Repost by: Deborah Catalano Ruriani of Inbound Logistics

Traditional classroom education is a viable option for some logistics professionals seeking new skills. But for many, online learning presents a better alternative for acquiring additional training, degrees, or certifications. Irvin Varkonyi, adjunct professor and marketing manager of transportation and logistics management at American Public University, provides tips for advancing your career through online learning.

1. Understand online learning. Online courses use the Internet to deliver material through multiple models, including real-time interactive video conferencing and Webcasts, non-interactive Web-enabled content, and asynchronous courses, which are not held in real time but provide many traditional classroom features, such as interaction between faculty and students.
2. Determine which type of learning suits you best. The main differences between online and traditional courses are student-instructor interaction and scheduling. Online learning interaction is virtual through real-time or asynchronous conversations such as discussion boards, where instructors provide assignment questions and students respond with original posts and comment on other responses. Some online learning offers students scheduling flexibility, while other courses mimic traditional classrooms with fixed meeting times.
3. Decide if you want a degree, certification, or just education. Online institutions offer students the option of taking individual courses without committing to an entire degree.
4. Look for a legitimate accredited institution. Universities that award undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates should be accredited by the regional Higher Learning Commission, the same institution that accredits traditional institutions, and the Sloan Consortium, a group of institutions and organizations committed to quality online education.
5. Ask the experts. Contact program alumni or current students to gather opinions about the course you’re considering.
6. Check your company’s requirements for advancement. Some companies consider advanced degrees in logistics and supply chain management a requirement for promotion beyond a certain level. Some do not. Make sure you understand the rules of promotion within your organization.
7. Learn the total cost of the program. Always check all the costs, including tuition and fees. A university should be able to quote you the entire cost of your education.
8. Seek financial aid. Federal government and military tuition assistance plans apply equally to accredited online learning and brick-and-mortar schools. Scholarships may also be available through the institution and external sources.
9. Make sure you have the proper tools. You don’t have to be a technology wizard, but you do need a computer with a high-speed Internet connection. Some online programs offer real-time video conferencing or Webcasts that use PowerPoint presentations and videos, but you should not need special software.
10. Investigate the opportunities available to program graduates. Make sure your online provider offers virtual career forums for recruiters to meet and interview prospective employees online.

- J. Mason

This is steadily becoming the hot topic in a lot of post high school education discussions. Online universities have an edge when it comes to convenience and availability that most brick and mortar schools can’t come close to. As for those deployed or overseas, continuing your education in an online classroom is a great option.

In this podcast, American Public University is mentioned for their growing number of students 70,000 and counting, availability to people across 50 states and over 100 countries worldwide.

Listen to this webcast now >

- J. Mason

Having children and a career can equal up to a jam-packed schedule with no room for additions. Going back  to school may have not been an option years ago, because of the travel involved in getting to campus, but with the great options in degree programs from online schools many mom’s are headed back to class.

Advancing your education with a degree online is one way to get where you want to be, without having to drive to get to it. At American Public University (APU) there are many mothers doing just that, going back to school online.

Panteha Vaghedi, a graduate student at APU, is a hard-working and loving mother of two pursuing her M.S. in Environmental Policy and Management. She feels the online environment makes getting a degree easier to do. “Since all the courses are online I really have the flexibility to work, take care of my kids and study when they go to bed at night,” says Vaghedi. “I was skeptical as to how much I would learn and pick up from online classes. But to my surprise, the syllabus and organization of the classes are such that we learn a great deal from the teacher and each other. I am really happy that I gave it a try.”

An article came out recently discussing the availability of online education to  mothers planning on returning to school. A question was posed whether mothers attending school are leaving off in their parenting, the answer? “Not at all,” says Frank Mayadas, program director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, an association of more than 900 institutions and organizations of higher education engaged in online learning. ‘Rather, eLearning gives students with busy schedules — like moms — the opportunity to receive a quality education on their own terms. As Mayadas explains, online programs remove the obstacles of transportation and time, and provide a way for individuals to balance their professional goals with their personal priorities.’

“A back–to–school mom is being a living example, showing her children how to establish goals that extend out from the family,” says Thomas Haller, MDiv, MSW, DST family therapist, and author of “The Ten Commitments: Parenting with Purpose” (Personal Power Press, 2005). “She shows her children how to structure time, set limits, and reach personal goals — lessons that her kids will carry with them the rest of their lives.”

