Can Online Education Compare To Regular Classroom Learning

The potential of online learning is now being realized by all. Internet-based courses and their supporting technology are revolutionizing the way we educate ourselves. Not only does this method allow highly individualized attention, but also eliminates social promotions for the participants. Education of the highest level from the top colleges and universities can be made available to one and all, irrespective of distance or money issues that most often disrupt the passage. It is often observed that most people give up on their educational ambitions because of limitations of distance, professional responsibilities, family responsibilities, or at times even scarcity of resources to fund the education programs. These limitations are eliminated by online education altogether. But can online education ever match up to the level of classroom learning? This question still hangs mid air. There are a number of reasons why people opt for one of the two options, and so the statement cannot be generalized.

Every method does have its share of pros and cons. It cannot be said that either of the two methods is free of any problems altogether. Online education is the up and coming method of delivering education. It has been facilitated by the advancements in technology. The internet has brought the world closer and has given innumerable avenues of growth to people. Online education is one such platform that caters to the education needs of individuals who cannot afford classroom learning or who cannot spare enough time for a program as they are bound by certain responsibilities.

Regular programs that are delivered on campus help a person indulge in social, psychological and recreational activities that go a long way in building character. At the same time, a classroom program helps a candidate build a good peer group and benefit from shared communications. This feature is being replicated in the online classes as well. The curators of online education realized that this feature is important in order to take online teaching to the next level. Thus, to make online education come clean on its promise of being useful for candidates who are willing to undertake courses from home, online learning must provide a holistic experience to its participants. Certain education groups are made online wherein all the participants come online according to their fixed schedules. The class is conducted in a general manner and everyone is made to participate. The participants of the program share their experience and benefit from mutual contacts and experiences. They are free to voice their opinion on different sections of their field of expertise and this gives everyone in the classroom an opportunity to gain an insight into the work methods of a particular industry. This is a great learning opportunity for all the participants of any course.

Considering the above points, it is safe to assume that online education does not completely mitigate all the flaws that learning through an online platform brings with it, but it sure does bring a sea of opportunities that can be easily made use of by executives who do not wish to leave their jobs to fulfill their academic ambitions. online learning is here to stay.

16.4% APR $5,000 Auto Loan…HELP!

Are you the victim of a high interest rate auto loan? If so, the following email discussion may help you. Read on:

DEAR LoanResources.Net:

I was very impressed with your article entitled “8 Point Checklist, Evaluating Online Lenders [http://www.loanresources.org/articles.htm].”

I have tried several sources to refinance my auto. I only have 2 more years to pay $245.04 a month. I owe 4,414.00 on the car loan.

This may not seem like a lot of money but I would like a lower interest rate on my car loan which is now $16.4% APR.

I want to still pay it off in 24 months but at a lower rate so that I can use the money saved to help pay off other bills.

In my internet searches, the auto refinance loans required that you borrow more money than I need. I tried to search for unsecured personal loans on your website and they also required that I borrow more money.

I have a very good credit record and I am working to get some of my bills paid off.

Is there anything you can suggest so that I can get a lower rate auto loan for under $5,000? Any assistance will be appreciated.

Thanks. Geraldine W.

DEAR Geraldine:

Sorry I have not gotten back to you sooner. I took a couple weeks off to be with family…Thanks for the compliment on the article!

Anyway, I read your email and I do indeed have a suggestion or two that I’m happy to share.

A COUPLE THINGS INITIALLY:

1. First, you’re paying a very high interest rate at 16.4% APR for an auto loan! I’m going to assume that your statement as to your good credit is accurate. If that’s true, then you do indeed need to fix this.

2. Since you only need $5000, with the intention of paying it off in 2 years or less, I don’t think you should look for a refinance auto loan or a refinance on your home. Indeed, the bank is going to want to loan you much more money, usually at least $25,000. While a refinance or equity loan on your home does offer tax benefits, we’re only talking about interest on $5,000 over the course of 2 years. I have another idea you may not have considered.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED?

Have you considered just putting the balance of your car loan on a credit card that has a lower interest rate?

