Distance Education: Virtual Education in an increasingly Virtual World

The world is becoming increasingly dependent on internet technology to achieve business and corporate outcomes and so it’s not surprising that education is also moving online with a dramatic increase in the number of universities offering distance education using virtual class rooms and online forums to deliver their degree programs to students.

Some professions such as social work, teaching and medical professions have a severe shortage of trained personnel to maintain an acceptable level of service to the community. Some of the regions serviced by these professionals are isolated and away from access to regular learning institutions, and yet there are people living in these areas who could bring local knowledge and experience to the table—if they were able to receive training without the expense and inconvenience of relocation.

Other adults such as mothers of small children who are intending to re-enter the work force, may not be able to access child care to enable them to study full-time until their children are at school and they are able to plan their day to attend lectures.

To meet this shortage demand and to take advantage of a generation of computer literate people who enjoy the idea of studying social work from home, many countries are subsidizing or providing income supported training to enable people who otherwise could not attend university due to life’s circumstances to do so.

Social work is one area that will benefit from an increased number of personnel in areas of greatest need. The remote and isolated communities in such countries as Canada, the USA and Australia rely on social workers to case manage their clients from a distance and fly in to those remote communities to maintain contact with them. They often have little community awareness and no language ability and this may impede their ability to offer the much needed support to their clients.

A person, who lives in the region, perhaps knows the local language and customs and the community dynamics that trains as a social worker will be able to offer a more personalized approach to case management. This same benefit may also apply to nursing, teaching and other community service professions as well.

Online classrooms are becoming technologically advanced, offering many of the same functions as a conventional class room. Email and social networking sites decrease the isolation often felt when a student studies alone. Distance Education is potentially the future of education.