Friday, April 10, 2015

How To Avoid £9,000 Tuition Fees And Still Earn A Degree





Are you getting ready to study a university degree? Do you think it is good idea even as college fees are rising? What if I told you there is a better way to earn a degree without getting crippled with student debt? Here we are going to have a look at the rising cost of higher education in the UK and how you can study in an affordable way. Read on...

Education Is Expensive

Let's face it, rising college tuition fees is one of the most serious concerns for most aspiring students and their parents. As a result of this, majority of college-goers are feeling the compulsion to take out a heavy student loan to cover their education expenses. Apart from the United States, the United Kingdom is also struggling with rising student debt and how it is affecting the education, career and earnings of students. Even if the government is trying to deal with the situation, there are several factors that are creating obstacles and making the situation worse for most students.

Is There Any Hope For Affordable Degrees?

Recently, I found out that there was a notion to drop tuition fees across UK from £9,000 to £6,000, but the Labour party is now feeling the pressure get rid of the idea. Recently, former Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and present Business Secretary Vince Cable under Labour raised issues about cutting fees to £6,000 a year. According to Cable, the plans taken by Labour were nothing but a “populist gesture” and “very foolish.” Moreover, Lord Mandelson warned that such cuts in college fees can compel institutes to cut down on important courses like the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths).

Lord Mandelson said “Whilst I strongly welcome foreign students to Britain, I would not want to see them receiving preference over British students because of the greater income they bring to universities,” in a speech to university vice-chancellors. In an interview before speech he commented “I think you have to consider whether there is a clamour for change - whether there is a demand for it and whether taxpayers would be happy with the alternative use of funding it if the taxpayer part would have to rise.”

He believes that Labour must keep the door open for consultation if there is any possibility of moving ahead with such a pledge. He thinks that Labour also needs to clarify from where the funding would come in order to compensate the tuition cuts. Lord Mandelson added “Any solution that leaves the universities less funded than they are at the moment is not the right solution.”

Why You Need A Degree

Although he may be right, but like most students I do believe that a £9,000 tuition is excessive for earning a college degree. As a result of this most students are now wondering they should skip college and join the workforce. But starting your career by skipping college can severely damage your career and earning potential in future. The fact remains that most employers still value a degree and certain jobs require that you gain some specific skills to be even eligible for an interview. In this scenario, earning a higher education degree is a necessity for most students. But is it even possible to earn an affordable degree without taking student loan?

Online Study Is Exactly What You Need

Yes! Simply opt for an online distance learning top up programme. Online distance learning courses can help you to gain the right skills and knowledge without emptying your savings account. As this programmes are highly affordable and flexible, many learners from around the world are now pursuing online studies to earn an accredited degree and start their careers in the best possible way. As demands for distance learning is growing, many reputed UK universities are now offering their courses online to reach more students worldwide. This guarantees that you will recieve quality education as the programmes are primarily developed and conducted by in-house faculty.

When you pursue a distance learning top- up programme , you will receive various academic, professional and economic benefits. This is the reason why so many learners and professionals across the globe are choosing online study over traditional college education. Moreover, it will help to boost your career as numerous leading employers are now recognising and accepting online qualifications.

So if you want a great start to your dream career and wish to earn an affordable yet accredited degree, then studying an online distance programme is your best bet.

Are you an online learner? Or are you planning to study online? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with me by commenting here.

Article Source: ind.pn/1B4rBDZ

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Why Educators Must Use Social Media In The Classroom



With more and more young people talking to social media to express their opinions in a public platform, it's about time that educators realise its value in making learning more engaging and effective. Growing numbers of teachers are now increasingly using popular online websites to better connect with their students. Social media is now being used in classrooms across the globe to encourage learning, instead of being considered as a distraction.

Here we are going to share 6 excellent ways for you to use social media and improve your classroom-

Understand what students are actually thinking

Communicating online is usually very different from the way we do it in person. Those learners who are reserved and shy in the classroom often communicate and contribute openly through special media. You can effectively use Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus to encourage learners to engage with one another and ask questions online. This result in prompt replies, opinions and discussions that will add to the learning experience.

Easy access to real-time materials

As social media enables us to share information directly with one another, you will get instant access to important news and relevant resources. Facebook and Twitter are undoubtedly a great source for accessing viral news which you can then share with your students. You can also assign daily tasks to individual students for monitoring news for relevant stories and topics.

Connect your classroom with others

Earlier enabling our students to connect with relevant experts and guest speakers required us to send either a handwritten letter or an email request. Then we needed to arrange for a speaker phone in the classroom to conduct the phone conference. But all that has changed thanks to social media. Now almost all academicians, experts in various fields, scientists, authors and celebrities have some public social media account which enables their followers to communicate with them directly. You can also use Skype in your classroom and invite guest speakers for video conferencing.

Expand your reach

One of the greatest benefits of social media is that it allows teachers to effectively communicate with their peers in different parts of the world. If you are using Twitter, then you may encourage your students to follow specific hashtags and connect with other students on a global level. You can also follow different accounts of publications and teachers from various nations.

Interact with families

Social media can help you to easily connect with the parents of students. You can tag them in relevant posts and keep them updated about the class. Most parents prefer to get continuous updates regarding what their kids are learning.

Encourage students to learn outside class

Using social media in homework and assignments can help teachers to make students more engaged and involved in lessons not only in the classroom, but even after they leave it. You can encourage your learners to establish Pinterest boards to depict the interests of leading characters in a particular novel. They can even gather information for mathematical conversion practice with the help of metric measurements.

How else do you think social media can help your classroom? Feel free to add to the discussion by sharing your ideas below.