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Online education is an area available to those unable to access full-time education. Technology has now allowed the use of CDs, DVD, email, web-based presentations and more. It is possible to carry virtually a full load or a single unit. You can choose where and when you study/complete work, even overseas. It can be done in conjunction with full-time work, managing a family or running a business. It can be done for professional or personal reasons.
In previous years, this form of study was often called external studies or distance education, with the latter term still being used by some bodies and levels.
Online education is provided by most universities, some colleges and many school systems. Numerous universities are now providing Open Courseware online, for free use by anyone who is interested, though they do not lead to qualifications.
Be aware online education has positive and negative aspects. You must know if you are suited to this method of learning. Charles Sturt University has information regarding the process.
Other sites that may be useful include Distance Learning 101 and Distance Learning Web Resources. While the last two are US based, several sections apply worldwide and are worth reading before starting any online/distance education course.
This page looks at online education programs, especially in Australia. This covers all levels. Specialist areas are also covered as is Open Courseware, specialised online learning areas, video tutorials and more.
If you are aware of worthwhile information not included, suggestions or additions are welcome and will be given due consideration.
Australian Information
Distance Education
Partial online education with some work completed online, but with mail and other methods involved. Groups and school sites providing distance education are listed.
School Level
- Australian Capital Territory
- Alice Springs School of the Air [Northern Territory]
- Broken Hill [New South Wales - School of the Air]
- Cairns [Queensland]
- Carnarvon [Western Australia]
- Charleville [Queensland]
- Charters Towers [Queensland]
- Distance Education Tasmania
Multiple services offered. - Distance Learning Unit [Queensland]
- Kalgoorlie [Western Australia]
- Katherine [Northern Territory]
- Kimberley [Western Australia]
- Longreach [Queensland]
- Meekatharra [Western Australia]
- Mt Isa [Queensland]
- New South Wales [DET]
List of centres. - Open Access College [South Australia]
- Open High School N.S.W.
‘Teaching and learning of languages by distance education.’ - OTEN [New South Wales]
- Port Augusta [South Australia]
- Port Hedland [Western Australia]
- Rural and Distance Education Unit [NSW]
- SIDE
‘The centre for distance learning within the WA Department of Education.’ - Victoria [Departmental listing]
- Virtual Schooling Service [Queensland]
Other Australian Sites
- ABC Education - Learn Gateway - Lifelong Learning
Online information and learning. Links to learning at different levels, helped by ABC material and ideas. - Accredited Online Training
‘Online, nationally recognised courses all over Australia and even to some international students. We offer a range of Certificates and Diplomas in the Business Service training package, Training and Assessment and Finance.’ - AOI, the First Online Institute in Australia
- Australian Correspondence Schools
Also try Australian Correspondence Schools Online. - Australian Flexible Learning Framework
Advice to improve and refine online learning as well as other distance education. For State & Territory Information, check here. - College of Fine Arts’ Public Online Courses
‘A dynamic and innovative initiative designed to provide opportunities for study to the public, primarily in the area of visual arts and design.’ University level. - Delivering New Options [NT]
Media Release detailing the use of virtual schooling in several high schools in the Northern Territory. - Distance Education Australia
‘We are continually loading more online and distance education programs on this site to simplify your search. Browse currently listed programs and visit the program providers’ websites for their complete offering.’ - Distance Learning Australia
‘Study at your own pace with unlimited support from our highly qualified and experienced staff’. - E-Campus Australia - Electronic Learning
Incorporates Far North Queensland Training. IMore than 800 online courses, most in Business and IT. - EdNA Online
Search for online courses and where you can take them. - Fitness Institute Australia
Courses, tutors, assessment and much more. - LearnScope
‘Project of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework. LearnScope has been part of a national strategy to increase the capacity of vocational and technical education professionals to use flexible learning approaches and new technologies in the delivery of training.’ - Lifestyle Learning Direct
‘Provide the complete distance education solution by offering courses from our correspondence schools, The Sackville Academy and The Writing School, along with online learning courses from Lifestyle Learning Online.’ - McGrath Real Estate
Online Real Estate Registration course. - Online Mathematics
Develops mathematical skills to HSC level. Fee-based but quite reasonable [in AU$]. Access notes, past papers, glossary, summaries, self-marking tests, study guide and links. - Public Relations
Certificates/Diplomas of Public Relations from Education Online through their virtual campus. - Resourcebank
1 000+ e-curriculum resources. Fee-based. - Rural and Remote Education Online
For practising medicos to improve their education through case studies, modules and courses. Links to workshops and conferences. - SEEK Learning
‘Education and Training to Advance Your Career. IT Certificates, TAFE Courses, university degrees, short computer courses and more.’ - StudyNow
‘We give students the chance to research and browse courses from a range of institutions in a range of locations and settings previously unknown to the candidate.’ - TAFE Open Learning [Qld]
‘TAFE Open Learning - online and distance education. We provide online and correspondence courses for people living throughout Australia and the world’. - Where-u-Learn
Some Free trials give an idea of Fee-based courses available.
