Top Ten Distance Learning Resources

By Thomas Nixon

Distance learning is growing by leaps and bounds. Keeping up with all that it entails, determining which are good programs and which are not, and having a community of other distance learners means checking out what is available on the Internet. After all, online learners tend to spend large chunks of their days cruising the information superhighway.

At its core, this article is a list of the websites that I believe all distance learners should become familiar. They provide information, community, and shared experience.

Notice that 8 � 10 are three colleges. These three colleges are, for my money, the top distance learning colleges in the country. Why? They get it. They understand what distance learning is supposed to be in a way that few other colleges do. Even if you have chosen a different school, the information on their sites will be helpful to you.

1. Distancelearn.about.com. This website is part of the New York Times-owned About.com and offers a wide variety of articles and other types of information.

2. DegreeDiscussion.com. This websites is primarily for building community with other distance learners, but it has the added benefit of having real distance learning experts in residence. There is no question that cannot be answered.

3. Petersons.com/distancelearning. This website's strength is its search engine for distance learning programs.

4. BestOnlineHighSchools.com . A new site, but destined to become a useful site for students interested in earning a high school diploma online. The first site on the Internet dedicated solely to online high schools.

5. eLearners.com. A discussion forum, articles, and many colleges. A valuable site for students making the first foray into distance learning.

6. Degreeinfo.com. While this site does have some older articles, it's strength is its discussion forum (but my advice is to avoid the politics area!).

7. BAin4weeks.com. Learn how to earn a college degree very quickly. No, I don't think that you can really do it in four weeks. but you can do it in less than six months if you know how to test well.

8. Excelsior College (Excelsior.edu)

9. Charter Oak State College (CharterOak.edu)

10. Thomas Edison State College (TESC.edu)

Readers should understand that this list is only a jumping-off point for distance learning resources. Which sites will ultimately be of value to you is unclear. What is clear is that becoming a part of the distance learning world can help you become a successful online learner.

Thomas Nixon is the author of Complete Guide to Online High Schools. In it, he details how to earn a high school diploma online. The companion website, BestOnlineHighSchools.com, is the premier source of information on online high schools. Tom is also the manager of the college support website, CollegeAdvocates.com. His website is ThomasNixon.com.