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วันศุกร์, พฤศจิกายน 21, 2008
วันเสาร์, มิถุนายน 14, 2008
All about TOEFL : Get TOEFL USA scholarships review 2009
All about TOEFL
by Devanshi
One of the most important examinations for entry into a U.S college/university is TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The exam is must for both Undergraduate/Bachelor degree as well as Graduate/Masters students.
The prime objective is of TOEFL test is to judge a non-native English speaker's abilities to use and understand North American English (as it is written, spoken and heard).
More than 6,000 universities, colleges, sponsoring institutions, professional schools and scholarship programs in over 110 countries accept TOEFL exam scores to measure a candidate's English proficiency.
Remember, that although high TOEFL scores are given consideration, they do not guarantee an admission abroad. It is mandatory and therefore cannot be overlooked or omitted.
TOEFL is now a computer adaptive test, which can be taken all round the year. In India, the tests are held on Saturdays and Sundays.
The major sections in TOEFL are Listening Comprehension, Vocabulary and Reading Comprehensions, Speaking and Writing.
The test lasts approximately 4 1/2 hours. The time spent on each section is Listening- 60 to 90 minutes (34-51 questions), Reading 60-100 minutes (36-70 questions) Speaking- 20 minutes for 6 tasks, and 50 minutes for TOEFL essay questions. There is a mandatory 10-minute break mid-way through the test.
In the computer-adaptive exam, questions appear one at a time. Most are multiple choice questions. Be extremely careful as you can neither skip a question (next question will appear only when you have answered the current one) nor change answer for any attempted questions. Based on your answer, the computer adapts and poses appropriate difficulty level question. The first question is always of medium difficulty.
Educational Testing Service (ETS) conducts the TOEFL exam. It keeps the provision of sending your scores to four universities of your choice (cost included in fee structure). The names of these universities have to be submitted before you take the exam. Therefore, select universities based on your priority of applications. For a nominal fee, you can get the scores reported to additional colleges. TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years.
In India, the computer-based TOEFL exam costs US$165 (includes 4 score recipient universities cost and 1 examinee score report).
The TOEFL fee has to be paid in US Dollars denominated draft addressed to ETS-TOEFL. It should be payable in USA. Such a draft is available at main branches of Banks with a foreign exchange counter. You may also pay through a globally accepted Credit Card such as Visa, Master, Amex, Discover.
The ETS franchise in India is Prometric Testing Private Limited. Their address is: 2nd Floor, DLF Infinity Tower - A Sector 25, Phase ll DLF City, Gurgaon Haryana 122002 India. Phone- 91-124-4147700 Fax- 91-124-4147773/74
You may register by phone, online, in person (may buy forms at local currency) or mail/courier. If you are registering by mail or courier, fill the form, draft and ensure the documents reach at least 4 weeks in advance of your scheduled test date. If you do not receive a confirmation at least 3 days in advance of your first date choice, then contact Prometric Testing Private Limited.
It is better to register at least 90 days in advance to get a date of your own choice during the peak season (September to December). In normal scenario registrations have to be made at least 7 days prior to the test. For late registrations (3 days in advance) a fee of $25 is charged.
To schedule a datefor the exam, contact the Regional TOEFL Registration Center in New Delhi. The contact number is 011- 2651-1649.
In case you want to reschedule or cancel the exam, contact Prometric at least 3 working days in advance (before 12:00 noon). Rescheduling fees is $50.
Carry a valid ID such as passport (mandatory), driving license, government issued identification (same name as registration), recent photo and your registration number.
In India, TOEFL centers are in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Anand, Belgaon, Bhimavaram, Bhopal, Calicut, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Ernakulum, Gandhinagar, Guntur, Gurgaon, Indore, Jaipur , Kohlapur, Kottayam, KUrnul, Kurukshetra, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Madurai, Mangalore, Medak, Nagpur, Nashik, Noida, Panjim, Pondicherry, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Secundrabad, Srinagar, Surat, Thane, Thissur, Tirunelveli, Tirupati, Trichy, Trivandrum, Udaipur, Vadodara, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vallabh Vidyanagar and Warangal.
by Devanshi
One of the most important examinations for entry into a U.S college/university is TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The exam is must for both Undergraduate/Bachelor degree as well as Graduate/Masters students.
The prime objective is of TOEFL test is to judge a non-native English speaker's abilities to use and understand North American English (as it is written, spoken and heard).
More than 6,000 universities, colleges, sponsoring institutions, professional schools and scholarship programs in over 110 countries accept TOEFL exam scores to measure a candidate's English proficiency.
Remember, that although high TOEFL scores are given consideration, they do not guarantee an admission abroad. It is mandatory and therefore cannot be overlooked or omitted.
TOEFL is now a computer adaptive test, which can be taken all round the year. In India, the tests are held on Saturdays and Sundays.
The major sections in TOEFL are Listening Comprehension, Vocabulary and Reading Comprehensions, Speaking and Writing.
The test lasts approximately 4 1/2 hours. The time spent on each section is Listening- 60 to 90 minutes (34-51 questions), Reading 60-100 minutes (36-70 questions) Speaking- 20 minutes for 6 tasks, and 50 minutes for TOEFL essay questions. There is a mandatory 10-minute break mid-way through the test.
In the computer-adaptive exam, questions appear one at a time. Most are multiple choice questions. Be extremely careful as you can neither skip a question (next question will appear only when you have answered the current one) nor change answer for any attempted questions. Based on your answer, the computer adapts and poses appropriate difficulty level question. The first question is always of medium difficulty.
Educational Testing Service (ETS) conducts the TOEFL exam. It keeps the provision of sending your scores to four universities of your choice (cost included in fee structure). The names of these universities have to be submitted before you take the exam. Therefore, select universities based on your priority of applications. For a nominal fee, you can get the scores reported to additional colleges. TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years.
In India, the computer-based TOEFL exam costs US$165 (includes 4 score recipient universities cost and 1 examinee score report).
The TOEFL fee has to be paid in US Dollars denominated draft addressed to ETS-TOEFL. It should be payable in USA. Such a draft is available at main branches of Banks with a foreign exchange counter. You may also pay through a globally accepted Credit Card such as Visa, Master, Amex, Discover.
The ETS franchise in India is Prometric Testing Private Limited. Their address is: 2nd Floor, DLF Infinity Tower - A Sector 25, Phase ll DLF City, Gurgaon Haryana 122002 India. Phone- 91-124-4147700 Fax- 91-124-4147773/74
You may register by phone, online, in person (may buy forms at local currency) or mail/courier. If you are registering by mail or courier, fill the form, draft and ensure the documents reach at least 4 weeks in advance of your scheduled test date. If you do not receive a confirmation at least 3 days in advance of your first date choice, then contact Prometric Testing Private Limited.
It is better to register at least 90 days in advance to get a date of your own choice during the peak season (September to December). In normal scenario registrations have to be made at least 7 days prior to the test. For late registrations (3 days in advance) a fee of $25 is charged.
