Distance learning

I was talking to my PhD supervisor who admitted that his first degree was a distance learning degree. This was in the 1970s when there wasn’t the technology to have online programs, but it was the paper equivalent – the university posted the learning materials to the students, they worked at the materials and posted back assignments.

They also had regular group meetings, usually locally so that several students would meet with a tutor, usually in the evening or a Saturday morning. It took him 5 years to gain his Bachelor’s degree. He then went on to study an MBA full-time, worked and studied for his PhD. During this time the university he was studying at offered him a lecturing post.

Now he is a full professor, and a name in his field. It’s just remarkable what you can do with online qualifications.