1. Credit Cards are, indeed, unsecured lines of credit with financial institutions.

2. They are the perfect financial vehicle for a $5,000 transfer of debt, with added flexibility, and you should be able to find an interest rate between 9 to 11%, and better, on average.

3. IN ADDITION! Once approved, the bank will usually give you blank checks for balance transfers (sometimes they’ll just do it for you right over the phone)…,

4. AND GUESS WHAT? The majority of the time, the incentive interest rates on the balance transfers are EXTREMELY low; sometimes zero percent for up to 6 months to a year.

5. IN ADDITION! you can apply for incentive cards that provide rewards for your spending….free airline miles, cash back programs, etc. I use the American Express Blue, and I get cash back of up to 3% on everything I spend. So, for $5,000, 3% cash back, AMEX(TM) pays me $150.

How do you like them apples? The bank pays YOU to borrow money.

RECOMMENDED PLAN OF ACTION:

So, Geraldine, here’s what I recommend you do:

1. Go back to our website, and explore the credit card offers we’ve recommended [http://www.loanresources.org/credit-cards-with-rewards-1.htm]. We’ve picked out what we think are the best offers, and there are a LOT of them, so think of it as a much needed shopping trip! Pay particular attention to our links for “incentive cards”. We have two pages of them.

2. Apply for whatever card or cards suit your tastes and needs. There are so many great reward cards. Limit yourself to only your imagination.

3. Get approved, receive card, and receive balance transfer checks.

4. Pay off loan to 16.4% bank!

5. Pay off credit card loan (with extremely low rate and incentives), at your leisure!

…And enjoy the fact that you just made an excellent financial move, saved money, made money, and gave yourself the flexibility to manage your debt on your own schedule…

Hope this helps…Let me know how it all works out.

We’ve enjoyed providing this information to you, and we wish you the best of luck in your pursuits. Remember to always seek out good advice from those you trust, and never turn your back on your own common sense.

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Disclaimer: Statements and opinions expressed in the articles, reviews and other materials herein are those of the authors. While every care has been taken in the compilation of this information and every attempt made to present up-to-date and accurate information, we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur. The author will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any information within these pages or any information accessed through this site.

