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 In the West it is easy to think that everyone has access to the Internet or a local college or community. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Universal College of Reflexology is happy to announce an ever growing student family that now has home study students in over 35 countries on six continents around the world, including Venezuela, Greece, Cyprus, Nigeria, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Malaysia and India and all points in between.
Some of our distant learning students with no permanent street address have their manuals and study materials sent care of a Bus Stop! If distant education was not available an option - how would they learn? Should they be denied the gift of health that reflexology offers?
In the 1990's home study programs were heavily criticized as Reflexologists believed with every ounce of their convictions that Reflexology was a hands-on therapy only taught in a one-on-one or classroom environment. Not surprisingly, this viewpoint is still commonly held in the Reflexology industry today.
While most scoffed some even took offence at the distant learning concept, there was one notable exception. A creative thinker determined through logic that the concept of distant learning was brilliant.
This lighthouse amidst stormy seas was none other than Lauren Slade, Principal & Founder Universal College of Reflexology, a highly regarded pro-active world authority on Reflexology and an extraordinary educator. Undeterred, she stood alone among the “experts” recognizing distant learning was fundamentally needed by hundreds of thousands of sick and dying people, some of whom did not have access to even the most basic medicines.
 Logistically, distance education made complete sense as many people living outside the basic trading area could find travelling to a College difficult or even impossible. Why should these people be deprived of a quality education in Reflexology?
Lauren believed that with proper research and training methods it was indeed possible to teach high standards of Reflexology by distance. Accordingly the Universal College of Reflexology undertook a major project – “Determine the feasibility of teaching Reflexology by distant learning.”
Basic terms of reference for this study were:
a) compile and review all existing distant learning courses in Reflexology
b) assess the content and quality of these courses, and
c) review successful distant training methods by other institutions offering a variety of different subjects.
Research determined the quality, content and methodology of existing Reflexology training by distance was appalling. However, other home study programs offered by bonafide institutions were in many cases highly successful.
Therefore our hypothesis was that quality Reflexology training could be accomplished through distance learning.
 We then undertook a second phase of this research project to determine how. In a bold yet practical step, we elected to incorporate our existing highly regarded in-class Reflexology program into a distant learning module. This module was then test-driven over a two year period - tweaking it towards a finished product that would meet the needs and wants of distant learning students and at the same time retain the high standards for which the Universal College of Reflexology was known.
By the end of 2001, following two years of research, the Universal College of Reflexology launched what we believe is the finest world-class distant learning modules of Foot, Hand and Ear Reflexology. In fact, the Universal College of Reflexology Ear Reflexology program was the first of its kind offered by distance anywhere in the world.
The Universal College of Reflexology mandate is to consistently upgrade and add to our distance learning curriculum. In October, 2004 at the annual Universal College of Reflexology conference we launched the first three (Aromatherapy, Herbalism & Crystal Healing) of our Vibrational Medicine Series by distance learning.
These programs joined our very popular and highly acclaimed distant courses – Foot Reflexology Certification, Hand Reflexology Certification, Ear Reflexology Certification and Advanced Anatomy & Physiology Certification – all leading towards the prestigious Advanced Reflexology Diploma.
Acceptance of our distant learning programs has been phenomenal. The Universal College of Reflexology is training students on all six continents in nearly 35 countries who are now able to receive a quality Reflexology education.
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