University Online Courses
For online education from any university in Australia, go to the Universities page. A small sample are provided below.
- APESMA Management Education
Online and face-to-face courses at graduate and post-graduate levels in conjunction with Charles Sturt and Latrobe Universities. - Higher Education Providers
Listings by state. - Charles Sturt University
- Monash [Gippsland Campus]
- Open Universities Australia
Previously Open Learning Australia. - Queensland University of Technology
- Study Online Australia
By areas or levels of study. - University of New England
Off-Campus Education [Distance Education]. - University of New South Wales - YouTube
‘The first university in Australia to launch an official channel on You Tube. UNSW on You Tube will be a channel for communicating research and selected teaching material to a wider audience. This will broaden public access to some of Australia’s top teachers and researchers. The channel will feature research, learning and teaching initiatives, lectures and students’ work.’
Specialist Areas
Information Technology
- I.T. Training Online
Free training in areas of computing including basic programming. Resources, tools and courses listed. - Learn IT
Tutorials from beginners to expanding knowledge. Select Computers & Internet on the menu. - Learn the Net
Articles on the internet from going online to building web pages. - NETg [Skill Soft]
Provides IT online training. Now part of Skill Soft.
Languages
- Language Courses
A variety of languages. Not all are Free, so check carefully. - Language Study Online
Extensive range of languages. - Parlo
Language courses [mainly European] and other cultures.
Investment & Business
- Australian Business Planning
Advice and guidance in the development of businesses. - Business Plan Centre
Business planning online.
Media & Music
- Berklee Shares
‘Free music lessons you can download, share and trade with your friends and fellow musicians.’ Browse by Topic or Instrument. - Mucony
‘Private music lessons for view, taught by the world’s finest classical and jazz artists. All the major instruments are represented, along with lessons in voice, history and theory.’ While Free to Join, lessons are Fee-based. - NowPlayIt
‘Unique video service features real music and real artists all backed by real learning techniques. It has been developed to help offer a more instant and direct way of learning, for every range of musician.’ Fee-based though Some Free Content. - Online Conservatory
Canadian piano teacher. If interested, you need a MIDI compatible keyboard. To continue, there is a Fee. - Workstar
Combines input from universities, companies and others to provide online learning in multimedia areas.
Open Courseware
A movement to make courseware freely available for people to access, anywhere in the world. Multiple methods of doing so. Individual sites and portals.
-
100 Incredible Lectures from the World’s Top
Scientists
‘Thanks to the Internet, and our list of 100 incredible lectures, you’ve now got access to the cutting edge theories and projects that are changing the world’. Annotated links listed in science areas. - 236 Open Courseware Collections, Podcasts, and Videos
‘This list of open courseware collections may be just what you need. Each resource listed contains a collection or collections of educational materials. You’ll find digital archives, a variety of courses, Podcasts, videos and sometimes a mix of everything you can imagine so you can learn any given subject in depth. ’ - 60+ Open Courseware Collections
To Help You Be a Better Teacher. ‘With open courseware, you can learn about a wide range of topics, from classroom behavior to using the latest technologies at your own pace. While it’s no substitute for real classroom education, it can provide an invaluable supplement and guide to your educational pursuits and classroom management.’ - Dumps Questions.com
‘You can download all the latest dumps Free of cost for certification exams.’ - Free Education
Extensive listing [mostly American]. Links to webcasts, RSS Feeds, courseware. Multiple options for finding these. - Free Online Classes
‘With free online classes, you can watch lectures from professors from top universities and even skim their notes, without spending a penny or leaving the comfort of your home.’ US based. - iBerry - Open Courseware
Open Courseware Directory and Higher Education Resources, Academic sites and Prime Sites, Find a vast range of open courseware from quality universities and other academic institutions from all around the world.
