Online Degree, Online Courses and Distance Learning in Australia

Australia is a vast and sparsely populated country in which huge swaths of land exist with few or no inhabitants. In part this is due to the arid climate in central and much of western Australia, but it is also a result of the islands relative isolation from other major land masses. The settling of Australia by Europeans was a slow process compared with what happened in the Americas, and so indigenous population patterns subsist in many places. When it comes to education, this presents a unique challenge for Australians. Those few ranchers and modern-day pioneers who live in isolated towns in the Outback or other far-flung reaches of Australia have minimal access to higher education, since the commute to the nearest college or university could be hundreds or even thousands of miles. One solution to this problem is obvious: let people get their degrees over the internet. Even rural places in Australia are fairly well-integrated into the country’s rapidly expanding telecommunications network, and so distance learning is in many ways an ideal solution to the problem of expanding educational opportunities to people throughout Australian society.
 
The basic advantages and disadvantages of getting an online education in Australia are the same as they would be in any country. The greatest advantage, of course, is the ability of students in online courses to set their own schedule and work at their own pace. Online programs typically have no scheduled meeting times, and assignments can be turned in at whatever time is convenient for the student, as long as it is not after a prescribed due date. Students in online programs also do not have to transport themselves to a physical campus, which is an especially salient advantage for those living in a country as spread-out as Australia.
 
Of course, there are important disadvantages to be aware of as well. Perhaps the biggest is the fact that many employers do not hold degrees from online institutions to be as credible as those from more traditional bricks-and-mortar colleges and universities. In Australia, where online education has yet to establish a firm foothold in the greater educational system, this problem may be even more salient. However, the most extreme form of this problem – so-called “degree mills” that are little more than internet scams – are not as common in Australia as in some other places, due in large part to strong regulations. Overall, getting an online education in Australia is a good idea for students who for one reason or another are unable to attend a traditional program. If, on the other hand, getting a degree from a traditional college or university is compatible with the student’s funds, schedule, and lifestyle, it is usually considered to be the wiser choice.