Chapter 13 – Online Advertising – Throwing a Banner into the Works

As you may have gathered from the title, the focus of this chapter is largely on banner advertising but don’t for one minute believe that banners are the be all and end all of online advertising. “Banner advertising” is a bit of a misnomer – modern online creative advertising is about a lot more than just banners.The Multi-Purpose Nature of AdvertisingAdvertising, whether online or offline, always has a number of objectives:o Building brand awarenesso Creating consumer demando Informing consumers of your ability to satisfy that demandBut when you really think about it, they can be distilled into just one action: Increasing Sales!Advertising is based on the simple economics of demand and supply. Advertisers aim to stimulate a consumer need and then satisfy that need. Create the demand. Then satisfy the demand.Building Brand AwarenessMaking people aware of your brand or product is an important long-term goal. Once customers know about you, you’ve taken that first big step towards gaining their trust… and their patronage. It’s a simple fact that the best known brands do more business. And therein lies the rub.The ultimate goal is to do more business and sell more.Building brand awareness is perhaps the key strong point of online creative advertising. It’s largely visual, making it an ideal channel for promoting brand collateral.Creating Consumer DemandBrand and product awareness is also about creating demand. Advertising needs to convince consumers about what they should want and why they should want it. Modern online advertising can provide a great way to communicate the USP’s of your product, thereby helping stimulate demand.
Aspiration is a function of knowledge. You can’t want what you don’t know about.Satisfy Consumer DemandOnce your consumer wants something, they need to know of your ability to satisfy that want. If your brand building has been effective, they know you exist. Now tell them how you can deliver what they need.Driving Traffic and SalesIf your Online Advertising campaign doesn’t drive traffic, then there’s really no point in it, is there? All forms of online marketing need to drive traffic in the long term. But what about the short and medium term?That’s where the immediacy of Online Advertising comes to the fore. Unlike traditional media advertising, Online Advertising can turn the potential customer into an actual customer right there and then. What’s more – you can track exactly how effectively your campaign does this.Payment ModelsDepending on the primary goal of the campaign, different payment models can be used:CPM or CPIPaying for exposure. CPM refers to Cost Per Thousand and CPI to Cost Per Impression. This is usually how a campaign would be priced when brand awareness is the primary goal. It’s also how most banner ads are priced in South Africa.CPCPaying for clicks. CPC stands for Cost Per Click. Normally associated with Paid Search Marketing, banners can be priced this way when the aim is to drive traffic. This is seldom used in South Africa.CPAPaying for acquisition. CPA refers to Cost Per Acquisition. This model means the publisher carries all the risk. The advertiser only pays when an advert delivers an acquisition.If you’re into buying banner advertising, this is the best way to pay – if you’re selling it, it’s the worst way to charge.
Not surprisingly, the CPA model is not commonly used for banner advertising and is generally associated with Affiliate Marketing. Of course, the lines blur when you’re publishing an affiliate banner.Flat RateSometimes, owners of lower-traffic sites choose to sell banner space at a flat rate i.e. at a fixed cost per month regardless of traffic or amount of impressions. This would appeal to a media buyer who may be testing an online campaign generally targeting niche markets.So What Exactly Are Banners? In simplest terms, a banner ad is a hyperlinked image. The image carries the message and the hyperlink takes the visitor to the advertiser’s landing page.Of course it doesn’t have to merely be an image. In fact, this form of advertising has come a long way since the early days of images that say “click here!” and drop you off at the homepage of the advertiser’s website.Banners can contain other forms of rich media as well and many use interactivity and sound to draw attention. The use of action scripts and technologies like Flash has taken this form of Online Advertising to a whole new level.Types of Banner Ads – Size Matters! As mentioned before, “banner advertising” is something of a misnomer. Banners come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Perhaps calling it “rich media advertising” or “online creative advertising” is more descriptive.If we break it down traditionally, banner advertising can be separated into various categories according to their size and shape:o Banners o Full Banner: 468 X 60
o Half Banner: 234 X 60
o Micro Bar: 88 X 31
o Vertical Banner / Mini Skyscraper: 120 X 240
o Leaderboard: 770 X 60o Buttons o Button 1: 120 X 90
o Button 2: 120 X 60
o Micro Button: 80 X 15
o Square Button: 125 X 125 / 120 X 120o Rectangular adso Medium Rectangle: 300 X 250
o Square Pop-Up: Any size, but 200 X 200 is common
o Vertical Rectangle: 240 X 400
o Large Rectangle: 336 X 280
o Rectangle: 180 X 150 and other variationso Skyscrapers o Wide Skyscraper: 160 X 600
o Skyscraper: 120 X 600
o Half Page Ad / Super Skyscraper: 300 X 600While the sizes above indicate the generally accepted dimensions of ads, rich media technologies mean the ads themselves can expand beyond the allocated area of page real estate. Expanding ads, that “pop-out” on mouse-over, overlay ads that appear on top of site content, and ads that incorporate interactive elements have become very popular.But Why Banner Advertising? In previous chapters we went on and on about the value of marketing tools that focus on giving consumers what they want when they’re looking for it. Now, all of a sudden we’re changing course and suggesting a method of interruption marketing? What’s that about then?Horses for courses – and some campaigns are just better suited to visual means.o You’re promoting travel packages. What stirs more emotion – an image of a tropical paradise? Or the words “tropical paradise?”o Want to build your brand within a specific sphere? Why not brand, through banner advertising, the websites of every major player in that niche?o Running a competition? Keep your target market’s eye on the prizeo Launching an exciting new sports car? Images with a call to action – “test drive it now” – or interactive rich media that highlight all the exciting new features as you mouse-over that part of the car on the imageInteractivity Since banners can contain rich media, they offer levels of interactivity that other forms of advertising can’t reach. Get your target market to not only see your banner, get them to play with it too. Interaction builds a bond and improves the chances of the consumer remembering your brand tomorrow.Animations, games, video, flash – and you thought banner ads were just hyperlinked pictures. Modern Online Advertising is able to bring together a number of other online marketing tactics:o A few years ago, flash micro sites were all the rage – now the same functionality can exist right within the ado Viral Marketing: clever viral marketing games or “send to a friend” functionality – again from right within the ado Video – check out video previews from within the adTargeting Online ads can further directly target your intended market by various means:o Geo-Targeting – Online Advertising has the ability to target by country, province or city, and can even drill down to IP addresso Network / Browser Type – Markets can further be targeted via networks / browser types such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, MAC etco Connection Type – Users can be segmented on broadband or dial up connectionso Day and Time – Chose any time of day, any day of the week. This usually depends on the client objective of the campaign or the product itselfo Capping – Limiting the amount of times a user sees a particular adMeasurabilityBanner ads, like all eMarketing tactics, are measurable. Track click-through rates and you get an idea of exactly how many people are responding to your call to action. Some publishers even have the ability to do post-click tracking i.e. you can track the user all the way to a sale if that is the purpose of the advert.Similarity with Traditional MediaeMarketers regularly bemoan the fact that it’s sometimes difficult to educate the market on the value of Internet marketing techniques. Traditional buyers of advertising have been conditioned in a certain fashion and have come to understand advertising in a certain way.Banner advertising goes a long way towards bridging the advertising divide. Ads have a set size, they can look very similar to print ads and they occupy a particular bit of real estate in a publication with a particular number of eyeballs looking at it. It’s easy to understand and it does the things buyers are used to expecting advertising to do.Bottom line – if done correctly, online advertising also builds your brand, and increases your sales!