Some suggested techniques for making online education work…

Four Keys to Mommy’s School Success

1. Learn to say no. Balancing mommyhood and school is a feat in itself. It’s acceptable to say no to friends and family sometimes. Be upfront that your schedule makes it unrealistic to book too many plans or dates.
2. Put yourself first. Take your friends up on babysitting offers, and use the time to study and complete assignments.
3. Schedule quiet time. Set aside an hour during the day where your children have ‘quiet time.’ Turn the phone ringer off and explain to your children that for the next hour you will be working.
4. Schedule housework time. Believe it not, taking a mental break away from your hectic life may be just what you need to brainstorm or come up with that great new idea.

Read more on this study from AOL >

With a variety of options at their fingertips, mother’s are in a great position to advance in their careers through education. See what online learning has to offer you. Learn more about whether online learning is right for you >

- By J. Mason

Top 10 things you should consider before deciding

Tuesday, April 6, 2010  11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

Register Today >

Our webcast will consist of a roundtable discussion of the top questions prospective students face when considering online education.  Our roundtable will feature a current online student, a graduate from an online program, and a representative from an online school.  Hear their perspectives and ask your own questions too!

With increasing competition in the job market, one way to stand out is with a career-focused degree. According to a 2009 Sloan Consortium survey, more than 4.6 million students were enrolled in online education¹. Pursuing an online degree may be a better fit for your lifestyle, so you can balance work and family with your education and still take advantage of affordable, quality education. You won’t even have to commute!

Register today to get an insider’s perspective of pursuing an online degree and find out if online learning is right for you. 

Top 10 Questions Our Guest Speakers Will Discuss:

1. How does online education compare to the classroom?
2. What to expect when enrolling in an online school?
3. How are online degrees perceived?
4. Is your school accredited?
5. How much will it cost and how can you pay for school?
6. What kind of support is offered by the online school?
7. What does the technology look like and how do the classrooms work?
8. What are the requirements for success as an online student?
9. What kind of assignments, exams, and projects do you have?
10. Why APU? How are we different from other schools?

The webcast will also include a question and answer session so you can ask your own questions!

For more information on this special webcast event >

- Online Learning Tips Staff

What to Expect:
Your First Week of School Online

Equipped with your class schedule in-hand, map of the campus, books in your arms for classes that day, and plenty of fresh paper to write on; a hot cup of coffee and some sleep the night before and you’re ready for your first week of school. Oh wait, wrong scenario; this is your first week of school online.

Being an online student means you don’t need to commute to a campus for classes each week, you don’t have heavy books to drag around with you, and there’s no need to worry about making it to class on time (or even worrying about what to wear). Navigating around the virtual classroom and the online campus can be difficult at first for some, but with time, assistance from support at your school, and webinars, you’ll be good to go in no time.

At an online university, the first week of classes is pretty similar to what you might experience at a brick and mortar institution. The main difference is that there is no face to face interaction, and you’re doing it all from your computer. Don’t let the digital platform fool you. It still takes a lot of discipline just like in other schools, brick and mortar especially, to get the class work turned in on time. You still need to complete writing assignments; and for some, time management becomes a new skill you need to refine in order to survive.

We recently caught up with Angel Garcia, a student at American Public University (APU), who went back to school to get his M.A. in Management. He filled us in about his first week of school online.

“This was my first time taking an online class. I heard through friends that you really needed to budget your personal time. When I initially reviewed the class syllabus I was a little concerned about the workload, however, after the first couple weeks I got into the groove of the class and switched around some personal things to make time for class.”

As with most experiences in college, life gets in the way. An online school is no exception. Even though the class starts at APU are more flexible, (courses start monthly that last for either six or eight weeks), it means more personal responsibility. Instead of having to attend class on a regular basis so you don’t get marked off for non-attendance, you have to log into the classroom for assignment completion and discussion board posting.

“Part of the curriculum for APU is weekly discussions. Generally in the first week you introduce yourself, where you reside at, and your tenure in the degree program. I received encouragement from other senior students,” said Garcia. Most online schools grade students through weekly assignments, discussion board participation, papers and exams. It seems similar to what you would find at a brick and mortar school, but the main difference is there is no physical attendance and you alone have to motivate yourself to log in every week and complete your assignments.

For most online students three classes is considered a full course load. The amount of classes a student chooses to take at a time varies on the degree level they’re trying to obtain and their other obligations such as work and family. This still means there is a lot of time and effort involved, especially when you don’t have three or four months to complete a few classes, instead you have a matter of weeks. Online course work is more involved because you have a new assignment every week usually, as opposed to traditionally just having a mid-term and a final with the possibility of quizzes in-between.