Well presented ! - iBerry OCW Finder
Search via Open Courseware Sites, subject, Open Educational Resources, using the subject area grid [probably the best], even Learner Support. - Learn-gasm
‘These Free Open Courseware Classes can help any web worker get a step up on the task with courses including web design skills, media arts, photography and video, writing and communication, technology.’ - METU OpenCourseWare
‘Free And Open Educational Resource for faculty, students, and self-learners throughout the world.’ - MIT Lecture Browser
‘More than 200 MIT lectures are currently available on the site. So far, most of the users are international students who access the lectures through MIT’s OpenCourseWare initiative, which makes curriculum materials for most MIT courses available to anyone with Internet access.’ - MITOpenCourseWare
‘MIT OpenCourseWare is a free publication of MIT course materials that reflects almost all the undergraduate and graduate subjects taught at MIT. There is no registration or enrolment process because OCW is not a credit-bearing or degree-granting initiative.’ Aeuronautics to Writing. 1900 at time of inclusion. Also has Video lectures. - OpenCourseWare Consortium
‘An OpenCourseWare is a Free And Open Digital Publication of high quality educational materials, organized as courses. The OpenCourseWare Consortium is a collaboration of more than 200 higher education institutions and associated organizations from around the world creating a broad and deep body of open educational content using a shared model.’ You could also try their Course Finder. - Open Yale Courses
‘Provides Free and Open Access to a selection of introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University. The aim of the project is to expand access to educational materials.’ - SmartSchoolFinder
‘While you won’t be earning a degree, you will be learning quite a bit from the finest schools in the World, and you may find a new subject that catches your eye !’ Mainly American, but some from other countries. - TED
Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world. Select by area or a range of other options. - The Cape Town Open Education Declaration
‘Educators worldwide are developing a vast pool of educational resources on the Internet, open and Free For All To Use. These educators are creating a world where each and every person on earth can access and contribute to the sum of all human knowledge.’ - The Ultimate Guide to Using Open Courseware
70+ Apps, Search Engines and Resources for Free Learning. Search Engines & Directories, Open Courseware Collections, Podcasts, Videos, eBooks, Educational TV, plus Resources, Articles, Guides. - Top 100 Open Courseware Projects
‘Open courseware sources listed are Freely Available For Anyone To Use, whether you’re a student, an instructor, or a self-learner. Categorized by subject and listed alphabetically within that subject.’ Agriculture to Social Sciences. - USQ OpenCourseWare
‘The University of Southern Queensland’s OpenCourseWare [USQ OCW] provides access to Free And Open Educational Resources for faculty members, students, and self-learners throughout the world. USQ OCW does not grant credits or degrees, and does not provide access to faculty members’ - WikiEducator
Among the options are ‘development of Free Content on Wikieducator for e-learning and work on building open education resources.’
