That the popularization of the Internet and technological advances have positively affected and have managed to revolutionize many of the areas of our daily lives is an obvious reality that is well known. A context in which we cannot stop talking about training, since there are many online platforms that offer us the opportunity to continue learning at a distance from the hand of unimaginable resources in the past ..
Thus, and in recent years, websites specialized in courses have continued to proliferate, as well as others dedicated to the collection of MOOCs seminars and the like. But what has happened to the universities ? Have they been able to jump on the bandwagon of innovation? Today we analyze some examples; some centers that have taken advantage of the opportunities offered by the network and that have exceeded that institution that we all associate with non-face-to-face education: the UNED.
Distance University of Madrid (UDIMA)
The UDIMA, to begin with, is one of them. A private university whose activity began in 2008 and which, in just a few years, became a true reference. Here we can take both a degree (there are 14 different ones), a master's degree (it offers thirty) or a doctorate. Their own degrees (there are 45) and the language institute are other alternatives..
However, it addresses the following areas : business administration and economics, quality and environment, health and labor sciences, law, criminology and security, education, industrial engineering, information technology and telecommunications; history and humanities; and communication and marketing. A spectrum that is not bad at all.
On its website we find other useful resources such as free books and magazines on different topics (accounting, financial mathematics, marketing, psychotechnical tests and a long etcetera), computer manuals and specific blogs for different careers. The latter are very interesting, especially if you are still not sure which one to choose ..
It also has its own job bank, and includes information on entrance exams for the elderly, agreements with companies, advice to entrepreneurs and scholarships and grants , among others. Its library and store make it easy to find the material.
Open University of Catalonia (UOC)
The UOC is one of the pioneers . An organization that was born in 1995 with the aim of “reinventing the university”. His method is to constantly accompany the student through a teaching team and encourage participation among students, even from a distance.
Although it initially started in Catalonia and with Catalan as a language, it did not take long to expand its scope, first to the rest of the country and, later, to other Spanish-speaking countries . However, at present it is still much cheaper to enroll in Catalan than in Spanish. The reason? That receives a subsidy from the Generalitat.
At the UOC you can enroll in a doctorate, a bachelor's degree, a university master's degree, a postgraduate degree, language courses, seminars and other courses and even in independent subjects that you want to take freely. Its portal also offers access to academic journals, a virtual library and other services.
International University of La Rioja (UNIR)
UNIR describes itself as the university of the Internet. An entity with seven years of experience behind it that has a varied educational offer: 9 degrees, 20 masters and the learning of 3 different languages . It also has a university extension department that organizes different courses and activities.
In addition, and as in the case of some of the aforementioned universities, they accompany the student during the learning process with a personal tutor. Online classes, the organization of congresses, the library, and volunteer activities are other of its resources. All encompassed in a platform and virtual classroom in which the student has access to all the material necessary to train.
National University of Distance Education (UNED)
To finish, we could not fail to include the aforementioned UNED, one of the great pioneers and whose origins date back to 1972 , a time when the majority of Spaniards still did not know how to handle a computer. However, the Madrid institution knew how to carve out a path and evolve, also opening its doors beyond our territory.
In fact, it currently has 61 associated centers spread throughout the entire international geography. A university with more than 250 thousand students that offers 27 degrees, 65 masters, 18 doctoral programs and up to 600 permanent training courses. It even makes its own virtual libraries and bookstores available to you. Other interesting services are its orientation and employment section and the university defender.
ThinkPad Yoga 260 and Lenovo Miix 310
Finally, and if you are thinking of enrolling in one of the aforementioned universities, you will require a computer that adapts to your needs. This is the case with Lenovo's ThinkPad Yoga 260 and Miix 310 , highly recommended for this type of study.
Regarding the ThinkPad Yoga 260, it is a compact 1.3 kg laptop and battery with up to 10 hours of autonomy that you can take anywhere. A PC with a 12.5-inch screen capable of rotating 360 degrees, equipped with Windows 10 Home 64 and whose interior runs an Intel Core I3-6100U processor. In addition, it has 512 GB of SSD storage and 4GB of RAM.
As for the Miix 310, it reduces the screen to 10 inches and includes a detachable keyboard, so it is perfect as a laptop but also as a tablet . Its technical characteristics include its battery, capable of lasting 10 hours even playing videos, its weight of 580 grams, and its Intel Atom X5-Z8350 processor. It also integrates a 4GB RAM and a 64GB ROM.
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