Distance Learning

This month, Google announced my city (Provo, Utah) as the third Google Fiber city. As my neighbors and I collectively rejoiced about our good fortune, a lot of the attention was on how the super fast speeds and free services will improve our community schools. With a connection to every household and the ability to stream multimedia that may be hindered by slower speeds, our students have a lot to look forward to.

But, even if all cities don't get Google Fiber, online students across the nation will benefit from it. Here's why.

Not every reason to enroll in an online college is a good one. In fact, online college isn't the right choice for a lot of learners.

Before you enroll, make sure your motives and expectations are in the right place. And, make sure you're not just signing up for one of these horrible, awful, no-good reasons.

If you're considering enrolling your child in an online charter high school, middle school, or elementary school, you'll need to know how to find one that enrolls students in your area. Online charter schools are publicly funded, but they are not managed nationally. Instead, these schools are governed by state or local school districts and only enroll students within their boundaries. Here's how to find an online charter school for your child.

What annoys, angers, or frustrates your online professors? Find out in this article. Or, if you're a professor with student pet peeves, join in with your own stories.

Even if you're enrolled in a traditional college, you may be able to spend the next few months studying in the sun. Many colleges will allow students to take summer classes online, even if those classes aren't available at your school. By following these online summer semester steps, you can find out what your school's policy is for taking online classes and transferring them for credit.

Have you ever had a ridiculously awful online class? Unfortunately, not every distance learning experience is a positive one. Share your very bad class story here and learn from what other frustrated students have to say.

As the semester winds down, now is the time to make sure you get the help that you need to complete any of your online courses. If you're struggling or have a question, don't ignore the impulse to ask for help. Online instructors are real people and they are compensated for helping their students learn. Here's how to form a positive relationship with your online professors and ask for help.

Want to take an online course from a top-notch ivy league school for free. Take a look at MIT OpenCourseWare for no-cost access to dozens of courses on topics like engineering, science, and math.

If you want to enroll your teen in an online school, make sure you know the difference between the four types of schools that are available. This article will walk you through the basics of public, private, university-sponsored, and charter online high schools.

Has online learning made a difference in the way you live your life? Whether your online degree has helped you earn a promotion, helped you be a better parent, or just emptied your bank account, we want to hear about it. Share your story and see what other online learners have to say.