| Summary: Correspondence courses, generally handled through the US Postal Service, continue to be viable options for people without access to either local courses or high speed Internet connection. For these people in particular, a correspondence course can be ideal. |
Thinking of taking a correspondence course, or perhaps several correspondence courses? The fundamental consideration for choosing any distance learning option is essentially two-fold. First, distance learning allows potential students to study at home, accessing courses that are not readily available in their local area. Second, by being able to take such courses at home, on a person’s own time, at the pace that fits you, then you can continue to make your daily responsibilities to work and to family a priority and fit in your studies at those times that work best for you.
Though the Internet continues to be the greatest driving force behind the expansion of distance learning options, a tried and tested method of distance delivery, referred to as correspondence coursework, is still in use at a wide variety of academic institutions. Correspondence courses, generally handled through the US Postal Service, continue to be viable options for people who seek course work not readily available in their back yard, particularly for those who do not have current or regular access to a high speed internet connection. These courses have some of the general parameters of all college classes but again feature the concept of learning at home under a self-prescribed timeline.
Students interested in correspondence courses submit an application and once accepted will receive a set of course materials in the mail. Generally students will receive a syllabus, a proposed timeline and a list of source materials that may be either purchased or found at the local library. Correspondence course students basically teach themselves the topics but the course materials will always include questions, practice problems, and other supporting materials all designed to help students better understand as well as practice the knowledge they are gaining.
Assignments, as well as student questions, are handled by mail, with the better schools providing very specific time promises as to when the student will receive feedback. Along the way, once students believe they have mastered the material, they will often have some form of test to take. During many correspondence courses, this will be the only time students will have to leave their home to meet a course expectation. Students will be asked to go to a test center of some form where an independent party will be asked to stipulate that the student is performing the exam under a set of required conditions. In many cases, a local library may be used as such a test center and the signature of the local librarian adequate for test certification.
As with all distance learning, there are suggested time frames for completing a course though a student may request an extension (or several) if necessary. The correspondence course option will generally take students a bit longer to complete than that of an online offering due to the simple fact that the time to mail items back and forth will take longer than utilizing the Internet. However, the correspondence course option still remains an extremely viable option for students and continues to offer the location and self-pacing opportunities that form the basis for the consideration of distance learning.
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