Archive for the ‘Student Voices’ Category
Posted by Sharon Cece on April 14th, 2009
Tofu is not for everyone.
Now that I have your attention, I’ll add this: sushi is not for everyone either, but some people do love sushi. Others, on the other hand, would very well live well without sushi and instead prefer a hot, juicy steak with potatoes. Still others (like myself) love tofu, sushi, steak and potatoes. Now, who’s ready for dessert?
Along with celebrating my healthy appetite, I’m using food metaphorically to illustrate that some students enjoy attending school online, yet it may not be the right fit for everyone. Similarly, attending college in the traditional sense–on campus–might be a great choice or it might be a hardship for those looking to pursue a degree.
It would be helpful if we had a template for determining online and traditional campus populations, but in the absence of such templates there are guidelines that can help students gauge which degree-seeking method would be an ideal choice:
- Lifestyle Your daily life routine is a good starting point to determining whether online college is a better alternative to attending college on campus. For example, if you’re single and attending school full-time and want to be in the thick of college life, attending college on campus would be a great choice. However, if you are married, working full-time and caring for children or older family members, you will undoubtedly benefit from the time-saving flexibility of online classes.
- Social Disposition Those who are shy, socially-reserved, or who prefer working from home on the computer might benefit from the liberated platform of online learning. Keep in mind, some socially reserved students would benefit from the social atmosphere of campus life, for it would challenge one‘s comfort zone and widen their experiences–all good. However, a student with a healthy social life who performs better academically without social distractions might find online options to be an excellent choice. Gregarious and socially active individuals who love being out in public and interacting with other classmates and friends may naturally want to consider courses on campus.
- Level of Autonomy If you’re the type of student who needs strict order and scheduling, set class times and guided formats, then traditional college venues would be recommended. Students who are adept at making and adhering to their own schedules, who prefer being independent in course work and course submission, will do very well online.
- Computer Skills Both online and traditional courses utilize the computer; however, online courses operate exclusively from the computer.
- Organizational Skills Organization is fundamental when taking classes online. Since the student is, for the most part, scheduling their own coursework regulation, class and testing times, and content review, a self-structured and self-imposed schedule is necessary for online success.
There is a third option; that is, to do both–attend school on campus and take a few courses online. This way, you get the best of both worlds and, like me, you can enjoy sushi and steak. Just don’t forget the dessert.
At age 54 I am not in the market for an online degree. I am more interested in updating my skills, even as I edge toward age 55, the first year I am eligible to retire from Wisconsin public education. In the spirit of keeping up to date I have enrolled in a five-course program to become certified as an e-learning educator. The courses are all available online from the University of Wisconsin—Stout, located in Menominee Wisconsin. I have looked nationally for a program, which would teach me how to teach online, and I found it in my own backyard. I pass by Menominee Wisconsin once or twice a year when I travel north to see my relatives. The first course is this summer.
I will take the courses one at a time as not to overwhelm myself, while teaching full time and tutoring students after school. Hopefully when I finish the sequence I can retire and make a living online. Online education has not quite evolved for students at the middle school level, but I want to be ready as the opportunity will be here soon.
The only thing I am concerned about now is paying for the courses while I finish paying for my daughter’s degree. She says she is going to be finished in December and I reminded her that after five years (this is 41/2 for her) I will not be contributing to her college education. It is a subtle form of “dangling the carrot” so hopefully she will finish and graduate debt free from college.
I have so enjoyed my online course work I can’t imagine anything should be changed. I blossom in the online environment. This is because the written discussion format gives me time to read, ponder, and formulate an intelligent and more complete response. Vocal discussions in on site classes do not offer the time to really research an answer.
Posted by Jeff Davis on April 9th, 2009
I think we all would agree that a college education is one of the most valuable tools that anyone can ever have. In fact, I would say that it is actually invaluable. With a college education, you are only helping to make your future that much more desirable by increasing job opportunities, making more money, gaining important skills and knowledge, and having an overall healthier life.