To schedule a datefor the exam, contact the Regional TOEFL Registration Center in New Delhi. The contact number is 011- 2651-1649.
In case you want to reschedule or cancel the exam, contact Prometric at least 3 working days in advance (before 12:00 noon). Rescheduling fees is $50.
Carry a valid ID such as passport (mandatory), driving license, government issued identification (same name as registration), recent photo and your registration number.
In India, TOEFL centers are in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Anand, Belgaon, Bhimavaram, Bhopal, Calicut, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Ernakulum, Gandhinagar, Guntur, Gurgaon, Indore, Jaipur , Kohlapur, Kottayam, KUrnul, Kurukshetra, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Madurai, Mangalore, Medak, Nagpur, Nashik, Noida, Panjim, Pondicherry, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Secundrabad, Srinagar, Surat, Thane, Thissur, Tirunelveli, Tirupati, Trichy, Trivandrum, Udaipur, Vadodara, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vallabh Vidyanagar and Warangal.
College Financial Aid Guide - 3 Steps to Secure a Scholarship : Get USA scholarships review 2009
College Financial Aid Guide - 3 Steps to Secure a Scholarship
by amelia@your-online-degree.info Amelia
Every student wants a scholarship to fund their college study, but not all students manage to secure one. Although you can apply for all scholarships that are opened for application, but you may not qualify for all and applying for scholarships which you are not qualified for will waste your time and efforts. You should only apply the scholarships that you are qualified for. Here are 3 important steps to secure a scholarship: 1. Get Your GPA As High As Possible Most scholarships are reserved for students with best academic results. Hence, the first thing you must do is get your GPA as high as possible so that you can qualify for more scholarships. Some scholarship application requirements required you to maintain a certain GPA through out your academic years while other might need you to achieve a certain GPA to qualify for application. Hence, your GPA is an important factor that will determine your opportunity to secure a scholarship. 2. Search & Apply For Scholarships The second thing you must do is searching for the scholarships which you are qualified for and apply for them. Be sure to read the requirements and prepare all the necessary documents to be attached with the application form. You can choose to search individual scholarship online or your school might have certain recommended scholarships for their students. You can also use the online free scholarship search services to help you match the scholarships with your qualification. The two most popular free scholarship searches are FastWeb and Scholarship Experts. They will send the details information about the proposed scholarships to your email address; what you need to do is review these scholarships and apply the scholarships you are interested in. These free scholarship search services are a great service to help you identify the scholarships that match your qualification so that you have the best chance to secure at least one. The only thing you should beware is the scholarship scams which try to cheat your money; they are around especially on internet, so you must double confirm about the scholarships offers before you make any payment if there is a processing fee involved. 3. Be Persistent To Follow Up On Your Application Today, most communications are through email, if you submit your scholarship application and put your email address in the contact column. Be sure to check your email periodically. There are students who submit their scholarship application but never check their email regularly; when they found out there is a scholarship offer which ask them to confirm their acceptance before the due date, but at the time they read their mail, it already past the due date. Don't miss any scholarship offer due to your laziness of checking your email. Don't give up and keep applying for scholarships until you secure one. You will have success if you keep persistently in applying the scholarships which you are qualified for. Summary The basic 3 steps to secure a scholarship to fund you college study. These steps are: maintaining your academic result with as high GPA as possible, do the search for scholarships that match your qualification, apply them and persistently check for the status.
by amelia@your-online-degree.info Amelia
Every student wants a scholarship to fund their college study, but not all students manage to secure one. Although you can apply for all scholarships that are opened for application, but you may not qualify for all and applying for scholarships which you are not qualified for will waste your time and efforts. You should only apply the scholarships that you are qualified for. Here are 3 important steps to secure a scholarship: 1. Get Your GPA As High As Possible Most scholarships are reserved for students with best academic results. Hence, the first thing you must do is get your GPA as high as possible so that you can qualify for more scholarships. Some scholarship application requirements required you to maintain a certain GPA through out your academic years while other might need you to achieve a certain GPA to qualify for application. Hence, your GPA is an important factor that will determine your opportunity to secure a scholarship. 2. Search & Apply For Scholarships The second thing you must do is searching for the scholarships which you are qualified for and apply for them. Be sure to read the requirements and prepare all the necessary documents to be attached with the application form. You can choose to search individual scholarship online or your school might have certain recommended scholarships for their students. You can also use the online free scholarship search services to help you match the scholarships with your qualification. The two most popular free scholarship searches are FastWeb and Scholarship Experts. They will send the details information about the proposed scholarships to your email address; what you need to do is review these scholarships and apply the scholarships you are interested in. These free scholarship search services are a great service to help you identify the scholarships that match your qualification so that you have the best chance to secure at least one. The only thing you should beware is the scholarship scams which try to cheat your money; they are around especially on internet, so you must double confirm about the scholarships offers before you make any payment if there is a processing fee involved. 3. Be Persistent To Follow Up On Your Application Today, most communications are through email, if you submit your scholarship application and put your email address in the contact column. Be sure to check your email periodically. There are students who submit their scholarship application but never check their email regularly; when they found out there is a scholarship offer which ask them to confirm their acceptance before the due date, but at the time they read their mail, it already past the due date. Don't miss any scholarship offer due to your laziness of checking your email. Don't give up and keep applying for scholarships until you secure one. You will have success if you keep persistently in applying the scholarships which you are qualified for. Summary The basic 3 steps to secure a scholarship to fund you college study. These steps are: maintaining your academic result with as high GPA as possible, do the search for scholarships that match your qualification, apply them and persistently check for the status.
วันอังคาร, เมษายน 29, 2008
Mike Huckabee Lies About Scholarship Bill Provisions
Mike Huckabee Lies About Scholarship Bill Provisions
by Emma Johnson
Mike Huckabee has often drawn criticism for being weak on illegal immigration. In 2005, as Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee had supported a bill that proposed to make children of illegal immigrants eligible for scholarships and in-state college tuition. His argument in favor of the bill was that it would allow children who had completed their schooling in Arkansas to have the same opportunities as their peers. It would also ensure, he maintained, that a child was not punished--by being denied educational opportunities that he deserved on academic merit, only because of his illegal status--for a crime committed by his parents.
While the bill was never passed, Huckabee's decision to support it was questioned. In 2007, when he was asked about it during a Republican presidential debate, Huckabee defended the bill on the following grounds:
a) The bill required stringent conditions and applied only to a student who had schooled in Arkansas from the age of five to six years onwards. b) The student would need to have been an A-plus student, with an exceptional record, who had completed the core-curriculum. c) He had a drug- and alcohol-free record. d) He had to apply for citizenship."
However Huckabee was lying. As reported on www.politifact.com, the original bill only required that the student should have gone to an Arkansas high school for three years and graduated, and that they had to sign an affidavit to the effect that they intended to pursue citizenship.
