In the early days of online education, serious students
viewed the entire concept with great skepticism.
And for valid reasons: dial-up
Internet connections were too slow, educational institutions popped up out of
nowhere that no one had ever heard of, and the list goes on.
But technology is
forever improving. Below are several reasons why today’s distance learning
options are fantastic options for those who are seeking a quality education
from an online nursing school.
- Many courses today have progressed well beyond one lackluster slide after another. Broadband connections have greatly improved the streaming videos that make an online classroom come alive. Students can now see and hear their instructor deliver a prepared lecture, often in real-time.
- Connecting with fellow students is a reality, due to an assemblage of technologies resembling a mash up of Skype, Facebook and Twitter. Groeger reports students use video chats to speak with classmates and receive notifications when a professor posts a new grade. Outside of class, students view the course “wall” to verify changes in classroom schedule, check grades, read an attached file from the instructor or watch a supplemental video.
Who would have dreamed 10 years ago that this would be a
common reality today?
- Can you imagine a lively and spirited classroom debate – where ideas and opinions are shot around the room like an elementary school game of dodgeball? Today’s online discussion boards allow real-time conversation with a group of students (minus the dodgeballs, of course).
In our multicultural world, this can be an interesting way to open a
student’s mind to new ideas, thoughts and ways of problem solving. Imagine the
interesting dialogues that might happen between students from all walks of
life, from all over the globe.
Implications for online students
recently exploded with the release of Google upgrades, including the release of
Google+. According to Wiredmagazine (Tim Carmody’s “Google+ Suddenly Looks
Pretty Busy for a Ghost Town”), more than half of the new features to the
desktop version of Google+ relate to the popular feature named “Hangouts.”
Upgrades permit users to specify whom they would like to “hang” with.
Additional features relate to Google
Docs, allowing hangout members to work collectively on word processing and
spreadsheet documents.
So imagine you live in South Florida
and you have two classmates, one lives in Central Texas and one is deployed
oversees in the military. You can all collaborate, creating a project together.
According to Carmody, Hangout participants can also access the new generation
of Google+ apps from their smartphones.
In general, Google is moving toward
a continuity of features between the mobile and desktop versions.
These technological improvements can
open the door to personal and professional fulfillment. Benefits to earning a master’s
degree in nursing include:
- Qualifying for management or teaching positions
- Becoming eligible for board certification
Attaining better opportunities at
possibly higher salaries
Numerous reputable and regionally
accredited universities offer an online format of their MSN degrees. A student
choosing these degree options would generally benefit from:
- Participation in the online classroom, available 24/7; leaving your home, job and family would not be a barrier.
Ability to complete the MSN degree
in two years or less; completing course work anytime and anywhere.
Access to faculty and fellow
classmates via discussion boards, live chats and a dedicated email system.
Before you dismiss the notion of
earning a higher degree in nursing, consider the online options. It may be just
what you are seeking – the means to “upgrade” your career without uprooting
your life.
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Courtesy: JacksonVille University
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