It is becoming increasingly difficult to find flexible schedules that are adapted to the wide range of students' possibilities and needs. Lack of time and the challenge of balancing different activities mean that people are forced to postpone their education. Distance is also a fundamental problem that limits or prevents people from accessing higher education and training. For all these reasons, distance education is becoming a dominant model and is recognized for its numerous strengths:
- Scheduling conflicts are eliminated.
- Commuting inconveniences are removed.
- Students can adjust their pace of study according to their interests.
- Acquired knowledge can be applied immediately in the workplace.
The main features that distinguish distance education programs from face-to-face programs are the following:
- Documentation is specially designed for use in distance education, featuring an engaging format, clear and concise writing style, frequent explanatory tables, and highlighting of key points in each topic.
- Documentation follows a logical order of study so that the content is coordinated and concepts are introduced gradually.
- Possibility of accessing a wide variety of specializations.
- Personalized tutoring allows for clarification of any questions that may arise at any point in the syllabus.
Each student is assigned a professor/tutor, who is responsible for their academic progress and who is available to answer any questions that may arise during their studies. Depending on their chosen specializations, students can also contact professors who are experts in each of the corresponding environmental topics. Communication with the professor/tutor can be done by phone, fax, mail or email, through the Virtual Environment, as well as in person.