“I enrolled in three classes my first semester. I didn’t want to double up because I wanted to be successful in each class,” said Garcia. “Do not underestimate the workload of the class. Just because it’s an online university, there is a lot of time you have to commit to it. Manage your time and don’t become complacent and you will succeed.”

With the first week of classes Garcia recommends “asking your counselor for the syllabus or research for the required books you need because there is generally an assignment due the first day of class.” If the workload looks like it may be too much, it might be best to consult with an advisor on what works best with your schedule.

There is also a great support staff for students at online universities. Just like other schools, there are student advisors that will explain the process to you, what classes you need to take to achieve your goals, and any other guidance you might expect. But in order to encourage progression, students need to connect with their advisors as needed. It’s the responsibility of the student to contact their advisor when they have questions, need assistance or advice on changing degree paths, or need tutoring and counseling services. Staying in touch by phone or e-mail is crucial. This also goes for communication with your professors.

Just like students, professors in the online environment have to work harder too. They’re dedicating themselves to a format that doesn’t allow them to meet their students face to face. Distance educators are also expected to dedicate a number of hours each week to the online classroom. It’s not as easy as a mass posting of assignments, then sitting back and grading what comes in. Online professors dedicate themselves to the online format by refining communication skills, time management and making themselves available (in the virtual sense.) They can achieve this level of accessibility by responding to your discussion posts, chatting with you through the online classroom chat feature or replying to an e-mail. It takes a lot of time and dedication on their part, not to mention devotion to research, in order to create virtual lesson plans. Most people are mobile with their computers and e-mails, making this form of communication more accessible.

If you’re looking for a place to unwind from classes your first week then look into exploring the online campus. Online you can stop and have a coffee break whenever you like, from the convenience of your own home. You can “attend class” from a coffee shop, outdoors, or anywhere you choose that has an internet connection. As for upcoming events, or chatting with fellow students, most online schools have a virtual student lounge where they can congregate and communicate with other distance learners. There are also university-run student groups, honor societies, and an abundance of social media groups to join.

Your first week of school is what you make it. Keep your motivation in check and reach out when help is needed. Going back to school doesn’t have to be an ordeal – take some courses online and see for yourself.

- By J. Mason, Online Learning Tips Staff Editor

Wednesday, March 3, 2010  11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

Register Today >

Have you ever handled a document over 150 years old? The American Civil War left behind a vast paper trail of soldiers’ letters and diaries, as well as newspapers and periodicals; all of these documents provide accounts of crucial events of the era, enabling historians to piece together the events that shaped America’s past during this defining time.

Learn more about this special webcast.

Dr. Steven E. Woodworth, Professor of History at American Public University, and Tom Daccord, Educational Technology Specialist at Best of History Web Sites, will discuss researching and handling original Civil War documents through the Internet and how they apply it to their own projects.

About our Guest Speakers: 

• Steven E. Woodworth, Professor, American Public University, School of Arts and HumanitiesDr. Woodworth (Ph.D., Rice University, 1987) is professor of history at American Public University and author, co-author, or editor of twenty-seven books. Some of the courses he teaches include: Historical Research Methods, The Civil War: Seminal Event in American History, and Civil War Command & Leadership. Read More…

• Tom Daccord, Educational Technology Specialist, Best of History Web SitesBest of History Web Sites was created in 2001 by Tom Daccord, 15-year history teacher and co-director of EdTechTeacher, Inc. Tom is an educational technology specialist and author of Best Ideas for Teaching with Technology: A Practical Guide for Teachers by Teachers and The Best of History Web Sites.A veteran “laptop teacher” who instructed in a wireless laptop environment for seven years, Tom has been featured in the Boston Globe (Making Tech Connect, December 29, 2003) for his contributions to teaching and technology. Read More…

The Kindle and book readers in early 2010

The Kindle, Nook, and a slew of electronic book readers are rapidly emerging on the scene. They offer great features–easy reading screens, ability to hold hundreds of books, limited Web access, and automated searching.

While useful, they also are not quite ready for online education. The Kindle, for example, currently lacks pagination for use in the formal citations that your professors love. It is also not ADA 508 compliant–doesn’t provide sufficient access for blind and handicapped as required for universities by Federal law. Most importantly for our undergraduates, APUS doesn’t have mechanisms to purchase licenses for student use or to provide direct links from the classroom. You will need to buy such volumes on your own–like students at other schools.