One of the values of an online education versus a more traditional college is that you can gain significant technical knowledge which can increase your individual value in any workplace. It has been my experience through attending the University of Phoenix that I was able to obtain the critical skills and knowledge necessary to make me a valuable asset to my employer. During my online program, I was able to quickly apply any new skills almost instantly into my job and because of this it opened up a lot of doors for advancing in my career. Another valuable benefit of an online education is that you get to work with such a diverse group of students and instructors who are located all over the world. This is not only a great networking opportunity, but can also increase your employment opportunities after graduating with your degree.
Overall, I believe that degrees earned online are just as valuable as degrees earned from traditional programs and especially now as technology continues to advance and is utilized in almost every company in the world today. It is just a matter of choosing the right online program from a well respected and accredited school and one that meets your personal and professional goals.
Posted by Sharon Cece on April 8th, 2009
I believe that the by-product of every experience has value. This is especially true in regard to academics–an education is an experience of increasing knowledge that often leads to a degree. Naturally, my degree has instrumental value from an economic standpoint, since I can earn more money and further my career, but also has intrinsic value from a personal sense of pride and accomplishment.
There are aspects of a traditional college education that are equally, if not as recognizably, valuable–such as living on your own as a student for the first time and the glorious feeling of total independence, participating and creating impact as a member of the college milieu, and interacting with others who have a wide spectrum of opinions and ideas to share. Even mundane endeavors add to a student’s experiential resume: standing in line at the registrar’s office, attending meetings with advisors, or handing out pamphlets at a student union booth; these all add up to equal the total university “experience”.
The internet has added a innovative dimension to almost every aspect of living and in particular, to education. Like traditional students, most students matriculating online do so to garner enough credits to obtain a degree and also to increase the mind’s intellectual capability in order to add impressively to one’s repertoire of knowledge. Next to education and intellect, then, a student might simply value the online learning “experience”; that is, learning how to navigate through electronic hallways, studying with and writing to other students from all over the world, even participating in the unique configuration of something brand new from a familiar environment such as your home or office. If you read the posts in this Student Voices feature, you will get some idea of what they have gleaned from their individual online experiences, both from an educational and a personal viewpoint. It’s this sum of the experience they value, and what they in turn offer back to the online world through their words. You can appreciate their enthusiasm as they engage in a facet of education that is distinct and atypical from traditional academics. It’s different, it’s fun, it’s technical, it’s flexible–it’s what life today is all about.
There is one aspect of online learning I consider to be an unexpected, yet no less significant, benefit. While studying and taking courses online I often engaged my children in my studies and links and felt they became part of the learning “experience“. Had I attended a traditional university as a parent I likely would not have involved them as much as while learning and studying from home. My children watched me pour over lessons directly from my e-classes, watched me participating and communicating, watched me getting frustrated and overwhelmed (but that’s all part of the experience and hence, has value). Most importantly, they watched me graduate; somehow I believe they understood a bit better, through all their watching, how much work and sacrifice–and gratification–went into that moment. For weeks afterward, my youngest son said excitedly, “Mom, I took pictures of you graduating!”, as though recording my moment, and walking that educational road with me, had intrinsic value to him as well.
Posted by Jen Zeman on April 7th, 2009
The value of today’s online education is comparable to a traditional college or university, since nearly all traditional universities offering online degrees/courses. The quality of an online degree is no less than that earned by students going to a physical classroom to earn a degree. The difference between the two is only in delivery of the course. I believe the value and quality of online degrees was initially questioned when this type of delivery was first introduced, with some comparing online delivery to the type of correspondence courses Sally Struthers use to advertise. Correspondence courses and online courses from accredited universities are not the same! The key word is “accredited”; when researching online degrees, especially at institutions you may not be familiar with, make sure they are accredited by its regional accreditation group. An example is UMUC, who is a sister university within the University of Maryland system and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (http://www.umuc.edu/middlestates/index.shtml). I had no doubt I was receiving a high-quality, legitimate education.
Financially, online courses offer the same value dollar for dollar with traditional courses except most institutions charge some sort of “technology fee” for the online course. It varies with different institutions – some charge per course while others charge a lump sum per semester. The technology fee usually goes towards the upkeep of online classrooms (e.g. software, technical staff, etc.). Always double check the tuition and fee schedule for online courses to decipher any extra fees. For me, the extra technology fees were not an issue since I was just happy to be able to earn a bachelor’s degree from the comfort of my own home!
When I assess the value of any of my classes I think of two things. The financial value and the value of the skills I obtained from the class.