The Presidential Election 2008 is a burning issue of USA. Find out what more about republican candidate Mike Huckabee, a governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and an ordained Southern Baptist minister, and is known as a strong social conservative.
by Emma Johnson
Mike Huckabee has often drawn criticism for being weak on illegal immigration. In 2005, as Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee had supported a bill that proposed to make children of illegal immigrants eligible for scholarships and in-state college tuition. His argument in favor of the bill was that it would allow children who had completed their schooling in Arkansas to have the same opportunities as their peers. It would also ensure, he maintained, that a child was not punished--by being denied educational opportunities that he deserved on academic merit, only because of his illegal status--for a crime committed by his parents.
While the bill was never passed, Huckabee's decision to support it was questioned. In 2007, when he was asked about it during a Republican presidential debate, Huckabee defended the bill on the following grounds:
a) The bill required stringent conditions and applied only to a student who had schooled in Arkansas from the age of five to six years onwards. b) The student would need to have been an A-plus student, with an exceptional record, who had completed the core-curriculum. c) He had a drug- and alcohol-free record. d) He had to apply for citizenship."
However Huckabee was lying. As reported on www.politifact.com, the original bill only required that the student should have gone to an Arkansas high school for three years and graduated, and that they had to sign an affidavit to the effect that they intended to pursue citizenship.
The Presidential Election 2008 is a burning issue of USA. Find out what more about republican candidate Mike Huckabee, a governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and an ordained Southern Baptist minister, and is known as a strong social conservative.
Top 15 Strangest Scholarships
Top 15 Strangest Scholarships
by Jenny Sweeney
Thousands of soon-to-be students are hunting for extra financial assistance for college tuition. Without a perfect SAT score or the ability to run a sub 4.5 forty yard dash, you might find your chances of securing a scholarship aren’t looking too bright. However, you might not realize that your odd talent or hobby may make you the perfect applicant for one of these 15 strange but real scholarships.
Oink, Oink Has your room been compared to a sty? Are you comfortable living in a messy habitat? These aren’t requirements for a scholarship, but they are attributes of the creatures you care about �" pigs! If you’re interested in creatures of the bovine persuasion, this is the scholarship for you; the International Boar Semen (IBS) Scholarship is available for those interested in swine management. For more information, visit piggene.com/IBS/ibs_home.htm
The Next Generation of . . . Klingons Trekkies, leave your capes, figurines, posters and other memorabilia behind. Just bring, well, yourself! Klingon Language Institute, in an effort to promote language study, awards one lucky winner a $500 Kor Memorial Scholarship�"but don’t worry, fluency in Klingon is not a requirement. Check out the requirements for this scholarship at: kli.org/scholarship/.
Think Tall Thoughts You’ve got Michael Jordan’s stature but you’re about as agile as a water buffalo. That’s okay with Tall Clubs International! Males over 6’2†and females above 5’8†are encouraged to apply. The reward is no small (pun intended) amount either; Tall.org awards a whopping $1,000 scholarship to the winner. Find more info at: www.tall.org.
Yo, Shorti! For the vertically challenged, the Billy Barty Foundation offers scholarships to students of “short statureâ€. Similarly, the Little People of America awards students �" and their families �" scholarships. To join, members must be 4’10†and shorter. Scholarship amounts range from $250 to $1000. Read all the requirements at: lpaonline.org
More Trans fat, please! Say goodbye to the cabbage soup, grapefruit only, or south beach diets! The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance encourages “fat†people to apply for one of their two merit-based scholarships. The scholarships, offered to already-existing NAAF members, awards $1,000 for first place, while the second place prize is $500. For more fat-friendly information regarding the scholarships, go to: naafa.org/newevents/shcolarship.html
For the Herbivores Calling all veggie-lovers around the world! Two health-conscious winners will be awarded $5,000 in scholarship money from the Vegetarian Resource Group. But be forewarned: unless you love your legumes, this scholarship is not for you. Eligible applicants must not only exemplify a healthy lifestyle, but also promote vegetarianism within their community too. For more information visit: vrg.org
Sk8 through School Thanks to Tony Hawk and a few scrapes, bruises, and breaks, your skateboarding skills may have finally paid off. The Patrick Kerr Skateboard scholarship program awards four different scholarships each year. One applicant will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and three others will receive $1,000 awards. And your mother thought skateboarding would never get you anywhere! Requirements include maintaining at least a 2.5 out of 4.0 GPA, be a graduating senior, and a United States citizen. Be sure to read all the requirements skateboardscholarship.org
Bit of the Bubbly, Please Finally, your weakness for wine might serve another purpose�"besides the pounding morning-after headache. The American Society for Enology and Viticulture (AASEV) awards multiple students for enrolling in science fields relating to the grape and wine industry. The scholarship amount is not predetermined; it varies year to year. To read other requirements for this scholarship, go to: asev.org/scholarship-program.
Bowling for Dollars Though those middle-school years of loitering around bowling alleys have ended, your talent for earning turkeys may finally be cashing in. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) offers a range of scholarships, including the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow that offers a $1,500 renewable scholarship for distinguished male high school bowlers and the Alberta E. Crow Star of Tomorrow that also offers $1,500 in renewable scholarship funds for great female high school bowlers. Read more at: bowl.com/smart/locateState.aspx
Got Milk? The Scholar-Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year award is given to twenty-five graduating high school seniors who have what it takes to sport the famous milk mustache; winners receive $7,500 in scholarship funds. If that’s not enough, winners receive a special ad that runs in USA Today. If that’s not enough, winners receive an all-expense trip to an awards ceremony at Disney Wide World of Sports’ Milk House in Orlando, FL and an induction into the Milk House Hall of Fame. Check out applications at: sammy.bodybymilk.com
Offer an Organ You signed up to be an organ donor when you received your license. Put that heart on your ID to use! The Students for Organ Donation Youth Leadership award one or two $500 to $1,000 scholarships to full-time high school or undergraduate college students. Successful candidates actively promote organ donation and transplantation. More criteria to apply for this scholarship can be found at: studentdonor.org
Tee It Up You’ve seen them trudging up and down the greens, toting thirty pounds of iron on their backs, and offering tips to improve swings, distance and posture. Finally, they’re due their recognition; Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, founded in 1949, offers anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500 per year to caddies. Eligible applicants must have served at least two years as caddies, helpers in the pro shop or course superintendent operations at a club in Massachusetts. Read more information: ouimet.org/scholarships/
Color in the Lines Did you meticulously color in the lines of your coloring books as a child? You may have graduated from crayons to acrylics, but the concept is the same: you’re an artist at heart. Established in 1983, the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrator of the Future contest awards both quarterly and annual scholarships, ranging from $1,500 to $4,000. Read more : writersofthefuture.com
Hot, Hot, Hot You’ve heard it, those three little words…in case of a fire: stop, drop and roll to safety. Earning a scholarship from the American Fire Sprinkler Association is almost just as easy; AFSA offers ten $2,000 scholarships per year to graduating high school seniors. Requirements include reading an essay and taking an online (and open-book) test. Read more about this sizzling offer on: afsascholarship.org
Giddyup, cowboy! The Arabian Horse Foundation offers an annual scholarship of $2,500 to one eligibly equine enthusiast. The scholarship, named in remembrance of William Zekan, is offered to horse lovers that demonstrate financial need, are currently either a high school senior or college freshman and can provide two letters of recommendation. For more eligibility criteria: arabianhorsefoundation.org
by Jenny Sweeney
Thousands of soon-to-be students are hunting for extra financial assistance for college tuition. Without a perfect SAT score or the ability to run a sub 4.5 forty yard dash, you might find your chances of securing a scholarship aren’t looking too bright. However, you might not realize that your odd talent or hobby may make you the perfect applicant for one of these 15 strange but real scholarships.
