a formal education found themselves with virtually no options. However, this is not the scenario in today’s world. One of the most popular trends that has accompanied the rise of the internet are online degrees. Online degrees appeal to many different types of people. Regardless of your lifestyle or current situation, an online degree is a unique way to not only obtain a formal education, but to receive proof of the education that you receive.Inevitably, one of the major questions that has accompanied the development of online degrees is whether or not they are better than traditional degrees. As with most general questions, there is no clear cut answer. The issue of online versus traditional degrees is one that requires a thorough examination of the pros and cons of both options. To begin with, there are instances when a traditional degree is the best option. If you are a student who is fresh out of high school and you have been accepted into a respectable university, then the best option for you is to pursue a traditional degree. This is especially true for individuals who have scholarships or family members which will pay for their education. A traditional degree provides a balance between educational and social growth. However, there are several major cons which apply to traditional degrees. The most obvious limitation is that many individuals do not have the time to devote to a four year program of study. Whether you have a full-time job or a family, the college lifestyle is not for everyone.

If you fall into the category mentioned above, pursuing an online degrees is by far the best option for you. The most popular aspect of online education is the flexibility it offers. Online degrees can be obtained on your schedule, not someone else’s. Additionally, online education does not require that you move or leave your current residence. As long as you have a reliable internet connection, you can easily earn an online degree. The only real disadvantage of an online degree is the loss of the college lifestyle. An online degrees does not include activities and events outside the classroom.

In the end, there is no definitive answer to the question of online versus traditional degrees. It is literally impossible to give an answer that would apply to every single possible situation. If you are trying to determine the answer to this widespread question, it is important to look at it on an individual level. Although no one will ever be able to say whether online degrees are better than traditional degrees or vice-versa, you can determine which option is the best for your personal situation. It is important to not only take into account your current situation, but also your educational hopes and goals. By taking a thorough look at your situation, expectations and options, you will be able to determine whether an online degree or traditional degree is the best option for you to pursue.

Article Source: http://www.articles.ask-me-about.com

Harris Jhosta is holding the market experience of IT industry and immense business solutions for about 2 decades now. His vast experience in the related field gave him the acclamation and renown ship in many sectors of business. Harris has also been involved in providing educational services in form of various seminars and lectures, in many well renowned universities. Presently carrying a research on the evolution of business performance by the advent of Information Technology Ciphers in the state university of california.

Why Are More Adults Turning to Online Education?

Harris Jhosta — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:00:58 +0000

Over the last few years, online education has become a very popular concept. There are literally thousands of adults who have chosen to improve their lives by turning to online education. With this recent surge in popularity, many individuals are asking why so many adults are choosing to earn a college degrees over the internet. Although the concept may seem strange at first, after understanding more about what online education really is and all the benefits it has to offer, it is easy to understand why so many adults are choosing online education.To begin with, one of the most obvious benefits provided by online education is flexibility. When attending a traditional college, you are forced to go to class on the schedule that is created by the college. This makes it impossible for many adults to attend a traditional university. Whether it is an obligation such as a full-time job or taking care of a family, a traditional university is not very conducive to a busy schedule. However, a program of online study does not have the same drawbacks that a traditional university does. Online education allows you to obtain a college degree on your own terms and schedule. Instead of needing to go to class three times a week, you can study on your timeframe. Whether you prefer to do your class work early in the morning or late at night, you have the freedom to create your own study schedule. This is one of the several benefits that makes online education a very popular option for adults.

The flexibility provided by online education is not the only thing that makes it a popular choice for many adults. Online education is also very popular among adults because of the financial benefits it can provide. Traditionally, the cost of education at a regular college or university is extremely expensive. The reason for this high cost includes factors such as paying for utilities and other maintenance related expenses. However, when paying for an online course, the costs associated with traditional education are not present. Because you are not actually receiving your education in a classroom, you are not responsible for paying for the upkeep of any facilities. This makes online education a much more economical choice. Although online education does not require as much of a financial investment, this in no one means that the education you are receiving is any less valuable or rewarding than that provided by traditional universities.

In addition to the benefits discussed above, there is another factor that makes online education a popular choice among many adults. Online education provides adults many choices in what program of study they will follow. Regardless of what you are interested in, it is almost guaranteed that there is an online education program which fits your interests. The amount of programs available online provide a significant advantage over traditional forms of education. Before the advent of education, many people had to settle for the programs of study that were offered by institutions which were close by. If you wanted to study something unique or very specialized, the only way you could accomplish this was by physically moving to a new location which was closer to an institution that offered this program of study. However, thanks to the internet, this is no longer an issue.

