Archive for the ‘Flexibility of Online Programs’ Category
Posted by Jen Zeman on March 6th, 2009
Classes at UMUC were not flexible in the sense that students could not post discussion questions/answers or turn in specific assignments whenever they wanted. There were set deadlines to post weekly discussion threads (the week usually ran midnight Sunday to the following midnight Sunday) and major assignments and papers were due at specific intervals throughout the semester (most of UMUC’s classes are 15 weeks long).
However, for the weekly discussion questions, you could post anytime within the week – there wasn’t a set day/time each week to be online. Although the UMUC virtual classroom had a chat room available, it was never a requirement to use it (in fact, I never did). Readings were also assigned on a weekly basis. With these deadlines in place, it would be difficult for a student to just pace themselves based on their own needs. The best way to look at it is to compare it to the workplace. For most of us, we really cannot work at our own leisurely pace. Our work is usually tied to specific deadlines and/or customer needs and demands. UMUC helps students with instituting deadlines in its online courses so students can be better prepared for working with deadlines within their careers.
If you do run into a jam, most, if not all, of the professors are willing to be flexible to help you finish the class successfully. One fall semester I had carpal tunnel surgery and nerve damage repaired in my right hand and elbow and since I’m right-handed (and typing on the computer is essential for online classes!), this was going to impact my classes greatly. I emailed my professors in advance to give them a heads up on the surgery and that I may be working at a significantly slower pace for about two weeks, and all the professors were very understanding and willing to work with me to get my assignments completed and be successful in the class.
My online classes were scheduled like traditional classes. There were due dates and timelines. Timelines were scheduled for initial posts and for responses to the posts of others. There was a similar format in most of the classes, read something assigned by the instructor, post a response to the reading, and then reply to posts by other students. There was flexibility within a week, but generally not beyond a week. People did post past these due dates, but I am not sure how it affected their grade. In any class I consider late assignments a cardinal sin. I hate nagging my students for assignments, and would be quite embarrassed if someone had to nag me.
There was no requirement about the number of replies a student had to post during a discussion. This bothered me. Some posts would hit a nerve with other classmates and there would be many replies. Other posts would get no reply and the class visibly ignored the response. There would be a zero in the column titled “replies”, and every person in the class could see the zero. It bothered me that instructors would not watch for this, and formulate their own written reaction. I did my best within my busy life to respond to everyone’s post. At the least, I could ask a question if I did not understand the post or did not agree with the post. Cognitive conflict is a productive experience, and at the graduate level I find it stimulating to discuss different points of view.
I have never been a class that allowed me to pace myself. In a previous entry to this blog I mentioned a freshman psychology class at the University of Milwaukee utilizing this approach. Ever since reading the article I have thought about this class and I really want to try a class with a similar type of format working at my own pace. I envision a summer when I am off, getting through a class as quickly as I can and then spending the rest of my vacation doing the other things I need (or want) to do.
My son is taking two online classes while he interns in a town away from his university. He worked ahead to decrease the workload during his busy internship. which started a month into the semester. I am not sure if the class encouraged this, but he could easily save his work offline and post it when the instructor asked for it. I used this same strategy when a just for pleasure trip magnetically pulled me away from my online class commitment. I stored the class work in a web based email attachment and posted far away from my home. Where I go, my online classes follow.
Posted by Jeff Davis on March 4th, 2009
To procrastinate or not to procrastinate? That is the question. College is not easy whether you attend online or on campus. But then again, is it really supposed to be? It is just one class after another and deadlines to meet and class participation and both group and individual assignments. Whew! It is a procrastinator’s worst nightmare! Lucky for me that I do not fall into that category.
One thing about the online classroom environment and flexibility is that they tend to go hand in hand. My online classes at the University of Phoenix were very flexible in my opinion. They allowed me to get my work done ahead of time when I had family or work commitments and we all know how life can often get in the way of pursuing our goals. Although I liked the flexibility that was provided, it might not be suitable for just anyone. There were often times when it was difficult to stay on focused and on track, but I managed and without missing out on the important things in life. Yes, there were some last minute assignments and many a sleepless night but it was all worth it in the end.
