Archive for March, 2009
One of the best parts about being an online student is getting to know students from all around the world. Students can choose to really get to know their classmates or just be an independent learner.
I found that in a class of 20-30 students, it was easier for me to select 5 students to really interact with and get to know. I picked people who had qualities or characteristics that I was looking for, whether it be the industry or company they worked for, other experience, proximity to where I live, etc.
Once I identified those folks, I really worked to learn more about them through reading their posts and interacting with them in class. Additionally I would contact those folks offline and chat about the class and other topics to build those relationships.
Finding ways to connect with classmates really helped sustain me through the classes. I found students that I was in several courses with and we continued to connect with each other during and after courses.
In the online platform Moodle, the icon for a discussion forum is two faces looking at each other. It is an interesting icon, as you may never see the faces of your online classmates; unless they post a picture in their profile. You don’t always know a lot about their personalities either, as many participants stick to the topic of the online assignment and don’t add a lot of voice to their writing. Occasionally, a controversial topic arises and then you start to read more passionate responses. The result, participants discover the personality behind of the writer.
A colleague of mine took her entire masters in an online program. She didn’t like the written environment for discussions. She said she missed the non-verbal types of communication, especially facial expressions, which add meaning to the spoken word. I didn’t have the same reaction, but I understand her point. There are a lot of non-verbal cues along with what a person is saying. The cues are helpful to understand the words of another person.
In education we have a concept we call “the hidden curriculum”. These are the things that students learn without direct instruction by the teacher. It is the social and emotional interactions amongst the students themselves. There isn’t as much hidden curriculum in the online environment. Social interactions are few and far between and are limited to an occasional personal email.
At 18 years of age I was a freshman at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. I loved the hidden curriculum, the social interaction of the college environment. Away from the structure of my mother, I had to make my own decisions and take care of my own business. I knew she was there to pick me up if I fell, but I learned a lot through my new independence. During my master’s program I met a woman and we have been friends for 34 years. I haven’t made life long friends in the on line environment. It saddened me when my daughter, chose to live at home and not live on campus to experience the hidden curriculum of college. While it is a lot cheaper for me, I felt she missed out.
The online environment can’t duplicate this hidden curriculum. I suspect as college becomes more expensive in the current recession, more students will stay at home and more will use the online environment. It is today’s reality. This could be a good or bad trend. The good things are that as technology evolves more and more jobs will be at home using the on line environment. Students who have gone to school online will be especially well prepared for these jobs. The bad, no human interaction, no social interaction, no hidden curriculum.
Posted by Sharon Cece on March 17th, 2009
We all remember those first-day-of-school jitters, and I’m not referring to second grade elementary class. Even college students get the jitters. You walk into a new class and feel new eyes on you; suddenly you’re starting over, hoping to establish friends and contacts once again, all the newness intimidating to even the stalwart.
Personally, I was never one among the college populars. I was pleasant with other students, of course, and engaged in enough social interaction to make a few friends and get my work done. Yet, I didn’t join clubs or sororities or that sort of thing. I lived off campus and worked at Sears to pay the rent; I volunteered at a local shelter, had a boyfriend in the army. Because of this I was busy but for the most part socially quiet. My responsibilities kept me a step removed from the gregarious dorm-girl clusters that bustled to my classes. I felt the divide; it didn’t affect my school work, but it did keep me at a distance.
When I returned to school in an online format, I found one unique and satisfying difference in classmate interactions–online, we were all equals. Removed were the physical comparisons, the sheepish glances, the nervous clique-assessments or pressures to seek out empathetic collaborators. Removed were the barriers of social awkwardness that, for some, discourage spirited and bold discussion. We were equals, starting on the same ground and on the same level playing field. My online courses were comprised of the dynamic and diverse: younger students, older students, those retired, those returning, parents, grandparents, socialites and the shy. Students from this country, students from abroad; Olympians, World Travelers and the Unknown, all participating together, unseen, but undeniably heard.