Oink, Oink Has your room been compared to a sty? Are you comfortable living in a messy habitat? These aren’t requirements for a scholarship, but they are attributes of the creatures you care about �" pigs! If you’re interested in creatures of the bovine persuasion, this is the scholarship for you; the International Boar Semen (IBS) Scholarship is available for those interested in swine management. For more information, visit piggene.com/IBS/ibs_home.htm
The Next Generation of . . . Klingons Trekkies, leave your capes, figurines, posters and other memorabilia behind. Just bring, well, yourself! Klingon Language Institute, in an effort to promote language study, awards one lucky winner a $500 Kor Memorial Scholarship�"but don’t worry, fluency in Klingon is not a requirement. Check out the requirements for this scholarship at: kli.org/scholarship/.
Think Tall Thoughts You’ve got Michael Jordan’s stature but you’re about as agile as a water buffalo. That’s okay with Tall Clubs International! Males over 6’2†and females above 5’8†are encouraged to apply. The reward is no small (pun intended) amount either; Tall.org awards a whopping $1,000 scholarship to the winner. Find more info at: www.tall.org.
Yo, Shorti! For the vertically challenged, the Billy Barty Foundation offers scholarships to students of “short statureâ€. Similarly, the Little People of America awards students �" and their families �" scholarships. To join, members must be 4’10†and shorter. Scholarship amounts range from $250 to $1000. Read all the requirements at: lpaonline.org
More Trans fat, please! Say goodbye to the cabbage soup, grapefruit only, or south beach diets! The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance encourages “fat†people to apply for one of their two merit-based scholarships. The scholarships, offered to already-existing NAAF members, awards $1,000 for first place, while the second place prize is $500. For more fat-friendly information regarding the scholarships, go to: naafa.org/newevents/shcolarship.html
For the Herbivores Calling all veggie-lovers around the world! Two health-conscious winners will be awarded $5,000 in scholarship money from the Vegetarian Resource Group. But be forewarned: unless you love your legumes, this scholarship is not for you. Eligible applicants must not only exemplify a healthy lifestyle, but also promote vegetarianism within their community too. For more information visit: vrg.org
Sk8 through School Thanks to Tony Hawk and a few scrapes, bruises, and breaks, your skateboarding skills may have finally paid off. The Patrick Kerr Skateboard scholarship program awards four different scholarships each year. One applicant will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and three others will receive $1,000 awards. And your mother thought skateboarding would never get you anywhere! Requirements include maintaining at least a 2.5 out of 4.0 GPA, be a graduating senior, and a United States citizen. Be sure to read all the requirements skateboardscholarship.org
Bit of the Bubbly, Please Finally, your weakness for wine might serve another purpose�"besides the pounding morning-after headache. The American Society for Enology and Viticulture (AASEV) awards multiple students for enrolling in science fields relating to the grape and wine industry. The scholarship amount is not predetermined; it varies year to year. To read other requirements for this scholarship, go to: asev.org/scholarship-program.
Bowling for Dollars Though those middle-school years of loitering around bowling alleys have ended, your talent for earning turkeys may finally be cashing in. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) offers a range of scholarships, including the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow that offers a $1,500 renewable scholarship for distinguished male high school bowlers and the Alberta E. Crow Star of Tomorrow that also offers $1,500 in renewable scholarship funds for great female high school bowlers. Read more at: bowl.com/smart/locateState.aspx
Got Milk? The Scholar-Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year award is given to twenty-five graduating high school seniors who have what it takes to sport the famous milk mustache; winners receive $7,500 in scholarship funds. If that’s not enough, winners receive a special ad that runs in USA Today. If that’s not enough, winners receive an all-expense trip to an awards ceremony at Disney Wide World of Sports’ Milk House in Orlando, FL and an induction into the Milk House Hall of Fame. Check out applications at: sammy.bodybymilk.com
Offer an Organ You signed up to be an organ donor when you received your license. Put that heart on your ID to use! The Students for Organ Donation Youth Leadership award one or two $500 to $1,000 scholarships to full-time high school or undergraduate college students. Successful candidates actively promote organ donation and transplantation. More criteria to apply for this scholarship can be found at: studentdonor.org
Tee It Up You’ve seen them trudging up and down the greens, toting thirty pounds of iron on their backs, and offering tips to improve swings, distance and posture. Finally, they’re due their recognition; Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, founded in 1949, offers anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500 per year to caddies. Eligible applicants must have served at least two years as caddies, helpers in the pro shop or course superintendent operations at a club in Massachusetts. Read more information: ouimet.org/scholarships/
Color in the Lines Did you meticulously color in the lines of your coloring books as a child? You may have graduated from crayons to acrylics, but the concept is the same: you’re an artist at heart. Established in 1983, the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrator of the Future contest awards both quarterly and annual scholarships, ranging from $1,500 to $4,000. Read more : writersofthefuture.com
Hot, Hot, Hot You’ve heard it, those three little words…in case of a fire: stop, drop and roll to safety. Earning a scholarship from the American Fire Sprinkler Association is almost just as easy; AFSA offers ten $2,000 scholarships per year to graduating high school seniors. Requirements include reading an essay and taking an online (and open-book) test. Read more about this sizzling offer on: afsascholarship.org
Giddyup, cowboy! The Arabian Horse Foundation offers an annual scholarship of $2,500 to one eligibly equine enthusiast. The scholarship, named in remembrance of William Zekan, is offered to horse lovers that demonstrate financial need, are currently either a high school senior or college freshman and can provide two letters of recommendation. For more eligibility criteria: arabianhorsefoundation.org
วันศุกร์, มีนาคม 28, 2008
Top 15 Strangest Scholarships
Top 15 Strangest Scholarships
by Jenny Sweeney
Thousands of soon-to-be students are hunting for extra financial assistance for college tuition. Without a perfect SAT score or the ability to run a sub 4.5 forty yard dash, you might find your chances of securing a scholarship aren’t looking too bright. However, you might not realize that your odd talent or hobby may make you the perfect applicant for one of these 15 strange but real scholarships.
