Distance Learning is a more individual and flexible way of learning. Distance learning is a mechanism to study courses that you would normally study at College or work without the inconvenience of travel or time off. Our Distance Learning allows you to study at your own pace, wherever you decide (normally at your own home) and in a way that best suits you.

Distance Learning courses are available in a variety of forms that you choose to best suit your needs or circumstances. Our Distance Learning courses are available as a Correspondence  Course (Paper based), e-learning (interactive CD-ROM or DVD) and are available to study online by logging on to our purpose built Distance Learning VLE (Virtual Learning Environment).

Distance Learning – Less expensive

Distance Learning is much cheaper than its traditional counterparts. Distance Learning does not incur the overheads Colleges or traditional training companies do which are generally recognised to be in excess of 50% of the cost of any particular course (building, heating, payroll, cafeteria costs etc). Distance Learning also does not suffer form excessive provision (teaching, room and materials) costs reckoned to account for 20% of the cost of a course.

Distance Learning, therefore, means much better value for money. You only pay for the education you receive and are not footing the rest of the 70% of costs the traditional organisations will add. Distance Learning therefore has an inherent advantage in that it is much cheaper to provide without affecting the quality of the knowledge or qualification being gained.

Distance Learning – Quality & Accreditation

Distance Learning courses are available at all levels up to and including Masters. Distance Learning courses  undergo as many if not more quality checks as their traditional counterparts in Colleges. Indeed our courses are in use at many Colleges around the World.

The knowledge gained from our courses is our main focus. We provide accreditation and certification where required but not everybody needs or wants it.  The old adage of passing your driving test doesn’t mean your a good driver is our course design mandate.

The course topics include Adventure & Eco-tourism, Business, Environmental, Farming, General, Health, Hospitality, Horticulture, Information Technology, leisure & fitness, management, marketing, nursery & propagation, pet care, psychology, photography, science, tourism, training/teaching and writing & Journalism.

Distance learning in all of its forms is the fastest growing phenomenon in education Globally. Increasingly, qualifications are seen as less important as the learning involved to obtain them decreases. In the last twenty years this devaluation of the qualification “currency” has seen a dramatic rise in the number of unemployed graduates.

This extrinsic factor that has taken shape in the business world is compounded by the intrinsic failure to recognise changing business requirements by the red brick educational sector. Instead they are geared up to pass as many people as possible for as much as they can get away with charging.

Moreover, there is almost a monopoly culture with price fixing and bullying tactics common place. The funding they receive from either Government, alumni, donations and other sources create an invisible barrier to offering what the business world requires and what the student can afford.

Whilst the traditional education sector is content to languish in its artificial bubble, until it bursts, commercial distance learning companies are driven by the market and customer demands. No-one will buy a course that will not increase their employability, with the exception of the hobbyist &  academics, and customers will not make a purchase unless they get value for money.

www.academy-zone.com www.academy-zone.com/distance-learning.aspx www.academy-zone.com/online-courses.aspx www.academy-zone.com/elearning.aspx www.educational-academy.co.uk www.mycpd.net

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Access to education remains a key economic driver of prosperity and poverty alleviation. However, access to education can be restricted as a result of the cost of provision or the opportunity costs associated by not working to earn a living that may be an essential contribution to a family’s ability to feed themselves month by month.

Thus a range of sponsored or funded programmes have emerged from public or private resources to support equal access to education across the world. .

From the institutional perspective of receiving funding to recruit students is a Saviour as it provides the access to education that they would otherwise be denied to the individuals who can benefit from it. However, funding without responsibility or obligations can lead to complacency. The institutions that receive the funding either from the public purse, through benefaction or directly from the student are all surrounded by a fractured and inefficient market in which there is no incentive to compete, provide value for money or innovate and its almost impossible to fail. There is almost a natural stasis or inertia against changing the system or seeking alternative routes of delivery.

Contrast this with the commercial education companies who are under immense pressure to deliver education that is innovative, value for money and subject to real competition. Simply if they do not provide what the customer wants then they will fail. Students of these institutions are consumers of a product which is education. As consumers they are increasingly aware of alternatives and have an inherent powerbase from which to question, negotiate and demand.  The consequence is that many public sector providers end up with expensive provision to run as the private sector grow market share in the more profitable areas of provision.