This is one online school where deadlines had to be met. The class syllabus always informed the students of all due dates for assignments from the very beginning on the first day of class. I always appreciated this so that I could better manage and schedule my time between work, family, and school. If I knew of a family obligation coming up, then I could simply make sure that my class work was done ahead of time.
It used to be that the University gave us one week off between each class and I liked this because it allowed me to regain my sanity, if only for a brief time. Unfortunately, that has ended now and there are no breaks between classes. When one class ends, a new one begins the very next day. Working on my Master’s degree, I am used to this schedule now and actually glad about it since it will allow me to graduate a few months earlier than it would have previously. If you gain nothing else from your online experience, you will gain a new appreciation for time management.
Tags: flexibility, flexible, masters degree, online classes, online classroom environment, Online college, online experience, procrastinate, Time Management, university, University of Phoenix, UoP
Categories: Flexibility of Online Programs, Student Voices
Posted by Sharon Cece on March 3rd, 2009
I hop on a plane to visit a friend, who lives in New Jersey. I’m a student at FSU and have a quiz scheduled the same day I plan to be hanging out with my friend 600 miles away. In a traditional university environment this would present a conflict; instead, I simply stroll into my friend’s home office, log onto her computer and voila! take my online quiz. As soon as I’m finished, I resume our sociable sojourn in the lovely Garden State.
Same semester; same curriculum. I need to submit a short essay this particular day and as life would have it this particular day I encounter a few unexpected glitches (read: car problems, toddler problems, insect problems, sinus problems, problem problems) which rearrange my schedule quite a bit. I finally catch my breath much later and recall the essay. No problem; I log onto my course site and submit my work despite the fact that the clock reads 11:30 PM.
Following semester; new curriculum. I’m trying in vain to study for an exceedingly brain-warping exam and because I’m sleep-deprived from my son waking me the night before and because my brain is warped past maximum warp quota, I can not for the life of me align my thought process with my study notes. So, I throw all my papers onto the floor, succumb to the beckoning of my alluring chaise and wake up refreshed and ready to rock; a little later in the evening I go online and take my exam fresh as a daisy. I don’t recall the time since it doesn‘t matter–I just need to take the test at some point that day (or night).
These vignettes are just a few of the many scenarios emblematic of my online courses. Today’s college students need flexibility more than ever–to submit coursework and participate in class discussions when their busy schedules, full family lives and challenging careers permit. Student online participation has increased exponentially in recent years and college schedules are adapting to the student instead of the other way around, as they should, because one student will have a radically different agenda, study habit and scholastic pace than the next. Educational success is augmented when the online student is able to form-fit the course load around his or her distinct and individual timeline and tackle cognitive tasks at the student’s optimal learning disposition.
Truthfully, besides Bill Gates, who ever really aced those 8 am classes anyway?
I know myself. I know that I need deadlines in order to get things done. I know that if I were left to my own devices, to complete the work at my own pace, I would not finish. So when I chose Capella, one of the features I was looking for was structured courses and deadlines.
The coursework I completed was generally done on a set schedule. There were discussion questions and participation due each week. There were required readings for each week. But, within these timeframes, I could do my work at any time of day and often on any day during the week. That was very convenient for me. I found that I would often check my online class during my lunch hour so I would know what was going on, and then spend some dedicated time on a few nights during the week to finish up the work. I found that the asynchronous environment worked best for me. I could do the work at any point in time during the day.
For the most part, in the PhD. program, I only found that there were major assignments due at the end of the term. Due to my nature to procrastinate, I did often have to take 1-2 days off work to finish the major papers (often 30 pages long) in order to finish the work for the class in a timely manner. But otherwise, I was able to keep up with the classwork without much time off work.
I also found that I have been able to have a life while attending classes. By being able to attend class at a convenient time, I have been able to find and maintain balance.
FINALLY - I will share that now that I’m in the self-paced part of my program, I am struggling. I still procrastinate, and that is really hurting my overall progress. I do use self-imposed deadlines, but then I ignore thme. SO, if you are a natural procrastinator, do consider a program that has more deadlines so you can continue to make progress!