Playing Online Poker For a Living – 4 Simple Tips That Can Help You Play Cards For a Living

Card game addicts can soon start dealing out cards no matter where they are, before you could even say “Indiana Jones”. These people love this game, and no matter what, they will always find a plain simple excuse to play it. Some play online for a livingIf you are quite in their league too, it is no wonder if your fingers itch all the time to try out your luck and fortune at the card games. Well, the solution to itching fingers is only a few clicks away. You can find many web sites where you can play poker online and also win money if you are a host to good fortune and tricky skills.Card players find it easy to play card games online, since here, the ambience is quite relaxed and quiet. You never know with whom you are playing. It could be an old man or woman, or a child as well! But one thing is for sure- here no one will be able to peep and have a look as to whether you have a winning hand or not. Here, no one is there to rush you, no one to call the shots but you. But even though this seems as if the rules here are quite easy and relaxed, actually, they are not. You have to abide by certain laws which if you neglect, will result in your disqualification.o Before you start to play, you must try to decide if you are willing to play poker for your entire income. To do this, you will have to look back at the games that you played in the past, and how you handled your bankroll after a big win. Did you jump into the stakes or invest your winnings?o Then again, if you had never the chance to see so much money while playing poker, but lost about ten tournaments in a row, you have to remember what your action was. Did you move down or up in stakes? These reactions of yours are necessary to judge whether you will be able to make a living on poker.o The main trick is not how much money you win, but how you win it. When you do not have a winning hand, you have to see that you lose very little of cash. But when you have the best hand, you have to try to call the right shots at the right time to milk in a lot of money out of your opponent’s pockets. To maneuver the game carefully you have to assess the situation accurately and rely on your gut instincts.o Another key skill that you need to hone is patience. You might be able to rely on your instincts, and make quite sharp decisions at the crucial moments in the game; you might be able to calculate thoroughly the result of every move of every player around the table; you might be able to tighten your purse strings when you have no winning hand, and get the best odds to win the most when you turn out to be the lucky one, but there is still a chance that someone might come about and upset your plan and shatter it to rubbles. During these times, it is necessary that you do not lose your head, but start to build another plan, so as to win back what you have lost.These rules will help you to get to the very peak where you can earn a lot of money, and there will be no stopping you as well. Remember, rules are important in a game, so that you do not get disqualified, and you can always use them to your advantage.

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