Though you will be learning the same materials in your online education courses as students who are taking the same classes in a traditional campus setting, at first glance, it may seem like your learning experience differs greatly from your classroom counterparts. However, the differences are not so severe that online education is impossible. In fact, online degree bears many striking resemblances to traditional learning.

Distance education has come a long way since it was first practiced more than a century ago. In its earliest carnation, distance education took the form of correspondence education, according to the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Learners were taught through mail, which must have made for a slow education indeed. Afterwards, distance education evolved to become largely radio-based, then two-way communication-based before finally making the leap in the 1990s to the Internet. Online education is now not only the new face of distance education, but it also is a highly respected means of earning a degree.

Students enrolled in an life experience degree must regularly attend their lectures and participate in class just as they would in a traditional setting. They do so by logging onto the school’s education platform, which is likely something like Blackboard, and view their course assignments and lectures. Lectures are given either in video, slide show, or text format, depending on the class and instructor. Assignments are typically short essays or multiple choice quizzes. These assignments ensure that the student is successfully learning the materials and helps instructors gauge who is putting in effort and who is not. Students will also complete reading assignments either with a physical copy of the textbook or with an eBook. Unlike traditional classrooms, students can log in to "attend" their classes at any given time during the week instead of sticking to the school’s strict schedule.

At the end of the course year, final examinations are given out either online college degrees or at a testing facility. If the exam is to be completed at a testing facility, students must make the time to go and complete their examination there before their grades can be calculated.