Distance Learning Programs- Buyer Beware

Distance Education Online - Distance Learning Programs- Buyer Beware

Education has always been a subject of concern and an area of exploration for people of all ages. With the advance of technology the globe has the shrunk, distances lessened and access simplified. Distance learning is a boon for people who are interested in broadening their knowledge level with easier access. With the recent evolution of the Internet and the media and their important role in people’s daily routine, the advertisement of distance learning opportunities lure a lot of interested folks in joining the brigade.

Although Internet advertisements cater to a wide range of audiences, the credibility of the content posted on the web is still very questionable. There have been innumerable case of fraud, credit card scams and false promises so identifying a valid case from a fraud is a demanding task. Distance learning promotions are no exceptions. In fact to validate a scam or a fake distance learning program is much tougher than the ordinary fraudulent cases. Many people are fooled by fishy email messages about distance learning programs with their seemingly legitimate promotional content. Before enrolling for a learning program based on the promotions, some checklists ought to be verified and information needs to be gathered.

It should always be kept in mind that the promotional ad of the company is just a sales copy. Everything that is read should not be blindly believed. All the information provided in a commercial advertisement or research paper is designed to attract people to take further action. Often companies with huge advertising budgets are found to be fraudulent. It is their policy to impress the target customers through fancy websites and brochures. It is extremely important to verify all the given information.
The first most important thing to verify is the program’s claimed accreditation or affiliation with a particular institution. The accreditation should be confirmed with the concerned authorities and the current financial standing of the company and its legitimacy need to be checked. It should be noted that in case of absence of a valid accreditation the distance learning program and the awarded certificate or degree is worthless for a job or any promotion based on it. It is not mandatory that a company with a top level domain such as .edu is an educational institute.

Secondly, the training program, its content and duration should be clear to the enrollee. There have been many cases of unrealistic claims of institutions like an accelerated distance learning program which claims the full training in a reduced time frame. Also the luring into the so-called extremely cheap programs should be avoided as they generally are not worth it.

It is very important to verify the physical address and contact number of the training institutes. Especially for an online distance learning program the physical address and the phone number should be cross-examined and at least once, a chat with the representative of the company is recommended for complete satisfaction. It is a good practice to verify the credibility and opportunities of the offered courses with the references and contact resources to ensure legitimacy. A comprehensive research of the distance learning company is very crucial. The number of years in business, the instructors’ experience and testing criteria ought to be verified. The organizations like Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the consumer affairs agencies in the state can be contacted to check for past complaints against the company and the credibility of online companies.