Strangely, I came to know my online cohorts more deeply and more intimately than others I sat next to in chairs; perhaps erasing our collective visage from the engines of academia allowed us to delve further into the thoughts of our college compatriots, as well as our own thoughts, moreso than when face-to-face. The written word is very powerful, evokes many images, ideas and expressions. Online courses are heavily weighted on the written word and in this way candid dialogue is not inhibited, as often happens in a classroom, but rather encouraged and radiated. It may be that behind our computer shields we were able to express our inner selves in a way learning is optimized–that is, without social distractions.
My online classmates kept me sane, focused and informed. There was little competition–we were teammates, and one student’s success was everyone’s success. Online, we were working for same cause: to grow, to learn, to contribute, to succeed. And so we did.
Posted by admin on March 16th, 2009
Next month, the first tuition-free, peer-to-peer college opens its doors to new enrollees. The University of the People plans to offer two bachelor degree programs: a BA in Business Administration and a BSc in Computer Science.
Instead of traditional textbooks, students will rely on OpenCourseWare material provided for free by other universities. Instead of working directly with teachers, students will complete assignments working as peer groups. There will be nominal fees for admissions and testing. But, students won’t be charged for tuition.
A recent news release from the University of the People explains:
“University of People will be able to effectively function on a limited budget without sacrificing quality of education by using collaborative and open-source eLearning. UoP will embrace peer-to-peer teaching to make the best use of a student body from around the world. Within online study communities, students will share resources, exchange ideas, discuss weekly topics, submit assignments and take exams. The curriculum will be supported by respected scholars. A community of educators, comprised of active and retired professors, librarians, master level students and other professionals, will participate and oversee the assessment process.”
Enrollment is limited to 300 students for the first semester, beginning this September. Although the school is not currently accredited, administrators plan to seek accreditation after the required wait time.
Provided by About.com
Posted by Jeff Davis on March 16th, 2009
It has been my experience that during my online learning at the University of Phoenix, fellow classmates were always helpful, courteous, dedicated, and as much a part of the learning experience as the course itself in this type of environment. In regards to being courteous and professional, there was rarely an incident involving inappropriate behavior in my online classes, unlike a traditional classroom which may allow time for “horseplay” or for things other than just learning. It has been my experience that an online school is more for those who are serious about learning and being able to quickly apply their new knowledge and skills immediately in their respective career fields. Maybe that is why online schools seem to appeal more to an older crowd. From what I can recall, most of my fellow students held full-time jobs and were experienced in their career fields whereas my experience with a more traditional school was quite a bit younger and typically just out of high school and with little actual work experience. There just didn’t seem to be any time available for “having fun” like I did when I was going to a more traditional school. Of course that was 15 years ago!
In regards to being helpful, there were many occasions where I have learned an important skill or valuable information from what my other classmates had shared with the class. In this type of environment, everyone must participate since it’s a required part of the grade. This was not my experience during attendance of a traditional school. In my traditional school, many students did not participate and that is why I think it hinders the opportunity for growth. In a full participation type of setting, you can gain many helpful tips and tricks that can help you progress in your career field. In regards to being dedicated, I have never worked on a team in my online classes where we accomplished anything less than satisfactory. Most of my team experiences were very positive and very productive in terms of cohesion, overcoming diversity, accomplishing tasks, and getting assignments turned in on time.
I was able to interact with other students in my online courses very easily by email, chat, or telephone. Working in a team environment gave us an even broader range of tools to utilize in order to hold productive team meetings and such. Some of the tools that we used to effectively communicate were email, telephone, instant messengers such as Yahoo or Microsoft, and even more recently, Skype. All of these were very effective in helping to meet our overall goals. Most of the time, the tool used depended on the assignment involved. Now that I am attending school online once again, while working on my Master’s degree, it seems that the most effective communication tool used among the learning teams is probably Skype.
