One way to distinguish between good online education providers and bad ones is that the good ones are not trying to recruit every student for their program. Rather, they wish to enroll only students for whom online education would be a good fit. For that reason some programs provide prospective students with “readiness assessments.” These self-assessments allow prospective students to consider the appropriateness of online education for them in light of their own background. Typically assessments provide students with an opportunity to take stock of their learning style, life situation, as well as computer knowledge and skills.
Since these assessments are offered to students so that they can determine whether or not online education makes sense for them, they are available to anyone free of charge.
University of Georgia
For other assessments, and assessment information, see
Penn State
http://tutorials.istudy.psu.edu/learningonline/ORQ/ORQ.htm
University of Florida
http://www.distance.ufl.edu/self-assessment
Please note that the results of self-assessment are not an all-or-nothing affair. That my self-assessment indicates room for improvement does not necessarily mean that online education could not be a good match for me. It may only mean that I need to get ready for online education. This is particularly the case with computer knowledge and skills. If you are interested in online education but are unsure of your technological knowledge and ability, you can address those weaknesses. In fact, growth in such knowledge and skills is one of the benefits of online education, and can lead to increased productivity at work and enriched leisure activities outside of the office. Here are some places to start:
Basic Computer Skills Getting Started With Your First Computer
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computers/basic-computer-skills/getting-started-with-your-first-computer
Basic Computer Skills Curriculum
http://spclc.org/curricula-resources/computer-curriculum#basic
Beginners Computer Class
http://www.fremontne.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1687
Getting Online One Click at a Time BBC First Click Beginner’s Guide
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/connect/BBC_First_Click_Beginners_Guide.pdf
Some questions to consider:
Is an educational provider pressuring me to enroll?
Have I taken a self-assessment to check my fit for online education?
Where do my strengths lie for online education?
What would be my greatest challenges in online education?
What can I learn/have I learned from an online-education assessment check that can help me become a more efficient student and employee?