Definition

1. Noun:
   • A method of study where educational materials and assignments are exchanged between an institution and a student by postal mail or electronically, without requiring the student's physical attendance at a classroom. A "correspondence course" is a form of distance education where the primary interaction occurs through written or digital communication.

Usage

• Noun:
  • She completed a correspondence course in business management while working full-time.
  • Before the internet, many people earned degrees through correspondence courses.

Advanced Usage

• "to take a correspondence course": to enroll in and study via this method.
  • He decided to take a correspondence course to improve his qualifications.
• "to offer a correspondence course": to provide such a method of study.
  • The university offers a correspondence course on ancient history.

Variants and Related Words

• Correspondence school (n): an institution that provides education primarily through correspondence courses.
  • He enrolled in a well-known correspondence school.
• Distance learning (n): a broader term for education where the teacher and student are separated by space and/or time, which includes correspondence courses as a traditional method.
  • Distance learning has evolved from correspondence courses to online platforms.

Synonyms

• Distance education: education conducted remotely.
• Home study: a course of study done at home, often via correspondence.
• Independent study: a course of study where a student learns independently, which can be structured as a correspondence course.

Related Phrases

• Course materials: the books, assignments, and other resources sent to the student in a correspondence course.
  • The correspondence course materials arrived in a large package.
• Tutor feedback: the written comments and grades provided by the instructor in a correspondence course.
  • The tutor feedback on her essay was very detailed and helpful.

Notes

• While traditionally conducted by postal mail, modern "correspondence courses" often use email and online portals for exchanging materials, though the core concept of non-simultaneous, remote instruction remains. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with "online course," though "correspondence course" historically emphasizes the exchange of physical or digital documents rather than live interaction.

Noun

1. a course offered (by mail) by a correspondence school