Oink, Oink Has your room been compared to a sty? Are you comfortable living in a messy habitat? These aren’t requirements for a scholarship, but they are attributes of the creatures you care about �" pigs! If you’re interested in creatures of the bovine persuasion, this is the scholarship for you; the International Boar Semen (IBS) Scholarship is available for those interested in swine management. For more information, visit piggene.com/IBS/ibs_home.htm
The Next Generation of . . . Klingons Trekkies, leave your capes, figurines, posters and other memorabilia behind. Just bring, well, yourself! Klingon Language Institute, in an effort to promote language study, awards one lucky winner a $500 Kor Memorial Scholarship�"but don’t worry, fluency in Klingon is not a requirement. Check out the requirements for this scholarship at: kli.org/scholarship/.
Think Tall Thoughts You’ve got Michael Jordan’s stature but you’re about as agile as a water buffalo. That’s okay with Tall Clubs International! Males over 6’2†and females above 5’8†are encouraged to apply. The reward is no small (pun intended) amount either; Tall.org awards a whopping $1,000 scholarship to the winner. Find more info at: www.tall.org.
Yo, Shorti! For the vertically challenged, the Billy Barty Foundation offers scholarships to students of “short statureâ€. Similarly, the Little People of America awards students �" and their families �" scholarships. To join, members must be 4’10†and shorter. Scholarship amounts range from $250 to $1000. Read all the requirements at: lpaonline.org
More Trans fat, please! Say goodbye to the cabbage soup, grapefruit only, or south beach diets! The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance encourages “fat†people to apply for one of their two merit-based scholarships. The scholarships, offered to already-existing NAAF members, awards $1,000 for first place, while the second place prize is $500. For more fat-friendly information regarding the scholarships, go to: naafa.org/newevents/shcolarship.html
For the Herbivores Calling all veggie-lovers around the world! Two health-conscious winners will be awarded $5,000 in scholarship money from the Vegetarian Resource Group. But be forewarned: unless you love your legumes, this scholarship is not for you. Eligible applicants must not only exemplify a healthy lifestyle, but also promote vegetarianism within their community too. For more information visit: vrg.org
Sk8 through School Thanks to Tony Hawk and a few scrapes, bruises, and breaks, your skateboarding skills may have finally paid off. The Patrick Kerr Skateboard scholarship program awards four different scholarships each year. One applicant will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and three others will receive $1,000 awards. And your mother thought skateboarding would never get you anywhere! Requirements include maintaining at least a 2.5 out of 4.0 GPA, be a graduating senior, and a United States citizen. Be sure to read all the requirements skateboardscholarship.org
Bit of the Bubbly, Please Finally, your weakness for wine might serve another purpose�"besides the pounding morning-after headache. The American Society for Enology and Viticulture (AASEV) awards multiple students for enrolling in science fields relating to the grape and wine industry. The scholarship amount is not predetermined; it varies year to year. To read other requirements for this scholarship, go to: asev.org/scholarship-program.
Bowling for Dollars Though those middle-school years of loitering around bowling alleys have ended, your talent for earning turkeys may finally be cashing in. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) offers a range of scholarships, including the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow that offers a $1,500 renewable scholarship for distinguished male high school bowlers and the Alberta E. Crow Star of Tomorrow that also offers $1,500 in renewable scholarship funds for great female high school bowlers. Read more at: bowl.com/smart/locateState.aspx
Got Milk? The Scholar-Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year award is given to twenty-five graduating high school seniors who have what it takes to sport the famous milk mustache; winners receive $7,500 in scholarship funds. If that’s not enough, winners receive a special ad that runs in USA Today. If that’s not enough, winners receive an all-expense trip to an awards ceremony at Disney Wide World of Sports’ Milk House in Orlando, FL and an induction into the Milk House Hall of Fame. Check out applications at: sammy.bodybymilk.com
Offer an Organ You signed up to be an organ donor when you received your license. Put that heart on your ID to use! The Students for Organ Donation Youth Leadership award one or two $500 to $1,000 scholarships to full-time high school or undergraduate college students. Successful candidates actively promote organ donation and transplantation. More criteria to apply for this scholarship can be found at: studentdonor.org
Tee It Up You’ve seen them trudging up and down the greens, toting thirty pounds of iron on their backs, and offering tips to improve swings, distance and posture. Finally, they’re due their recognition; Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, founded in 1949, offers anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500 per year to caddies. Eligible applicants must have served at least two years as caddies, helpers in the pro shop or course superintendent operations at a club in Massachusetts. Read more information: ouimet.org/scholarships/
Color in the Lines Did you meticulously color in the lines of your coloring books as a child? You may have graduated from crayons to acrylics, but the concept is the same: you’re an artist at heart. Established in 1983, the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrator of the Future contest awards both quarterly and annual scholarships, ranging from $1,500 to $4,000. Read more : writersofthefuture.com
Hot, Hot, Hot You’ve heard it, those three little words…in case of a fire: stop, drop and roll to safety. Earning a scholarship from the American Fire Sprinkler Association is almost just as easy; AFSA offers ten $2,000 scholarships per year to graduating high school seniors. Requirements include reading an essay and taking an online (and open-book) test. Read more about this sizzling offer on: afsascholarship.org
Giddyup, cowboy! The Arabian Horse Foundation offers an annual scholarship of $2,500 to one eligibly equine enthusiast. The scholarship, named in remembrance of William Zekan, is offered to horse lovers that demonstrate financial need, are currently either a high school senior or college freshman and can provide two letters of recommendation. For more eligibility criteria: arabianhorsefoundation.org
by Jenny Sweeney
Thousands of soon-to-be students are hunting for extra financial assistance for college tuition. Without a perfect SAT score or the ability to run a sub 4.5 forty yard dash, you might find your chances of securing a scholarship aren’t looking too bright. However, you might not realize that your odd talent or hobby may make you the perfect applicant for one of these 15 strange but real scholarships.
Oink, Oink Has your room been compared to a sty? Are you comfortable living in a messy habitat? These aren’t requirements for a scholarship, but they are attributes of the creatures you care about �" pigs! If you’re interested in creatures of the bovine persuasion, this is the scholarship for you; the International Boar Semen (IBS) Scholarship is available for those interested in swine management. For more information, visit piggene.com/IBS/ibs_home.htm
The Next Generation of . . . Klingons Trekkies, leave your capes, figurines, posters and other memorabilia behind. Just bring, well, yourself! Klingon Language Institute, in an effort to promote language study, awards one lucky winner a $500 Kor Memorial Scholarship�"but don’t worry, fluency in Klingon is not a requirement. Check out the requirements for this scholarship at: kli.org/scholarship/.
Think Tall Thoughts You’ve got Michael Jordan’s stature but you’re about as agile as a water buffalo. That’s okay with Tall Clubs International! Males over 6’2†and females above 5’8†are encouraged to apply. The reward is no small (pun intended) amount either; Tall.org awards a whopping $1,000 scholarship to the winner. Find more info at: www.tall.org.
