1. Distance Education: Why it’s like, the coolest thing. By Bryan Hugues

2. Benefits of Distance Education You can sit in on class from your home. With everything online, notes become easier. All of the technology combined with the internet makes research as simple as 1, 2, 3! You can take classes that really interest you even if they’re on the other side of the world!

3. Challenges of Distance Education Trouble with getting questions answered properly. Lack of motivation due to lack of supervision. Hard to meet people for peer study groups. Need experience in certain technology for success.

4. Technology=Sweet Stuff Blackboard: Email, HW, Class work, Tests and Quizzes (ugh!), Syllabi and whole bunch of other useful programs. It’s like everything you need to do well in a one-stop shop. You can even check out the Distance Ed. portion of Alvernia.edu for ballin’ updates, tutorials and other info to keep you informed.

5. More Technology… Wimba: Grab a pair of headphones with an awesome microphone and log into Blackboard. Enjoy the class from the comfort of your own room. Blackboard Basically, the screen is the teacher’s presentation. Raise your hand, answer and learn a little something.

7. And just a little bit more… Here at Alvernia you can even get down with some video conferencing time. You are in a classroom with a projector screen and a camera. You are looking at another classroom on the screen so that the teacher sees EVERYONE and you can allocate classes outside of you’re living area.

8. How Distance Ed. Can Make You Successful It can show you a new way to learn that may be more helpful than a classroom setting. You can learn about more technology by constantly being on the internet and using different programs. Blended and online classes are the future for many schools and getting involved now can only help you and your marketability when you start job hunting.

9. Distance ED. Wants YOU! Alvernia University has certain classes and programs that are done in either online, blended, or a video conferencing style. This means you can interact with students and faculty all over the world and will never have to leave Alvernia. Alvernia’s Winterim semester is all jam-packed with classes to help you gain a great education.

10. They Still Want You! Alvernia’s Winterim is packed with online and blended classes, so you can still go home to see the family, but earn a couple credits at the same time. Alvernia has blended, online, Wimba, and even video-conferencing classes (totally cutting edge!)

12. Upcoming Distance Ed. Opportunities Online Master’s in Business Administration Blended Video Conferencing Classes Schuylkill Center and Philadelphia Campus have classes that the Reading Campus doesn’t. Wimba Training

13. How Distance Ed. Can Help You If you are strapped for time, online education gives you the freedom to take your class when you prefer. Some students enjoy reading from a screen or online tutorial instead of a lecture in a classroom

14. Why Distance Education? Distance Ed. IS the future and so are YOU. Learning a little bit of tech know-how can help you later. More and more employers are requiring further knowledge and experience in the online world and using these classes can only help and make you’re life just a little bit easier.

15. Statistics (Just so you know, I’m not lying to you) Almost 3.5 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2006 term, a nearly 10 percent increase over the number reported the previous year—and a near-doubling from the 1.6 million students enrolled just four years prior, in 2002. The 9.7 percent growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the 1.5 percent growth of the overall higher- education student population. Nearly 20 percent of all U.S. higher-education students were taking at least one online course in the fall of 2006.

16. Who Can Help Me? If you are having any difficulties or just want to know more, you can email me or call the Office of Distant Education and speak to one of our representatives. Bryan.Hugues@Alvernia.edu 610-796-8270 484-855-0361

17. Sources (That’s real information!) http://www.geteducated.com/online- education-facts-statistics http://www.geteducated.com/online- education-facts-statistics