This means that commercial training companies need to be efficient at all level in the organisation. They need to ensure their curriculum is of the highest quality and competitive in the market otherwise  a competitor will steal their market share. They need to be creative and innovative in methods of delivery to ensure delivery costs are minimized. There is no public funding subsidy to hide behind and commercial open market is far from protectionist. Did you know that one of the most effective and affordable delivery methods is that of Distance Learning and is raising the bar in terms of quality in the industry.

Distance learning in all of its forms is the fastest growing global phenomenon in education. Increasingly, learning that promotes employment opportunities rather than qualifications are being seen as more important. In the last twenty years this devaluation of the qualification “currency” has seen a dramatic rise in the number of unemployed graduates. Recent surveys have revealed that traditional education simply does not work..

The funding received from Government, alumni, endowments and other sources create an invisible barrier within the state sector preventing  them offering what the business world requires and what the student can afford.

Whilst the traditional education sector is content to languish in its artificial bubble, until it bursts, commercial distance learning companies are driven by the market and customer demands. The value of a course will be measure in terms of it ability to that increase employability or provide pleasure.  However, regardless of what drives the need customers will not make a purchase unless they get value for money.

So whilst the concepts and motives behind funding education are admirable it continues to have a devastating effect on innovative solutions for UK plc training needs and is arguably one of the biggest Villains in the educational sector today.

www.academy-zone.com www.academy-zone.com/distance-learning.aspx www.academy-zone.com/online-courses.aspx www.academy-zone.com/elearning.aspx www.educational-academy.co.uk www.mycpd.net

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When does too much power become too much ?. This is the question being murmured in business and government circles in relation to Search Engine companies. The students of politics amongst us are quick to point out the similarity between capitalist and communist extremes in they stifle competition.

A market that does not permit or easily facilitate competition is either a communist ideal or an unhealthy monopolistic capitalist market dominated by a few. The later is where the Search Engine market currently finds itself.

Through dominance, application of self-prescribed rules and criteria the unholy trinity of Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are dictating the very way business is conducted. Moreover, it is their interpretation of competition i.e. how much you pay them, that increasingly directly relates to a businesses success or failure.

In a self created, self policed and self governed marketplace the ultimate end is an implosion which we are starting to hear talk of. The implosion albeit probably of governmental or court enforced breakup is the only way to ensure a level playing field.

The stranglehold that Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have in the search engine market continues to tighten. A report by webpronews.com  ”The Impact of the Yahoo-Microsoft Transition on SEO and PPC” explains that the Microsoft / Yahoo collaboration is already in operation with Bing now powering Yahoo‘s results in the US & Canada.

The concern over the monopoly position Google, Microsoft & Yahoo have on search engine results and listings continues to grow with criticism becoming more common place from the business sector as well as serious concerns over privacy.

Also today the Consumer Watchdog released a Video depicting Google CEO Eric Schmidt as an Evil Icecream Man calling in to question what his intention really is with the data that Google holds on us all. In another video on the same page is a Chinese video disparaging Google and questioning their intentions.

Whilst the bias of the Chinese clip can be questioned the fact the Google admitted “accidentally” capturing 600 GB of fragmented personal data from Wi-Fi networks in more than 33 countries when carrying out its street view activities doesn’t help promote a responsible view of handling personal information. 

So, concerns rage over competition and privacy but this is not new. Microsoft were subject to an enforced breakup once they reached a certain size. Indeed history shows us that once a company reaches a certain size it implodes or breaks up.

This was true in the eighteenth century with the then comparable success of the East India Dock Company in Great Britain. A Hugely, dominant, self policing and dictatorial company that decided on the success or failure of other companies.

We should learn the lessons of History and once a company reaches a given dominance position it is automatically broken up. Only with safe guards against extremes will the capitalist models of the west truly remain competitive. Business will benefit as will customers as services and products will remain healthy and competitive.

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