Posted by Sharon Cece on March 13th, 2009
When I was twenty I enjoyed attending college on campus. Because I rented a quiet Tallahassee apartment twelve hundred miles from my New Jersey hometown, a spirited university environment was vital to my well-being. I hung out with fellow FSU undergrads at the student union, opined in classroom discussions and delivered presentations with my cohorts. When I returned to college as a busy wife and mother, traditional courses would have been a hardship rather than a dynamic facet of my academic life. By then I already had enough responsibility tugging at me; I didn’t need to be on-call to my college schedule as well.
Hence, my online courses differed in one, very important, sense–I wasn‘t slave to a schedule. Those of you who work from home as I do appreciate the concept of waking up slowly, enjoying a cup of java or two and then (the best part) walking a few feet to your home office instead of commuting sixty miles every day in traffic. Online lectures, lessons and coursework operate the same way as work-at-home assignments. Everything is performed and submitted right where you are.
Yet, one can feel sequestered when doing anything from home, whether it be working, raising a family or participating in online classes. Dynamic social interaction is minimized or non-existent and replaced by lively online interaction. Coursework is primarily independent, though there are few occasions when you work collectively. In those instances, you don’t meet in the library or on the university lawn, you meet in cyberclass.
With regard to online papers…a paper is a paper. This is a simplistic way of saying that papers are executed much the same way for online courses as brick and mortar. You’re presented with the subject matter, you do the research, write, revise and revise again, take a few aspirin, stay up until 3 a.m. and, if all goes well, submit the paper on schedule.
Online exams, on the other hand, are substantially different from traditional. Imagine, rather than testing the standard way–whereby you drive to class, walk to class, take your test at a specific time, walk back to your vehicle and drive home–instead you just walk to your computer, log on and take your exam whenever you feel like it (within a certain window–usually 48 hours). Keep in mind, there’s a little clock in the bottom corner which serves to remind you that the exam must be completed in, let’s say, 45 minutes “or else” (my term). I never found out what the “or else” was–hopefully not your computer self-destructing. The first few times I tested online this little clock unnerved me a bit, I admit, as did the formidable pronouncement in the center of the screen that there was no going back once you start. Also keep in mind, when you take tests from home anything can and will happen–your neighbor will suddenly knock on your door to deliver that pineapple cake you‘ve been waiting two years for, every telemarketer in the contiguous US will concurrently ring your number, your child–who was sleeping blissfully ten minutes ago–will wake cranky and demanding your attention, the cat will heave that furball right under your chair and take it‘s time doing it. Be prepared for these distractions. Still, you can’t beat the flexibility of taking your exams from home, in your beloved teddy bear pajamas no less.
Nascent college students who experience test anxiety in public will flourish under online testing formats; those who eschew public speaking will also thrive in the online sphere. Communal students who love being around and studying with cohorts may miss the personal daily interaction that epitomizes campus life. One must naturally consider all the options. In some instances, online courses are similar to brick and mortar; in others, online courses and test formats are unique. For those with demanding and active lifestyles pre-existing, the choice to matriculate online is the viable option.
Posted by Jeff Davis on March 12th, 2009
Much like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz, most students can often feel scared of their surroundings of the unknown. Especially when it comes to school and the many assignments that go with this type of educational environment. I am sure that the method and format for completing assignments varies among the different online universities. But in my experience with the University of Phoenix, assignments consisted of mainly reading chapters, writing papers, and creating presentations both individually and in a team environment. But at least there were no exams to worry about! In many regards, my assignments were very much like those in a traditional classroom environment. Among the differences between my online assignments and the more traditional assignments were that you could work at your own pace and all assignments were submitted by email. By having the flexibility of attending an online class, you get the opportunity to work at your own pace as long as your assignment meets its deadline. This works out great if you know how to effectively manage your time. I don’t recall being able to do this in a more traditional classroom setting. Instead, it seemed like that experience was more along the lines of everyone keeping the same pace week in and week out.
In my opinion, the assignments involving written papers were not much different in my online class versus my past experiences in a traditional class. For both types of classroom environments, you knew what was required and had to devote the time to do the necessary research, decide on the writing style, apply proper formatting, etc. My typical paper assignments usually consisted of two individual assignments and one team assignment per course. If this seems like a lot of writing, remember to keep in mind that there were no exams to worry about or study for. Exams were simply not a required part of the online learning environment at the University of Phoenix.