Yo, Shorti! For the vertically challenged, the Billy Barty Foundation offers scholarships to students of “short statureâ€. Similarly, the Little People of America awards students �" and their families �" scholarships. To join, members must be 4’10†and shorter. Scholarship amounts range from $250 to $1000. Read all the requirements at: lpaonline.org
More Trans fat, please! Say goodbye to the cabbage soup, grapefruit only, or south beach diets! The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance encourages “fat†people to apply for one of their two merit-based scholarships. The scholarships, offered to already-existing NAAF members, awards $1,000 for first place, while the second place prize is $500. For more fat-friendly information regarding the scholarships, go to: naafa.org/newevents/shcolarship.html
For the Herbivores Calling all veggie-lovers around the world! Two health-conscious winners will be awarded $5,000 in scholarship money from the Vegetarian Resource Group. But be forewarned: unless you love your legumes, this scholarship is not for you. Eligible applicants must not only exemplify a healthy lifestyle, but also promote vegetarianism within their community too. For more information visit: vrg.org
Sk8 through School Thanks to Tony Hawk and a few scrapes, bruises, and breaks, your skateboarding skills may have finally paid off. The Patrick Kerr Skateboard scholarship program awards four different scholarships each year. One applicant will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and three others will receive $1,000 awards. And your mother thought skateboarding would never get you anywhere! Requirements include maintaining at least a 2.5 out of 4.0 GPA, be a graduating senior, and a United States citizen. Be sure to read all the requirements skateboardscholarship.org
Bit of the Bubbly, Please Finally, your weakness for wine might serve another purpose�"besides the pounding morning-after headache. The American Society for Enology and Viticulture (AASEV) awards multiple students for enrolling in science fields relating to the grape and wine industry. The scholarship amount is not predetermined; it varies year to year. To read other requirements for this scholarship, go to: asev.org/scholarship-program.
Bowling for Dollars Though those middle-school years of loitering around bowling alleys have ended, your talent for earning turkeys may finally be cashing in. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) offers a range of scholarships, including the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow that offers a $1,500 renewable scholarship for distinguished male high school bowlers and the Alberta E. Crow Star of Tomorrow that also offers $1,500 in renewable scholarship funds for great female high school bowlers. Read more at: bowl.com/smart/locateState.aspx
Got Milk? The Scholar-Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year award is given to twenty-five graduating high school seniors who have what it takes to sport the famous milk mustache; winners receive $7,500 in scholarship funds. If that’s not enough, winners receive a special ad that runs in USA Today. If that’s not enough, winners receive an all-expense trip to an awards ceremony at Disney Wide World of Sports’ Milk House in Orlando, FL and an induction into the Milk House Hall of Fame. Check out applications at: sammy.bodybymilk.com
Offer an Organ You signed up to be an organ donor when you received your license. Put that heart on your ID to use! The Students for Organ Donation Youth Leadership award one or two $500 to $1,000 scholarships to full-time high school or undergraduate college students. Successful candidates actively promote organ donation and transplantation. More criteria to apply for this scholarship can be found at: studentdonor.org
Tee It Up You’ve seen them trudging up and down the greens, toting thirty pounds of iron on their backs, and offering tips to improve swings, distance and posture. Finally, they’re due their recognition; Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, founded in 1949, offers anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500 per year to caddies. Eligible applicants must have served at least two years as caddies, helpers in the pro shop or course superintendent operations at a club in Massachusetts. Read more information: ouimet.org/scholarships/
Color in the Lines Did you meticulously color in the lines of your coloring books as a child? You may have graduated from crayons to acrylics, but the concept is the same: you’re an artist at heart. Established in 1983, the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrator of the Future contest awards both quarterly and annual scholarships, ranging from $1,500 to $4,000. Read more : writersofthefuture.com
Hot, Hot, Hot You’ve heard it, those three little words…in case of a fire: stop, drop and roll to safety. Earning a scholarship from the American Fire Sprinkler Association is almost just as easy; AFSA offers ten $2,000 scholarships per year to graduating high school seniors. Requirements include reading an essay and taking an online (and open-book) test. Read more about this sizzling offer on: afsascholarship.org
Giddyup, cowboy! The Arabian Horse Foundation offers an annual scholarship of $2,500 to one eligibly equine enthusiast. The scholarship, named in remembrance of William Zekan, is offered to horse lovers that demonstrate financial need, are currently either a high school senior or college freshman and can provide two letters of recommendation. For more eligibility criteria: arabianhorsefoundation.org
วันพุธ, กุมภาพันธ์ 27, 2008
The University of the Internet Age - and why it's better than a traditional university : USA scholarships review 2009
The University of the Internet Age - and why it's better than a traditional university
by John Kersey
The University of the Internet Age - and why it's better than a traditional university
The advent of the World Wide Web has caused fundamental change to affect the way in which information is disseminated worldwide. In this paper, we shall look at the way in which this change has brought about a redefinition of the role and nature of the university, such that we may expect a seismic shift in educational provision and its take-up in the medium-term future.
Historically, dissemination of information within higher education has depended on bringing scholars and learners together in a single location, where a variety of learning techniques can be employed (such as tutorials, supervisions, research seminars etc.) The expansion of numbers within the university has caused the lecture to be increasingly employed as a keynote of academic practise, but whilst cost-effective, the mass nature of the lecture is often considered to be an inefficient means of learning when compared to more personally-directed alternatives. Few would argue with the assertion that dissemination of information is at its most effective when directed one-to-one or in small groups, for this enables levels of understanding to be easily ascertained and intellectual debate to take place. The Oxbridge tutorial model of individual or small group mentoring is rightly held up as a supremely effective means of university teaching, and given that in itself it represents a direct continuation of the learning techniques bequeathed to us by classical antiquity, it may fairly be regarded as tried and tested. As a result, we would suggest that teaching in subjects that are not substantially practical in nature (such as the clinical stages of medicine, or fine art) could take the tutorial system, coupled with small-group seminars, as a worthy learning paradigm from undergraduate study up to the doctoral level.
The coming of the Internet poses us with an interesting set of circumstances. One function of a university is to provide an environment in which ideas are shared and scholars brought together in productive interaction. We can see immediately that the World Wide Web has as one of its chief benefits the ability to bring about the virtual meeting of scholars from many different countries and backgrounds and to encourage their collaboration. Software now exists to enable virtually any kind of document, image, sound or video file to be shared directly with anyone who has an email account, or for it to be placed on a website; chatroom and bulletin board software enables real-time debate and academic interaction, often (because of its written nature and capacity for archiving as a reference source) of a much greater use than mere verbal communication. Because the participants in such dialog are judged simply on their opinions in writing, rather than necessarily from personal knowledge or any other aspect of their presentation, the use of the Web for academic interchange is a much greater spur towards equality of opportunity and concentration on the message being conveyed. The ability to draw upon sources for the support of an argument by the simple means of hyperlinking puts the power of an ever-growing academic library a click of a mouse away, rather than being lost in a maze of footnotes.
