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E-learning: Distance Learning on the Internet

It's 10 A.M. Angela gets out of bed, brushes her teeth, and washes her face. She walks into the kitchen, makes a cup of coffee, and sits down at her computer. She logs on to her university's Web site and checks an e-mail from her economics professor about an assignment that is due on Tuesday. Then, she accesses the course message boards to read student comments about the week's assignment. She reviews this week's presentation online and then continues working on the economics problem set she has to finish for tomorrow evening.

How is Angela's experience different from a traditional university classroom experience? Well, for one thing, today is Sunday, and Angela is "at school." But for Angela, it doesn't matter because the doors to this "virtual university" are open 24 hours a day. She can submit homework assignments, review student discussions, and, although the university is in the United States, she can review her professor's presentation from her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Another thing that distinguishes Angela from traditional students is that she is not a full-time student. She is taking classes part-time to complete her business degree while working full-time for a computer software company. She can interact with and read comments from students all around the world in her virtual international classroom. Does it sound futuristic? Well, it is already happening on personal computers around the world.

In the information age, where knowledge is power, many full- and part-time professionals are going online to further their education and professional knowledge, obtaining multiple master’s degrees and other types of qualifications. Distance education has expanded significantly in the last few years because of the development of the Internet. The advantages distance learning offers to working professionals include convenience, flexibility, and the opportunity to accommodate multiple learning styles. In areas where unemployment is high or where tight work schedules can't accommodate traditional learning, e-learning has become very popular.

But skeptics wonder if distance education programs maintain a high quality of instruction and if they offer enough interaction with the instructor and other students in the class. It is still difficult to say if distance education is better than the classroom-based experience; it requires extra effort from the student and the teacher. However, the virtual classroom seems to be here to stay, and many people are taking advantage of it.

Recognizing the Main Idea

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1	A reading passage may include many ideas, but there is one main idea. This is the most important idea of the reading. It is an "umbrella" that includes all of the more specific ideas. Choose the main idea statement from the list below. All of these statements are true, but only one is the main idea.
	A)	Learning online can be more flexible and convenient than attending classes at a physical university.
	B)	Because of its convenience and flexibility, online distance education programs are becoming more popular as an alternative to traditional learning.
	C)	Many students who learn online work full- or part-time.
	D)	While e-learning is popular, some people believe that the quality of education isn't as good as in traditional programs.

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E-learning: Distance Learning on the Internet

Recognizing the Main Idea

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