Is distance learning the right choice for you?

Pursuing educational opportunities via distance learning is a great opportunity, but is NOT for everyone.  Some students find their experience very rewarding, while others find it frustrating and have difficulty in being successful in distance learning courses.  Those that do have positive experiences seem to share certain characteristics that enable them to have success.  If you want to know if distance learning is for you, please take time to thoughtfully answer the 10 questions below.  Please remember that this is a self-assessment, and your responses should be as honest as possible, since this survey is only intended to assist you in making the right decision.  To know your “score”, refer to the guidelines listed after the questionnaire.

1. I feel that I possess __________.
1. good organizational skills
2. fair organizational skills
3. poor organizational skills
2. I am an individual who __________.
1. often gets things done on time or ahead of time
2. needs reminding to get things done on time
3. puts things off until the last minute
3. Because of other responsibilities, I feel the time I have each week to spend on course work is _________.
1. 8-12 hours per week
2. 4-8 hours per week
3. 1-4 hours per week
4. Given directions for completing an assignment, I prefer __________.
1. to figure out the directions on my own, with no assistance
2. directions clearly explained with minor assistance
3. having the directions explained to me
5. My need to take a distance education course is _________ in order to get a degree or job, due to time restraints.
1. high (I need it immediately for a degree, job, or other reason)
2. moderate (I could take it later or substitute a traditional course for it)
3. low (it is a personal interest that could be postponed)
6. When I am introduced to new technology (hardware/software, etc.), I __________.
1. look forward to the challenge of learning new skills
2. I feel apprehensive, but try anyway
3. Put it off, or try and avoid it
7. When I need to know my standing in a particular course, I __________.
1. can assess my progress without immediate feedback from the instructor
2. like to receive regular feedback, but not immediately
3. need immediate feedback from my instructor
8. My writing skills are __________.
1. excellent
2. fair
3. poor

9. My reading skills at the college level would fall into the category __________.
1. good (I usually understand college-level texts without help)
2. average (I sometimes need help to understand the text)
3. slower than average (it take me a while to read and understand the material)
10. I feel I learn best by __________.
1. reading course materials and viewing visuals (graphics, PowerPoint, etc.)
2. listening to an explanation of a topic (i.e. traditional lecture)
3. doing things (hands-on applications)

Scoring:

Give yourself 3 points for each “a.” response you chose, 2 for each “b.” response, and 1 for each “c.” response, and then add the points together.

If you scored: