The Importance Of Distance Learning

Introduction

In the past decade distance learning has become the norm in most countries, for example statistics show that in South Africa, there is currently an estimated 800,000 students registers for distance learning courses (DistanceLearningPortal.com, 2014), in the UK, the Open University had over 200000 students enrolled in 2013 (The Open University, 2014). Many countries, including South Africa, have committed to distance learning opportunities utilising open learning principles (Department of Higher Education & Training South Africa, 2013). Distance Learning has many benefits including ease of access, flexibility and the global reach of many work based learning programmes (Allan, 2009). On the other hand it presents certain challenges that require that the student be equipped with skills that would assist them to be successful in tackling their studies. One of the pertinent skills is the ability to manage time and commitments effectively. An online article by the U.S. State Department states that people from all walks of life complain about the lack of time to complete and meet daily commitments, so the problem is widespread, across economic, national and social lines (http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/64932.htm, n.d.). This essay aims to explore the impacts time management skills have on learners enrolled for Distance Learning University Degrees, and their ability to be successful. In order to fully explore the topic, it will be necessary to map out the published pros