The proven need for the personalisation of educational experience at university level finds a natural home in electronic communication. Not merely can communication be personalised, but the very educational experience itself becomes increasingly one without boundaries. It is perfectly possible to encounter the products of academic scholarship in a conventional library, but few scholars nowadays choose to live cut off from electronic communication, and thus they themselves can, if they wish, participate in a global continuum of intellectual investigation in which print media are increasingly becoming a less effective means of disseminating ideas than placing them on the Web. To publish an academic work in print is to see it reach thousands at best (unless it achieves widespread popularity), whilst the Web has a reach of tens or hundreds of thousands, many of whom will offer immediate feedback and comment via their particular channels. If the aim is to further scholarship, rather than to make money for the author and publisher, web publication is surely the natural choice, not least because its costs are minimal, thus placing such a means within the reach of most if not all. Nothing in the print medium cannot be conveyed electronically, and indeed the electronic medium can enhance a printed message by use of video, animation and other techniques. Indeed, the author may well, through blogging or participating in forum discussion, choose to participate in the ongoing evolution of academic ideals through progressive reflection or debate with a far wider circle of individuals than would ever be encountered at a conference.
Teaching online means that, in an economic, time-efficient and resources-efficient manner, the benefits of the tutorial system can be realised. The skills required of faculty are more than merely operating software and marking work; there is a need to comprehend the needs of the environment of distance learning and to respond to it with understanding. It is here that the experience of faculty who have themselves studied via distance learning and who are aware of its challenges is valuable.
Examination by electronic means is sometimes said to pose difficulties because of the risk of collusion or unfair practices. This problem can be solved by requiring an online examination to take place at a proctored workstation in a specialised testing center. However, given that many mainstream institutions now advocate open-book unproctored examinations and examine knowledge principally through coursework and the completion of supervised projects, it is inevitably worth asking how pertinent testing memorisation rather than the application of knowledge actually is. Examining orally via videoconference (as can easily be achieved with something as simple as a messaging program and a webcam) will also be of help in verifying the knowledge of candidates.
It is evident that a course of higher education not requiring intensive practical activity can be delivered wholly through electronic means, and indeed there are many such degree courses available at the time of writing in a vast range of disciplines and from institutions of all types. The assessment function of the university through AP(E)L means that practical work such as art or music that is capable of being presented in a finite form may be presented for examination through video or audio recording. The only area in which electronic means fall short is in the teaching of practical skill; for example, one can learn a good deal about becoming a physician through watching videotapes and learning medical theory, but practical study under the guidance of skilled mentors is essential to develop medical practise to a professional standard. However, there are medical schools, principally in the Caribbean, that operate via distance learning in which the theory is taught intensively en bloc online, and then a practicum period follows in an approved hospital elsewhere, leading in due course to licensing as a physician in the USA or the UK. Elsewhere, for example in applied arts, it would be quite possible for the student to choose an appropriate university-approved mentor in his/her area to study under, then submitting their work and mentor's reports for assessment by the university in due course when a given stage in the learning contract had been reached and could be signed off for credit.
The move to online learning changes the nature of what a university is quite fundamentally from its commonly-encountered manifestation; although in the true sense that we define a university as a meeting-place of scholars and students with both graduate and undergraduate provision, the essential nature of the concept has remained constant. However, one might ask what use is there now for the enormously costly dinosaur mechanism of buildings, equipment and people that constitutes the modern university when a large part of its role can be largely fulfilled through the more efficient means of e-learning? Not only this, e-learning, because of its lower costs and non-geographical specificity, reaches more people, costs less, has minimal environmental impact, does not require the uprooting of home and family, is available no matter what the age of the student and above all can be combined with a career and paced flexibly to suit the individual - in credit-based systems, studies can be banked once a credit unit is completed and then used later or even transferred to another institution. The student gets a good deal more personal attention in most distance learning programs, particularly in those that use an individual mentoring system, than they would at the back of a lecture hall listening to an academic whose skills in research may very well exceed their skills in public speaking.
It may be argued that the three or four years of undergraduate life form a valuable rite of passage for the young, but with increasing numbers of young people unable to afford the costs of university easily and combining their academic studies with increasing amounts of low-grade employment, one is tempted to ask what they are gaining through physical attendance at university rather than by choosing distance learning; apart from the social aspect of their life on campus (for those who can afford to live there), which should not be discounted, the answer is not a great deal. Indeed, the online delivery of a course is by its nature capable of being considerably more compressed than on-campus study; just as a few universities compress a three-year first degree into two years and a four-year degree into three (on-campus) through shortening the holidays and using an intensively-structured year, so through online learning study can similarly become more intensive and more efficient. The key is that things move at the student's pace and according to their ability, not according to the demands of large classes or the complex scheduling of a campus university. Not only this, the advent of e-learning means that those who are ready for university-level study below the normal age need not be held back for social reasons, nor will those who choose to work after leaving school be prevented from returning to learning later or indeed combining their degree course with their career.
In practise, there will always be some kind of role for the physical university. Distance learning, requiring determination, motivation and at times being an isolated activity, does not suit everyone any more than campus-based learning does, and there are some activities, such as laboratory-based research, that have no virtual substitute. There will also continue to be those who seek the cachet of a top-ranking university for its own sake and for its professional and academic value. In reality, the biggest market for distance learning will lie with those who cannot afford campus-based study to begin with, and with those who are seeking to combine study with the demands of career and/or family. It is mid-career adults who form distance learning's most hotly contested clientele.
But we do foresee that the role of the campus will diminish substantially in years to come. At present, the academic world at once senses the potential of the Web and the threat that it poses to the establishment. American university faculty are being made to put their courses online; they are then seeing redundancies amongst their ranks and the re-hiring of staff at reduced rates to teach the virtual courses. This process is described well by an American author whose views on these issues are diametrically opposed to ours, David F. Noble, whose series "Digital Diploma Mills" describes his opposition to the move to online learning and to the commercial focus that universities are now adopting (which we would say constitutes a major reality check for them).
by John Kersey
The University of the Internet Age - and why it's better than a traditional university
The advent of the World Wide Web has caused fundamental change to affect the way in which information is disseminated worldwide. In this paper, we shall look at the way in which this change has brought about a redefinition of the role and nature of the university, such that we may expect a seismic shift in educational provision and its take-up in the medium-term future.
Historically, dissemination of information within higher education has depended on bringing scholars and learners together in a single location, where a variety of learning techniques can be employed (such as tutorials, supervisions, research seminars etc.) The expansion of numbers within the university has caused the lecture to be increasingly employed as a keynote of academic practise, but whilst cost-effective, the mass nature of the lecture is often considered to be an inefficient means of learning when compared to more personally-directed alternatives. Few would argue with the assertion that dissemination of information is at its most effective when directed one-to-one or in small groups, for this enables levels of understanding to be easily ascertained and intellectual debate to take place. The Oxbridge tutorial model of individual or small group mentoring is rightly held up as a supremely effective means of university teaching, and given that in itself it represents a direct continuation of the learning techniques bequeathed to us by classical antiquity, it may fairly be regarded as tried and tested. As a result, we would suggest that teaching in subjects that are not substantially practical in nature (such as the clinical stages of medicine, or fine art) could take the tutorial system, coupled with small-group seminars, as a worthy learning paradigm from undergraduate study up to the doctoral level.