We expect this situation to change. One reader coming on the market offers dual screens, which could in theory be used to ingest a classroom and provides other application benefits for those in the sciences. We will continue to monitor and invite student comments to help in the quest.

Unfortunately, we’re still in the early stages of the Web revolution. It took a full fifty years after Guttenberg before Aldus Manutius invented the pocket book and the portable reading delights, which we hope the Kindle can ultimately match.

By Fred Stielow, Dean of Libraries & Educational Materials
American Public University System

For students complaining of writer’s block for an assignment, something as simple as taking a walk outside can bring around a whole new perspective on what you’ve been working on.

We recently came across an interesting case study, conducted by psychology students at the University of Chicago, to determine the most effective study break. Student volunteers were given sequences of 3 to 9 numeric digits and asked to repeat them in reverse. If the experimenter said “6-1-9″ then the student would respond “9-1-6″. After 14 tests like this, the students were told to take an hour-long walk through an arboretum, or the downtown area.

When the students returned from the break, the test was repeated. It turned out that the walk through nature improved the subjects’ cognitive thinking skills and they performed much better on the digit-span and visual attention tasks.

This small study took an old and simple concept and gave it new life. Be it taking a walk through a nearby park, or sitting out by a tree in the yard, being closer to nature is a great way to unwind and re-energize your thoughts. If you’re not the woodsy type, even viewing an image of an outdoor landscape on your computer or on a wall in a coffee shop can help get your mind in the right place.

Read more about this study >

Typically the warning signs of failure in school are clear-cut. Your grades are C’s or lower, constantly asking for extensions, getting incompletes on assignments, or you simply don’t understand anything going on in the class. What’s worse is that some people don’t realize they’re failing until the final grade is posted. Waiting until the last minute to rectify your standing in the class is not a good idea. Be proactive about classwork, and ask for help before the final test.

Still not sure where you stand in school. The reasons could be staring you in the face, and you haven’t picked up on them yet:

1. You have a C or D average: This means you’re not mastering the content, but possibly getting by without fulling understanding the material. This is particuarly dangerous with an online class, since you don’t meet face to face with the professor to discuss your grade and how to improve it. Don’t be your own worst enemy, ask the teacher what you need to work on before the class ends.
2. Constantly needing extensions or getting incompletes: If you depend on these modes of grading as an educational crutch as opposed to something circumstantial , then it might be time to evaluate if you have time for school. This may mean you can’t keep up with the page of college. Good time management skills can help here.
3. You spend too much time doing reading or homework: Typically professors assign work with time constraints in mind. Meaning they take into the account that a student may be in more than one class and possibly working. The assignments are greated towards being done in a manageable period of time. If you find you spend all your time on the work then you may instead have an issue with comprehending the course material. *This could be relative, some teachers don’t take these factors into account in relation to time span of the class and outside factors.
4. Too much time on social networks: Checking status updates, fan pages, tweets, or new videos is a good way to pass a half hour to maybe an hour a day, but if you find you can’t tear yourself away long enough to get your work done then you need to break your bad habit.
5. You hate where you are: If you really dread school every week, and just find yourself putting things off in order to not deal with them, then you need to rethink what you’re doing. Maybe school isn’t the place for you to be, or maybe try a new program. If you’re unhappy it will show in your grades, attitudes towards assignments, and length of time it takes to get your degree. Try contacting your student advisor if you’re unhappy and want a change, they’re there to help you.

With tuition hikes abound at numerous schools throughout the country, many parents and students are finding the cost to attend school a little hard to swallow. Florida college students are looking at possible 15% annual increases to attend school. On the other coast, California college students are already looking at a 30% increase for tuition rates.

According to this Associated Press article, students are dropping out of school to pay off student loans just a few semesters away from graduation. Those that do graduate are facing an enormous debt burden.  It’s a hard hitting reality; and because of this economic climate, many students are seriously rethinking their education options.

However, there are other ways to attend school without sacrificing your bank account or credit rating. Online learning is one great alternative option for those who want a quality education that’s still affordable. Some degrees offered through online schooling, at American Public University (APU) for example, are:

• Bachelor of Arts in Child and Family Development
• Bachelor of Science in Public Health
• Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence Studies

There are over 100 certificate and degree programs offered at APU, which has an affordable undergraduate and graduate-level tuition that compares favorably to most state schools. If a degree online wasn’t something you first considered, take a second look at what these schools have to offer. With the rate of tuition steadily increasing, the online environment may be a better option.

For more information on going to school online, or to learn more about programs at APU, e-mail info@apus.edu.