Understanding the Benefits of Distance Education for Personal Growth

Education is the systematic process of enabling learners, particularly children, to acquire knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and behaviors, as appropriate to their needs and situations. There are several types of education, such as social education, physical education, personal education, institutional education and academic education. Educational systems include training, teaching, storytelling, practice, guided reading and directed learning. Learning can be formal or informal. Formal education involves schooling, teaching at various levels (high school, college, university) and various disciplines (mathematics, reading, writing, humanities). On the other hand, informal education is “generally occurring throughout a person’s life”, “occurring in real-time”, “working in partnership with parents and other people” and “based on a curriculum and upon the interests, needs, abilities and strengths of the person”.

With the help of the internet, the distance education has gained a lot of popularity. Distance education facilitates effective and efficient completion of formal and informal courses. It also ensures that the learner possesses necessary interpersonal and technical skills that will prove handy during their career. This form of education also helps many people to fulfill their vocational goals and aspirations. With the advent of the internet, now it is easier to find a good distance learning institution. Some of the best universities and colleges of United States are offering online degree courses to qualified individuals.

Technology has been an integral part of the world around us since ancient times. In today’s world, this has become a significant part of education, as well. With the help of computers and technology, we are able to communicate with our lecturers and classmates from any corner of the world. We can share our experiences, learn from others and enrich our lives by acquiring knowledge from the experts of our field. The online higher education system enables us to take up courses that enrich our life skills and prepare us for a career in any sector, such as medicine, law and business, which we may find interesting and in accordance to our interests.

There are different ways to learn. Most of the students prefer taking up traditional forms of learning, such as the classroom lessons, reading, writing and Geography. However, there are many others who prefer an informal education, which they feel is more beneficial than the traditional form. These students opt for distance learning process through online means, which is a method that uses internet, computer applications, email, chat rooms, blogs, digital journals and social media in the learning process. This type of learning process facilitates quick communication and enables the students to access information from all over the world without having to leave the comfort of their living rooms.

Another benefit of the digital age is that it facilitates the development of an individual’s personality. Today, most of the people live in a global village. The idea of nationhood is losing its relevance as we move towards a global village. However, distance education system enables the students to develop themselves according to their own abilities and tastes, instead of depending on the educational options provided by the school education system. In addition, most of the distance education programs are flexible in nature, unlike the classroom-based programs.

Personal growth, career, self-worth, confidence and overall development are some of the personal aspects that are impacted due to the appropriate education. However, if a person does not have the necessary skills and knowledge in the chosen fields, he or she can look forward to develop those skills and knowledge through further education. It is important for the child to become well versed with the various academic disciplines like science, mathematics, humanities, history etc. to help him or her achieve success in life. Therefore, it is necessary that the child remains well-informed about various fields, so that his or her personal growth is not hampered.