A significant number of adults have turned to online education for various reasons, and there are several factors which make this a very positive decision. In addition to being economical, flexible and broad, an online degrees is a guaranteed way to improve your position in the workforce. Whether you are looking for a promotion or hoping to be interviewed for higher paying job, by choosing to earn an degree through the internet, you will be joining many other adults who have also made the choice to improve their lives through online education.

Article Source: http://www.articles.ask-me-about.com

How to Plan Your Degree In-Line With Your Career Path

Jullie Harvard — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:57:07 +0000

Earn a degree is the biggest and the most important investment for many people, choosing the right degree will secure for a brighter future. But, it sometimes can be difficult to choose a degree, as there are so many options and so much information to consider. Here are some tips to help you to decide the degree of your interest which in-line with your future career path.Consider your interests.

You may be interested in pursuing an arts degree but because you believe in the myth of a Bachelor of Arts degree is not enough to find a well-paying job. Whereas, science and technology related degree has a better career path, so you put aside your degree of interest and force yourself you take a science and technology related degree. If you do this, you will find it harder to complete your degree and may give up the degree in half way or even if you have successfully earned the degree, you may find it harder to success in a career at a dislike working fields.

Hence, in the process of choosing what degree to pursue, you need to take into consideration of you interest. Sit down and carefully think of your future career which you are interested to build after your graduation, and from there, gather the information of the related degrees.

Set Your Career Goal

You need to have a clear understanding of what you want to do with your career and how earning a graduate degree will help you reach that goal. If you go to graduate school without a clear goal, you will probably end up wasting both time and money. You will have a better idea on your career goal by spending some time working on some self-assessment and career planning.

Then, gather the information about the degree requirements for the jobs, you can get the job requirement information from many of the job sites like AllStarJobs.com. Once you have degree requirement of you career of interest, then start to search for the related degree programs and shortlist the degrees of your interest for getting further information from universities or colleges who offer these degrees.

Decide Your Mode of Study

While knowledge on your field of interest is the key successor of you future career, experience of the related field play an important role in helping you to set your career path correctly. You may want to consider earn your degree online while get your working experience in your field of interest.

Today, online degree programs are increasing in popularity and creditability, more and more prestigious colleges and universities offer complete online degree programs taught by the same faculty who teach in their classrooms. The online degree programs is able to provide you with a convenience and flexible learning environment where you can complete your degree at your own planed schedule with the restriction of geography location. Hence, you can utilize this advantage to gain your working experience while pursuing your degree online.

In Summary

Today, the job market the job market is become extremely competitive, you need to stay continuous to upgrade yourself and equip with the necessary knowledge and experience to compete in this challenging job market. Planning your degree against your career aim with secure you for a brighter future.

Article Source: http://www.articles.ask-me-about.com

Take a visit to www.studykiosk.com for more information on all online degrees available. Earning your education is one of the biggest and most important investments in your life. Our goal is to help you quickly find online degrees and online programs, we featured over 1,000 online degrees and accredited online degree programs.

Career Training for Older Women

Susan West — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:52:35 +0000

Careers for older women are available. Women have come a long way in the workplace, yet there are still some unique challenges that older women face as they embark on a career change and look for new career training.Women between the ages of 45 and 60 may have difficulty pursuing new career training because of certain tangible and intangible barriers. For instance, some women may have to remain in a particular location due to family constraints. Others may not be able to afford education or feel it may take too long. Others may feel they are perceived as “mature women” who do not have the transferable skills for a new career.

With that said, there are still many new career training options available for women in this age group who are looking to make a career or lifestyle change. Technology plays a large part in this phenomenon, as does a changing society that no longer views women of this age as unemployable or unwilling to train.

The world is a different place now and if you are an older woman seeking new career training, you are in a position to take advantage of all the career training options available.

Teleclass seminars: There are many education opportunities available as teleclass seminars. These are courses that typically involve students and an instructor linking up via the Web or satellite and are interactive in nature. The instructor and students can then interact in class discussions, lectures and presentations. I use teleclass seminars for my “Unleashing Your Leadership Power” seminar. It works great for everyone involved because it is convenient and a lower-cost option than many other traditional classroom educations. You can find teleclasses on the Internet or at local colleges and universities.

