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Online Degree, Online Courses and Distance Learning in Peru

121Spanish

London, Peru
121spanish.com is an online school focusing on the teaching of the Spanish language. The school is a member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, and provides a variety of customized Spanish lessons. All of these are carried out by qualified tutors based in Latin America. Students come from all around the world – including Canada, USA, Australia, Europe, China, and Asia. All of the teachers have certifications or diplomas in language teaching and linguistics, so each individual curriculum is tailored to the learner’s level. Finally, the school offers courses... See full description.

Online Degree, Online Courses and Distance Learning in Peru by City:

London

About Online Degree, Online Courses and Distance Learning in Peru

Peru, or in official circles, the Republic of Peru, is a large developing country in South America, with a total geographic area of nearly 500,000 square miles.  The country has an estimated population of nearly 29.5 million spread out among the various regions of the country.  The capital and largest city in Peru is Lima, and most of its residents self-identify as “mestizo,” an ethnic classification that signifies a combination of European and native Amerindian ancestry.  Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the country and it is also the language used in education, including distance education.
 
Distance Education in Peru
 
Distance education in Peru has rapidly transformed the landscape of higher education, and to a lesser extent, education at the primary and secondary levels as well.  Individuals who were once limited by time, distance and or handicap can now pursue educational opportunities that were formerly inaccessible to them, needing only a reliable Internet connection and regular access to a computer to do so.  This form of education, in which students can pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees from home and working at their own pace has become very popular and has allowed the country to increase enrollments, including at universities where physical space is severely limited.  Instead of attending traditional classes, students can now send and receive assignments and communicate with their instructor and fellow students using electronic means (email, instant messaging, video conferencing, etc.) and, in some cases, even attend virtual lectures over the web.  Some programs require minimal physical attendance, usually for exams, but many are now conducted entirely over the Internet.
 
Distance education offers many advantages to students, particularly those who hail from poorer families.  According to statistical reports, over one-third of Peru’s population currently lives in poverty and most of these live in the more remote regions of the country, far from most of the higher education institutions.  Many of these poorer students, particularly those who have in the past demonstrated adequate academic performance throughout primary and secondary school, are excused from paying tuition at public colleges and universities, but while the government has certainly stepped in to address these students’ financial position, it wasn’t until distance education was fully implemented that provisions were made to address students’ geographic distance as well—the distance from most of the country’s higher education institutions.  Consequently, prior to the implementation of a comprehensive distance education system, many of these potential students were excluded from higher education opportunities.
 
Teacher training has also benefited from distance or online education.  In an education system that once relied solely on teacher-centered training and instruction, schools are now taking advantage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to develop collaborative learning projects and establish virtual communities of practice among Peruvian teachers.  One such program, a pilot program entitled “Strengthening Teacher Practices through Information and Communication Technologies” (CAPTIC), has proven very successful in demonstrating how technology can be used in the service of instructional innovation.  Teachers at sixteen rural primary schools and teacher education centers are currently participating in CAPTIC, receiving instruction and on-going support in project-based pedagogy enhanced by the use of computers. Teachers in the program, along with their students, learn to develop inquiry-based projects arising from students' natural curiosity, often using various computer technologies to help complete the projects, and posting the end-results on the CAPTIC website, ultimately benefiting all Peruvian teachers, including those not participating in the project.