About Distance Education with Australian College

Distance education began for the delivery of courses to students who live in remote areas. Over the years, though, this form of education has become the preferred method for learning outside of the classroom.

Distance Education is now undertaken by people with busy schedules, hectic lifestyles, special needs, and also those living in isolated areas. What's more, with such flexible learning options you can choose to study at any time and from any location you like.

There are a number of different forms of distance education and it's important to know which method you prefer:

• Correspondence learning: your course materials are printed and sent out to you by mail/courier. The advantages are that you have a printed set of reference materials, you can study anywhere and you are not reliant on a computer, you can learn for long periods of time.
• eLearning: your course materials are provided to you in multimedia format; that is, on CD/DVD. In this way you can choose to take your study materials within you and learn anywhere in the world with just a laptop.
• Online learning: no materials are sent to you and you do all your learning online. The limitation is that you need to be logged onto a computer (though you may be able to download and print some of your materials yourself, though this can cost you more in ink), there is a limit to how much you can absorb and do online, and most people's attention span on-screen is limited to 20 minutes (your eyes get tired after that).
• Broadcast learning: where you tune into a series of television, radio or Internet broadcasts (e.g. podcast, YouTube, etc.).
• Teleconferencing: where your lessons are conducted in real time through an Internet connection. Limitations are that streaming can be slow, connections can cause problems (students and teachers generally need to be computer literate) and there can be delays in talk-time, depending on software, hardware and connection capabilities.

Australian College provides most of its distance education courses via correspondence (so you receive all the materials you require delivered to your doorstep). Most courses include textbooks, CDs/DVDs and/or supplementary online topics. Students also receive password access to the eCampus, which provides additional supplements, activities and the Student Discussion Forum.

Australian College has chosen tutor-assisted correspondence learning supplemented with a blend of other supporting methods because research has shown students prefer their course materials in print form. The tutor-assisted component of our correspondence learning approach ensures students aren't simply enrolled and forgotten about. We provide student support through direct contact with our College Advisers, regular updates through eNews and annual Newsletters,

And we provide the highest standard of tutoring service. Our tutors are industry professionals who all work in the field they are tutoring. In other words, they are not teachers who happen to know something about the subject; they are experts who work in the industry they tutor in. Our tutors work from home and usually tutor part-time while they run their own professional businesses or work in-house for like businesses. For instance, our photography tutors are professional photographers by day while they tutor after hours and on weekends.

At the commencement of your course you receive a beautifully presented College binder with a starter pack of course materials. Each learning module contains a tutorial (learning content and activities) and an assignment (project marked by your tutor). The tutorials form the structure of your course and each tutorial builds on the previous one as you work through the course.

Additional textbooks are not required, however, we recommend basic equipment for most courses such as a dictionary, calculator, etc. For many (but not all) of our courses you will need access to your own computer and printer. If you don't own a computer, you may be able to use your local library facilities or access one at your local community centre or Internet cafe. It also helps to have your own Internet connection with email account or access to one so you can undertake research and email your assignments to the college, and also so you can contact other students in your course.

With Correspondence and eLearning you have up to 3 years, plus a further 2 years conditional extension, to complete your course and graduate. So you can proceed with the course at your own pace according to your learning method. If other commitments interfere, you can defer your studies at any time during this period. With Online you have up to 1 year; class-based students may be limited by dates; public students may be limited by limited by government requirements.

Click on the Course List at any time in the main menu to learn more about your particular course.