The financial value has been tremendous. For each set of credits, beyond my bachelor’s degree I earned significant pay raises. These raises were cumulative and I was able to support my family.
Eventually, I did reach the top of the salary schedule, but did not lose interest in graduate classes. I started taking classes to improve my teaching skills or to stay up to date. As education goes more digital I am glad I have taken classes on the use of computers, or online classes using computers. Next year I will be required to use an online grade book, and I am not threatened or upset as some of my colleagues. I have prepared myself for the change and was ready long before my employer required me to use digital tools.
The online graduate classes offered a way for me to take classes, without having to juggle my time. I tend to take more classes because of the flexibility the online environment offers. The added bonus is I have learned to use more digital tools, as a result of these online classes. Whenever I take an online class I am always analyzing the tools and methods the professors use, to see if I can adapt them for my middle schools students. The value of online classes for me is greater than the on site classes. There is so much more practical application, as I turn to teaching in an online environment after being a student in the online environment.
Old dogs can and should learn new tricks. I have seen public school teachers retire or quit because they don’t want to change what they do, even if that change is better for the students, helps to communicate with parents, or is just more efficient. It is ironic that people, who are charged with educating today’s youth, don’t embrace learning something they need to learn to improve their job skills. Computers and the online environment are not a passing fad, which will go away. I am one dog who is invigorated by the online environment and its use in education.
Posted by Sharon Cece on April 3rd, 2009
My favorite professor was Constance Strucko, who taught Creative Writing at County College of Morris in New Jersey. The truth is, she’s the only professor’s name I still remember. Perhaps it was because I was exempt from the final–the first and only time–or maybe because I simply loved creative writing. I was nineteen when I took her course, and after all these years I still remember her name.
I enjoyed my online courses also, courses such as Population, Social Theory, and Supreme Courts & Civil Rights. Still, I cannot remember the names of the professors (even after a plateful of shrimp, the incredible edible brain-food).
Online lectures. Online teaching. Doesn’t have that touchy-feely ring to it, does it. Of course, college isn’t necessarily meant to be touchy-feely; however, our interactions with faculty and administration is truly special when we feel that personal connection, when those interactions sink in on a deeper level, such as my fond recollections of Professor Strucko. I still remember how eagerly I walked to her class, can recall her enthusiasm for guiding our writing and unearthing those “a-ha” moments, remembered my elation when my literary efforts were met with her encouraging and appreciative nods.
It is what you miss when matriculating online–the personal gestures and interactions with professors and lecturers. You often don’t know what your online faculty looks like, rarely meet them face-to-face. Oh, their personalities and nuances do come through while they are teaching online. Some you thoroughly enjoy and relate to, some you could well do without, some you develop a personal rapport with, some you never really get to know.
I remember, as I am writing this, an email from one of my first online professors who taught Social Psychology. It was very heartfelt and complimentary, and greatly appreciated. College can be daunting, online college at times even more so, and written interactions can be significant in their own right.
And, even though online college isn’t always touchy-feely, there can be satisfying connections between student and online faculty. For two years I worked with a stellar online advisor at FSU and just prior to graduation we exchanged a flurry of emails anticipating and planning my commencement, which served to hasten my excitment. When I arrived in Tallahassee the morning of ceremonies and walked into the Civic Center to check in, standing there at the booth was the stellar advisor I had worked with and written to all those semesters. It was a special moment to finally meet her face-to-face, made even more memorable since we had not had a chance to meet prior to my graduation day.
Posted by Jeff Davis on April 1st, 2009
I believe that the overall communication and interaction between faculty and students in an online environment is necessary in order for the online education to be successful. While at the University of Phoenix, interaction with the faculty members was actually quite easy for me outside of the classroom. Since the student-faculty ratio was so low, I had no problems in understanding the course work and in reaching the faculty if necessary…especially after class. This is typically not the case in a more traditional classroom setting where the student-faculty ratio is normally quite high.