Workshops and short courses: For more personal training, many women tend to opt for more traditional classes. These can be found at community colleges, community centers, universities, and other workforce training facilities. You can also look for education opportunities with other organizations, including the Small Business Administration, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, or local women’s groups.

Online classes: Once thought of as only suitable for younger students, Online classes have rapidly become the training method of choice for all ages. These classes are generally easy to access, easy to follow and cost effective. And, the best part is that they are very flexible. Often students can work at their own pace from anywhere in the world.

Internships and job shadowing: You may think internships are for young college students, but that’s not always the case. Many employers will offer these types of opportunities to men and women in more mature age groups as an alternative way to update career training. This is a great opportunity for many people, because it is a hands-on experience and offers the chance to learn as you do the work. It is also a way to network and create professional relationships.

Career coaching: Career enrichment coaching and new career coaching can provide you with the personalized attention you may need for to sort through your options. A career coach is someone who is trained to work with you and provide assessment tools to validate the best skill and job interest match for your profile. Two great resources on the internet are The Leadership Resource and Career Change Resource.

If you find a career field that interests you, contact a local company or organization that can help you gain some familiarity in that area. It could help you decide whether you want to pursue training.

Article Source: http://www.articles.ask-me-about.com

Packed full of perceptive and practical information for managers, business owners, and MBA students; visit us today at www.TheLeadershipResource.com for instant free access to amazing business resources, articles and checklists. Learn about your leadership style, potential and ability; then share it with your colleagues and employees. Or contact QuadWest Associates at 800-809-2721. Susan West has held many executive leadership positions during her 26 years of business experience. She shares her knowledge and lessons learned through a variety of programs offered by QuadWest Associates, LLC including coaching, leadership workshops, tele-seminars and consulting.

Education For The 21st Century: Distance Learning

John Chaplin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:36:16 +0000

There is an old saying: Time moves on. That is certainly true in the world of education. In the past, higher education was strictly an option for the wealthy and privileged. Beginning in the last century, higher education became a reality for the common person. But the pace of change has not slackened up one bit!

The pundits debate what direction that higher education may take, but one thing is certain: technology has revolutionized how educational programs are being delivered. In particular, the personal computer, harnessing the power of the Internet, has helped to ’shrink’ our planet. What this ’shrinking’ means is that distance is much less of a factor in our life activities. And the importance of distance has shrunk as well in education – ushering in the era of ‘Distance Learning.’

Simply put, distance learning involves participation in classes and academic coursework when one lives and works in a location that is far removed from the school which is offering the course in which you are enrolled. Computer technology makes all of this possible – and the Internet serves as the ‘channel’ of communication and information exchange.

For those of us observing the landscape in the U.S., of course, this has a particular relevance, because of the aging of our population. And an older population means older students – students who have already taken on significant life responsibilities (job and family). Distance learning is the best – and probably only – option for them.

Our prediction: as more and more schools get on the distance learning bandwagon (and they will), more and more US adults will have better educational options. And when these students bring their new skill sets to the workplace, then businesses will benefit as a result. Overall, we can predict that the American workforce will become more effective and efficient. So positioned, we will continue to have access to the best-paying jobs and careers available in the world today.

When you enroll in a distance learning program, your entire academic course of study will be handled via the Internet, using your PC at home. No doubt you will have to purchase handbooks and textbooks for offline study, but usually your class lectures and course assignments will be handled online – either in a chat room environment or through sending e-mails. Completing an assignment with other students is commonplace – and this prepares the student for the kinds of real-world collaboration that is common in many companies today.

Course testing in distance learning programs is also unique. Instead of the traditional approach, where you would ’spit out’ on paper everything that you have memorized, you will be asked instead to complete projects and collaborate with others. This is because there is no way to administer a test online in such a way to guarantee that the student doesn’t look at their book/notes to cheat!

What all this means is that distance learning programs place an emphasis on ‘doing something useful’ with the knowledge that you have gained. You will be required to show mastery of a subject area, not by regurgitating facts but by using what you know. And isn’t that exactly what you and I must do every day, in the real workaday world? In fact, by some measures, graduates of distance learning programs are perhaps better prepared to ‘hit the ground running’ and be productive in their career from day one.

Article Source: http://www.articles.ask-me-about.com

About the author: John Chaplin Writes about Online Education and University of Phoenix. Read about obtaining online college degrees at www.university-phoenix.com