Getting an Online Degree|超热门的线上学位

by William Ryan

Online degrees are one of the hottest global trends.

　　Have you ever considered pursuing a college degree online? In the not-so-distant past, such degrees were perceived as inferior and commanded little respect from academics and employers alike. Now all that has changed and online education is one of the fastest growing global trends. The online student population is expanding by 30 percent per year, and approximately 86 percent of colleges and universities now offer online degree programs. Included among them are top tier American universities like Duke and NYU.

　　Why has earning a degree primarily through the Internet become so appealing? There are several reasons. College graduates are less likely to be unemployed, even in today's economy, and their earning potential is much higher than that of non-college graduates. Another reason boils down to the flexibility of this approach. For the full-time employed, and those with families to care for, joining the ranks of the highly educated has become much more attainable.

　　However, hard work is essential. Online students have to study and apply themselves the same as conventional classroom students. Course work is assigned online and is usually posted on websites, along with related articles. There are links for lectures and supplementary materials. Student papers are submitted by email and professors typically hold office hours via online chatting programs. The Internet seems the ideal medium for the convergence of all the latest learning tools. Tuition fees for online programs are comparable to classroom-based ones, but being able to keep your day job and reduce transportation and parking costs will add up to real savings.

　　If you're thinking about getting an online degree, be sure to do your homework. Research the institutions you are considering. Online degrees are well accepted as long as the chosen university is known and respected.

     1.     According to the article, which of the following is NOT a reason for the growth in popularity of online degree programs?

(A) Online degrees have become more accepted recently.

(B) College graduates everywhere face worse job prospects.

(C) Online college degrees offer flexibility.

(D) Online college degrees are relatively cheap.

     2.     How has online study made college education more attainable?

(A) People with low incomes can now afford higher education.

(B) It is due to increased availability of online degree programs.

(C) Explosive economic growth has fueled the online study trend.

(D) People lacking computer skills were previously unable to go to college.

     3.     Which of the following statements is true?

(A) Online courses are less demanding than traditional classroom ones.

(B) Reading assignments are first mailed to students in paper form.

(C) Online classes make full use of available Internet tools.

(D) Skype is used exclusively for watching lectures.

     4.     In comparing online study programs and classroom-based programs, which of the following statements is true?

(A) Online study programs are more challenging because they require computer literacy.

(B) Classroom-based programs are easier because students can interact with the      professor and each other.

(C) Classroom-based programs are more difficult because students are held to a higher standard.

(D) Both types of programs are equal in terms of the level of difficulty.

超热门的线上学位

线上学位是全球最热门的趋势之一。

　　你是否曾想过要攻读在线大学学位呢？在不久之前，这类的学位还被视为次等学位，且不太受到学者和雇主的重视。现在，一切都改变了，在线教育已是全球成长最快速的趋势之一。在线学生的人数以每年百分之三十的速度扩张，且大约有百分之八十六的大专院校现正提供线上学位课程。其中包括杜克大学和纽约大学等美国顶尖大学。

　　为什么主要透过网络来获得学位的方式会变得如此吸引人呢？有几个原因。即使是在现今的经济情况下，大学毕业生也不太可能会失业，他们赚钱的潜力远比非大学毕业生来得大。另一个原因可归结于此种方法的弹性。对于全职的上班族以及有家庭需要照顾的人来说，加入高学历的行列变得更容易达到了。

　　然而，努力是必要的。在线学生和传统课堂上的学生一样必须用心学习。课程作业会在在线指定，而且通常会和相关文章一起张贴在网站上。网站上还有连结可以提供授课及补充教材。学生的报告以电子邮件方式缴交，且教授通常会透过在线聊天程序来让学生进行咨询。网络对所有最新学习工具的整合来说似乎是一种理想的媒介。在线课程的学费和以课堂授课为主的学费相去不远，不过那让你能够继续从事白天的工作，并减少交通和停车费用，这些加起来才真正让你省到钱。

　　如果你正在考虑要攻读线上学位，那务必要做功课。研究一下你所考虑的学习机构。只要你所选择的大学是知名且受重视的，线上学位是广泛被接受的。

答案： 1.   B   2.   B   3.   C   4.   D

 

　　远距教学最早可回溯到 1728 年，一位名叫菲利浦‧克拉伯的老师在波士顿公报上登了个广告，试图为他所教导的新速记法招揽每周来上课的学生。

　1840 年代，艾赛克‧皮特曼爵士在英国经由通信教授速记法，是最早被实行的现代远距教学。而邮政业务在 19 世纪的发展致使商业通讯协会在全国各地蓬勃的成长。

　　伦敦大学在 1858 年创立校外课程，是第一所提供远距教学学位的学校。推广在家学习之社群在 1873 年于麻州的波士顿成立。德国的哈根函授大学在 1974 年所制定的一些制度，日后在国际上被广为沿用，大多被命名为公开大学（Open University），其中有许多进而转型为巨型大学（可招收超过 10 万名学生的新制大学）。

（数据源：维基百科）