Looking after our health and well-being is something none of us can ignore in daily life. This is true whether you are thinking about your career or personal life. Promoting well-being is also essential for students, especially those who decide to study on a distance learning basis.
While there are many advantages to this mode of study, some people worry about learning remotely, and whether they will get the support they need from their university. The good news is that the best online education providers take multiple steps to look after your well-being and take the “distance” out of distance learning.
Here’s a look at how they are helping students feel at ease.
Increased pastoral care is available online.
In the past, it might have been true in some cases that the level of pastoral support for distance learners was poor or not up to the standard given to students who studied in person. This is no longer true at the best online providers, however.
Wilkes University is one of the most respected institutions for online learning and shows just what superb pastoral support is now offered to people who choose remote education. This level of support for academic and more personal issues means distant learners do not feel forgotten about or far removed from normal university life.
Tech can help reduce the feeling of distance.
By building the use of handy tech into the fabric of online courses, institutions can make e-learners feel closer to the action and keep tabs on their overall mental state. This can be especially useful if staff can pick up on a student who appears down or depressed when using the latest tech to communicate with them.
Many of the best providers will also use video conferencing technology for students to contact tutors in a more personal, connected way. Classic examples of this are online providers who enable students to contact staff easily through email, text messages or messaging apps. If you add tech that brings remote student cohorts together (such as WhatsApp groups on mobile devices), it is easy to see how tech can help.
Online classes bring everyone together.
Of course, virtual classes that use the latest online technology are also key to promoting remote learners’ well-being and sense of connection to the system. By using platforms such as Zoom, providers can give students the feeling of attending formal lectures with everyone else in their cohort, so they feel less isolated when studying at home.
Modern online providers take the distance out of distance learning.
Many still fear that studying a distance learning course means they will be left isolated and have little access to the support they need. However, this is not true in the modern age, and the best online providers have a range of ways to stop this from happening. Just as finding out what to know about intense asthma is important for asthmatics, anyone looking into remote learning should learn more about how providers protect their well-being.