When it comes to online assignments, I have to say that there was a lot more work involved in earning my degree online and that this type of learning should never be mistaken for being “easy”. It is every bit as thorough and challenging as any traditional classroom environment.
Tags: assignments, challenging, earning degree online, exams, never easy, Online Assignments, online classroom environment, online classroom setting, papers, traditional classroom environment, traditional classroom setting, type of learning, University of Phoenix, UoP
Categories: Online Assignments, Student Voices
Online assignments in my classes were very similar to the assignments given in on site classes. There was a great deal of reading and a great deal of discussion. The major difference is online discussions are in written form, and the on site discussions of course are verbal. There is a tendency for students in onsite classes to not say anything at all, and let the more verbal students dominate the discussion. My impression is these people did not read the assignment, and simply were unable to contribute to the discussion. This doesn’t happen in online discussions, as there is a requirement for all to contribute to discussions; as well as a record of the participation. However, I still get the impression that some students don’t read the assignments in depth. Their written response is more of an opinion rather than a response to the reading. They are not able to point out the “big ideas” in the readings.
The assignments beyond the readings were usually tasks to implement with my own students. I would teach or assess something my students did and write a short paper or response about the effectiveness of my teaching. Most of my graduate on line classes were project-based and did not require examinations. This is typical of education classes at the graduate level. College professors want to improve the skill of teachers and use more authentic assessment, instead of the rote memory of facts through examinations.
The classes I took online have basically just digitized reading and writing. I am hoping to find online classes, using the new real time communication tools offered on the Internet. Google Talk or Skype can used for video conferencing or an online lecture. The lectures can be viewed at the online participant’s convenience. Elluminate and Dim Dim provide a method for verbal discussions and could digitize small group work in on line classes. The possibilities for online education assignments are endless.
I don’t have a fear of tests, but I don’t mind avoiding them when possible. My traditional learning experience consisted of few tests and many, many papers. That worked for me. I didn’t mind writing a lot of papers on my own terms. When I enrolled in classes online, I asked about we demonstrated our mastery of the subject, and was told that I’d be writing a lot of big papers (approximately one 30-page paper per course), that suited me well.
In the classes that I teach, I find that students are assessed frequently with shorter written assignments. There are also some courses with short quizzes or exams, but none of the courses have a major final exam. The students are given a number of opportunities to demonstrate their mastery of the subject in discussions and short written assignments.
No matter what, it’s essential that a prospective student ask how they will be assessed and that they are comfortable with that approach.
Posted by Jen Zeman on March 9th, 2009
The online assignments I had at UMUC were no different than assignments at Harford Community College which were in a traditional classroom setting. Projects/papers were a little more in-depth since UMUC is a four-year college, but formats and general content were the same. I didn’t find that the number of major papers required each semester changed – at UMUC we usually had one big paper due at the end of the semester much like it was at Harford Community College. However, UMUC did require weekly writing assignments that weren’t completed in the traditional classroom. My guess for this requirement is to make up for the in-class lecture students participate in the traditional setting. Weekly assignments for UMUC’s online classes seemed to focus on weekly readings and were an attempt to make sure you understood the material being covered.
Preparing for final exams for UMUC wasn’t any different either (when I attended UMUC, there were no mid-term exams). However, the process was vastly different. In the traditional classroom setting, everyone showed up in class on a pre-scheduled night to take the written exam all at once. At UMUC, exams were not offered online. You had to designate a place where you would take a proctored exam and have that location approved by UMUC (I would always take mine at Harford Community College’s test center). Prior to exam week, the exam would be mailed to your designated testing location. You had to then take the exam within the designated exam week. Testing personnel would then mail the completed exam back to your professor at UMUC. Exams sometimes included multiple-choice, but were largely essay-based. None were easy, but if you studied the material the professor indicated would be covered on the final exam, the exam wasn’t as painful!