The interaction experience with faculty members was much different in an online school than in a traditional one and partially due to the fact that you just cannot simply walk in to a faculty member’s classroom or office when you are attending school in a virtual environment. Based on my experience at the University of Phoenix, I have found that the online faculty members seem to be much easier to contact outside of the classroom. Not only does the student-faculty ratio play a factor, but it could also have something to do with the number of contact methods available as compared to those in a traditional school. In my online learning experience, I always had the faculty member’s home phone number and multiple email addresses along with the best times they could be reached. I found their response times and availability to be excellent. They really did make it quite simple to interact with them outside of the classroom.
This was not the case when I attended a traditional school. Most of the faculty there were difficult to get in touch with outside of the classroom. For example, an email to a faculty member might go unnoticed for days, the faculty member might not be in the classroom or office, and often the only phone number that students had was their school office line. Not to mention that if you tried to interact with them on a weekend, you might as well forget about it because they just did not make themselves available for you and that is really the biggest difference. The online faculty members make themselves readily available for the students. The interaction between students and faculty members in the online environment was far superior in my opinion.
There was only one online instructor who I met face to face. The other online instructors only had an email presence. Interestingly enough I felt closer to my online instructors than most of my other instructors.
My freshmen year at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire was not the best for me educationally. At the same time I arrived at college, the drinking age turned to 18 and businesses in Eau Claire capitalized on this new set of customers. I stayed up late, drank more than I should, and slept in the chair of my eight a.m. classes. I was appalled when I met my 8:00 a.m. instructor in the hall one day, and he said, “Hello Pam.” I was embarrassed that he knew my name since I habitually slept though his class. The next semester I did not schedule any eight o’clock classes and learned from this embarrassment. After this lesson I realized that sleeping was not the impression I wanted to make on my college teachers and sought them out to give a more favorable impression.
I made it a habit to have a personal meeting with all of my instructors over the years, especially those in large classes. I thought it was helpful for them to equate a face with a name. In hindsight I guess it was a subtle way for me to let them know that I really cared about my education. E-mail in online classes make contacts with college teachers a lot easier. There was no calling to set an appointment and no appointment to remember. You send the email and wait until the answer arrives. Most of my instructors were prompt to respond. Some of the responses turned into longer personal discussions and some did not. Online instructors can tell how much you care about education by looking at your written responses or lack of responses.
The online teacher also is not affected by the way a student looks and eliminates a lot of bias in grading assignments and the written discussions.
There is no chance of an online instructor seeing you sleeping in their class. Depending on your other commitments, you may be completing your online assignments when most everybody is sleeping,including the instructor.
Posted by Jen Zeman on March 30th, 2009
I rarely had interactions with administrators or instructors at UMUC outside of the classroom. Within the classroom, questions for instructors in each of my classes were responded to quickly, whether the question was posted in the Class Announcements section or via email. One time during my two and a half years at UMUC required interaction with the administration.
I was receiving financial aid while attending UMUC and during one semester, my aid was not applied to my tuition balance in a timely manner. This created a series of phone calls and emails to the director of financial aid and then to the vice president. The error was not mine – someone had dropped the ball in the financial aid office. It took about two weeks to resolve the issue, but ultimately my account was corrected and I went on my merry way. The only difference with this interaction and any I may have had at the community college I attended was the inability to visit the financial aid office in person. However, I didn’t find this to be a problem. The phone calls and emails I sent to the UMUC financial aid office were answered promptly and I never felt like I was being ignored. I credit this to UMUC’s administration and faculty being accustomed to communicating with students at a distance. UMUC does have a traditional campus as well, but the largest portion of its student body is students attending online. Because of this, I believe faculty and administrators go out of their way to maintain lines of virtual communication.
If you do encounter a problem as an online student, here are a few tips to help resolve the issue quickly:
- Send an email as soon as a problem arises. Sometimes online classes move at a faster pace than traditional classes, so time is of the essence.
- Be clear and specific in your email or phone call. Instructors and administrators deal with a large amount of students and issues on a daily basis. Being clear and specific from the start means the issue will be resolved quicker.
- Keep accurate records of the issue/dispute. Hopefully an issue will not go on for an eternity, but helps to maintain a record of what has happened in case an issue escalates.
- Be persistent, but professional. Again, because faculty and administrators deal with hundreds of students, you don’t want your issue to get lost in the mix. Be persistent (if you don’t receive a response within 48 hours, email or call again), but don’t be a jerk! Trust me, after years of working in the customer service field, nobody likes to deal with or help a jerk.