The coming of the Internet poses us with an interesting set of circumstances. One function of a university is to provide an environment in which ideas are shared and scholars brought together in productive interaction. We can see immediately that the World Wide Web has as one of its chief benefits the ability to bring about the virtual meeting of scholars from many different countries and backgrounds and to encourage their collaboration. Software now exists to enable virtually any kind of document, image, sound or video file to be shared directly with anyone who has an email account, or for it to be placed on a website; chatroom and bulletin board software enables real-time debate and academic interaction, often (because of its written nature and capacity for archiving as a reference source) of a much greater use than mere verbal communication. Because the participants in such dialog are judged simply on their opinions in writing, rather than necessarily from personal knowledge or any other aspect of their presentation, the use of the Web for academic interchange is a much greater spur towards equality of opportunity and concentration on the message being conveyed. The ability to draw upon sources for the support of an argument by the simple means of hyperlinking puts the power of an ever-growing academic library a click of a mouse away, rather than being lost in a maze of footnotes.
The proven need for the personalisation of educational experience at university level finds a natural home in electronic communication. Not merely can communication be personalised, but the very educational experience itself becomes increasingly one without boundaries. It is perfectly possible to encounter the products of academic scholarship in a conventional library, but few scholars nowadays choose to live cut off from electronic communication, and thus they themselves can, if they wish, participate in a global continuum of intellectual investigation in which print media are increasingly becoming a less effective means of disseminating ideas than placing them on the Web. To publish an academic work in print is to see it reach thousands at best (unless it achieves widespread popularity), whilst the Web has a reach of tens or hundreds of thousands, many of whom will offer immediate feedback and comment via their particular channels. If the aim is to further scholarship, rather than to make money for the author and publisher, web publication is surely the natural choice, not least because its costs are minimal, thus placing such a means within the reach of most if not all. Nothing in the print medium cannot be conveyed electronically, and indeed the electronic medium can enhance a printed message by use of video, animation and other techniques. Indeed, the author may well, through blogging or participating in forum discussion, choose to participate in the ongoing evolution of academic ideals through progressive reflection or debate with a far wider circle of individuals than would ever be encountered at a conference.
Teaching online means that, in an economic, time-efficient and resources-efficient manner, the benefits of the tutorial system can be realised. The skills required of faculty are more than merely operating software and marking work; there is a need to comprehend the needs of the environment of distance learning and to respond to it with understanding. It is here that the experience of faculty who have themselves studied via distance learning and who are aware of its challenges is valuable.
Examination by electronic means is sometimes said to pose difficulties because of the risk of collusion or unfair practices. This problem can be solved by requiring an online examination to take place at a proctored workstation in a specialised testing center. However, given that many mainstream institutions now advocate open-book unproctored examinations and examine knowledge principally through coursework and the completion of supervised projects, it is inevitably worth asking how pertinent testing memorisation rather than the application of knowledge actually is. Examining orally via videoconference (as can easily be achieved with something as simple as a messaging program and a webcam) will also be of help in verifying the knowledge of candidates.
It is evident that a course of higher education not requiring intensive practical activity can be delivered wholly through electronic means, and indeed there are many such degree courses available at the time of writing in a vast range of disciplines and from institutions of all types. The assessment function of the university through AP(E)L means that practical work such as art or music that is capable of being presented in a finite form may be presented for examination through video or audio recording. The only area in which electronic means fall short is in the teaching of practical skill; for example, one can learn a good deal about becoming a physician through watching videotapes and learning medical theory, but practical study under the guidance of skilled mentors is essential to develop medical practise to a professional standard. However, there are medical schools, principally in the Caribbean, that operate via distance learning in which the theory is taught intensively en bloc online, and then a practicum period follows in an approved hospital elsewhere, leading in due course to licensing as a physician in the USA or the UK. Elsewhere, for example in applied arts, it would be quite possible for the student to choose an appropriate university-approved mentor in his/her area to study under, then submitting their work and mentor's reports for assessment by the university in due course when a given stage in the learning contract had been reached and could be signed off for credit.
The move to online learning changes the nature of what a university is quite fundamentally from its commonly-encountered manifestation; although in the true sense that we define a university as a meeting-place of scholars and students with both graduate and undergraduate provision, the essential nature of the concept has remained constant. However, one might ask what use is there now for the enormously costly dinosaur mechanism of buildings, equipment and people that constitutes the modern university when a large part of its role can be largely fulfilled through the more efficient means of e-learning? Not only this, e-learning, because of its lower costs and non-geographical specificity, reaches more people, costs less, has minimal environmental impact, does not require the uprooting of home and family, is available no matter what the age of the student and above all can be combined with a career and paced flexibly to suit the individual - in credit-based systems, studies can be banked once a credit unit is completed and then used later or even transferred to another institution. The student gets a good deal more personal attention in most distance learning programs, particularly in those that use an individual mentoring system, than they would at the back of a lecture hall listening to an academic whose skills in research may very well exceed their skills in public speaking.
It may be argued that the three or four years of undergraduate life form a valuable rite of passage for the young, but with increasing numbers of young people unable to afford the costs of university easily and combining their academic studies with increasing amounts of low-grade employment, one is tempted to ask what they are gaining through physical attendance at university rather than by choosing distance learning; apart from the social aspect of their life on campus (for those who can afford to live there), which should not be discounted, the answer is not a great deal. Indeed, the online delivery of a course is by its nature capable of being considerably more compressed than on-campus study; just as a few universities compress a three-year first degree into two years and a four-year degree into three (on-campus) through shortening the holidays and using an intensively-structured year, so through online learning study can similarly become more intensive and more efficient. The key is that things move at the student's pace and according to their ability, not according to the demands of large classes or the complex scheduling of a campus university. Not only this, the advent of e-learning means that those who are ready for university-level study below the normal age need not be held back for social reasons, nor will those who choose to work after leaving school be prevented from returning to learning later or indeed combining their degree course with their career.
In practise, there will always be some kind of role for the physical university. Distance learning, requiring determination, motivation and at times being an isolated activity, does not suit everyone any more than campus-based learning does, and there are some activities, such as laboratory-based research, that have no virtual substitute. There will also continue to be those who seek the cachet of a top-ranking university for its own sake and for its professional and academic value. In reality, the biggest market for distance learning will lie with those who cannot afford campus-based study to begin with, and with those who are seeking to combine study with the demands of career and/or family. It is mid-career adults who form distance learning's most hotly contested clientele.
But we do foresee that the role of the campus will diminish substantially in years to come. At present, the academic world at once senses the potential of the Web and the threat that it poses to the establishment. American university faculty are being made to put their courses online; they are then seeing redundancies amongst their ranks and the re-hiring of staff at reduced rates to teach the virtual courses. This process is described well by an American author whose views on these issues are diametrically opposed to ours, David F. Noble, whose series "Digital Diploma Mills" describes his opposition to the move to online learning and to the commercial focus that universities are now adopting (which we would say constitutes a major reality check for them).
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