Other Information
General Sites
- Cengage Education
‘For over a century, we have been helping people like you to build a better future for yourself and your family through career training.’ - eHow
How to tutorials. 14 categories and more than 120 sub-categories. Everything done step-by-step. - Fathom
Quality Free online courses. US based. Now archived at the University of Chicago library, but still fully accessible. - Free Online Courses and Tutorials
Courses and resources available covering just about everything. Education, Professional, Science, Arts/Entertainment, etc.. - How Stuff Works
- Online Tutoring
‘Tutorialschool.com is [an] organisation helping students all over the world in better understanding their subjects’. Year 4 to college level, concentrating on Mathematics and Science. Fee-based. - SoYouWanna
Guides on multiple topics. - TutorialFind [V2]
1 500+ courses in 250+ areas. Content is good. -
TutorVista
‘TutorVista.com is the premier online destination for affordable education - anytime, anywhere and in any subject. Students can access our service from the convenience of their home or school’. Fee-based. - Videolectures.Net
‘Access to high quality video lectures presented by distinguished scholars and scientists at the most important and prominent events like conferences, summer schools, workshops and science promotional events from many fields of Science. The portal is aimed at promoting science, exchanging ideas and fostering knowledge sharing by providing high quality didactic contents not only to a scientific community but also the general public.’ Free. - Virtual Colleges
Links to virtual colleges and training sites. Most US-based. - WannaLearn
350 categories of Free, family safe, online tutorials, etc.. - World Lecture Hall
‘Entry point to Free online course materials from around the world.’ - World Wide Learn
‘World’s largest directory of online courses, accredited online degrees, continuing education, online training and online education.’ - Your Tutor
‘An easy, affordable and convenient way to give students access to extra help and coaching. We work with schools, libraries and education departments to provide learning support programs.’ Australia.
International University Courses Online
- 10 Universities Offering Free Writing Courses Online
‘Whether you are currently writing professionally or are looking to break into the field, formal writing courses can help you to hone your skills. There are plenty of universities offering Free writing courses online.’ - California Virtual University
Combination of university, university college, etc.. More than 2 000 courses online. - Columbia University [US]
Courses, especially business. - Connexions®
‘Environment for collaboratively developing, freely sharing, and rapidly publishing scholarly content on the Web. Our Content Commons contains educational materials for everyone’. All available material is Free. - Duke University [US]
The MBA-Global Executive Program is considered the best ! AU$180 000 cost but - return air fares twice yearly and a laptop on enrolment ! - eLearners.com
American site with degrees and diplomas you can do at universities and colleges. - globalEDGE
‘Free interactive educational tools for use in the classroom or in executive training. Developed by the Michigan State University Centre for International Business and Education and Research’. - Harvard Business School [US]
Linked with Stanford Graduate School of Business, they offer non-degree courses and business training. - iTunes U
‘Puts the power of the iTunes Store to work for colleges and universities, so users can easily search, download, and play course content just like they do music, movies, and TV shows.’ You need to have installed iTunes, available from this site. Examples include the following.
- The Open University [UK]
‘Open educational resources Free from The Open University, the specialists in distance learning.’ - Trinity College Dublin
‘TCD on iTunes U contains interesting public lectures, sample course content, and a range of podcasts from the TCD community.’
- Liverpool University [England]
Online courses. - Online PhD Degree Programs
‘Free guides and advice from University academics about Online courseware’. Check the left menu for advice and information, while the right menu gives you Recent Posts including several on Australian Universities. - Open University Business School
UK, but worldwide access. - Open University of Hong Kong
Offers all postgraduate courses online. - Oxford University
The first ‘online interactive’ lectures given in 2001. - Universitas 21 Global
Worldwide consortium of universities [including 2 in Australia] plus other bodies that provide e-learning. - University Business
US directory of 100 e-learning companies you need to know about. - University of Maryland [University College, US]
Orientation section, trial courses, many graduate certificate courses.
Video Tutorials Online
Lectures, programs and courseware available in video format. The following are an initial listing.
- Academic Earth
‘Thousands of video lectures from the world’s top scholars.’ Select from US Universities, subjects or Top Rate Instructors. - Free Video Tutorials
Tutorials primarily in the computing area. - Nova - Watch Online
‘The following NOVA programs are available to watch online, divided conveniently into chapters and closed captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. Note that most NOVA programs are not available for downloading due to rights restrictions.’ - TeacherTube
‘To provide an online community for sharing instructional videos. We seek to fill a need for a more educationally focused, safe venue for teachers, schools, and home learners. It is a site to provide anytime, anywhere professional development with teachers teaching teachers.’ - YouTube EDU
‘Videos and Channels from college and university partners.’ General lists, Most Viewed, Most Subscribed [Channels]. Also a directory.