Posted by Jeff Davis on February 13th, 2009
My experience with online classes at the University of Phoenix consisted of having due dates each week that had to be met for items such as attendance, participation, team projects, individual assignments, discussion questions, and weekly summaries to name a few. As a student at this school, I was required to post two responses per week in order to meet the attendance requirements and four times per week to meet the class participation requirements. Each week there were discussion questions that each student was required to answer on a specific day. Meanwhile individual assignments consisted mainly of researching and writing papers while team projects varied based on the type of class and the program you were enrolled in. I can recall most team projects consisting of virtual organizations and creating business solutions for these by utilizing simulation type environments and team research papers.
My experience with the University of Phoenix’s online curriculum was remarkably similar to a traditional classroom, except that it occurs on a tightly compressed schedule. The first class of each course is held on a Tuesday, with faculty members assigning textbook chapters and articles to read from the electronic library and suggesting Web links for additional research.
Faculty members then deliver a weekly lecture, distributing it electronically as a text-formatted Word document, and then they post discussion questions based on the readings and the lecture. Students spend the greater part of the week participating in faculty-led class discussions online and working with other students on small-group projects using e-mail and group-collaboration software. At the end of the week, which always falls on a Monday, students turn in a paper or a project.
The technologies used by my online courses included having broadband internet access, Microsoft Office, Online Resources, Simulations, Threaded discussions, and Real-time live support. Included in the Resources were an electronic library of journals and newspapers, a reference library, and Web links. Simulations were made up of multimedia software programs that helped us to learn the more difficult and complex concepts that were part of the curriculum.
Tags: classroom, courses, curriculum, online classes, online resources, resources, schedule, technology, traditional, University of Phoenix
Categories: Student Voices, The Online Learning Experience
Posted by Jen Zeman on February 11th, 2009
The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) utilizes a technology called WebTycho for their online courses. One of the things I found to be an asset with UMUC and WebTycho was every class was set up the same way (i.e. instructors didn’t create individualized layouts for each of their classes) so it made it easy to find course information in each class. WebTycho is also easy to navigate with each course set up in the following manner:
- Once you log in and click on the particular class you are registered for, on the left side of the screen is a list of options. The top left corner lists your instructor, their bio, and a link to class announcements.
- Below this is a list of course-related links: Syllabus, Course Content (links to specific assignments), Conferences (discussion area for students on weekly discussion topics), Assignments Folder (where you submit your assignments), Portfolio (where all your graded work will appear), and Class Members (links to individual students’ email).
- The top right of the first screen gives you access to your account preferences, your biography, an online orientation, as well as a link to library services. It also offers a direct link to tech support if it is needed.
UMUC offers the opportunity for potential students to “test drive” a UMUC online course. It’s free of charge and I believe beneficial in order for first time online students to become acquainted with the online format. For more information, go to http://www.umuc.edu/spotlight/411.html. UMUC’s tech support for WebTycho is outstanding. I have found representatives manning the help desk were always quick to respond and very helpful in resolving any issues you may encounter. When I was registered almost four years ago, I never experienced any downtime with WebTcho which was reassuring.
So go ahead! Take a test drive at UMUC and enjoy the ride!
Our world has flattened, so to speak, thanks to the internet, and I’ve had opportunities to talk with people from around the globe. Some of these people have become quite dear to me. One such person is Srini from India. He was complimentary of the slideshows I posted on Slideshare.net and an email friendship developed.
Srini connected me with a young woman from the Netherlands, and the three of us created an inspirational slide show and posted it collaboratively. We never sat down face to face, but together we created a project thousands of miles apart. When I viewed the recent violence India I emailed Srini to make sure he was okay. He said he was safe and that many others from Slideshare had also expressed concern. I feel like he is “local” just as all my online classes and communities feel local. Columbus never found India, but I did!
Two of my first online classes were not local, and one was. In all three, I developed intellectual relationships. I have been keeping in touch via email with one teacher I met in a since 2001 non-local class. Since the class, I haven’t had contact with any of the students from my local class. After my experiences I have no preference as to whether the classes are local or not.
What is important to me is content. I want classes that specifically help me improve my skills as a teacher. As technology changes, I find it important to stay ahead of my students, many of whom are learning on their own. Interestingly enough, I am looking at a progam in e-learning offered through a state university system here in Wisconsin. The consideration of this program has nothing to do with the location of the university. So far, it’s the program that piques my interest. I have read all the course descriptions and what fascinates me is that many of the skills I already learned through online classes were provided by my very own school district.
Posted by J.M. Striegel on July 4th, 2008
Think you can be an online student and not participate in the classroom discussions or readings? You should reconsider your position. Professors and instructors are taking advantage of the latest technology and using it to connect with their students online.
Webcams can help your instructor and fellow classmates “put a face with a name” and are used for everything from informal chats among classmates to formal class discussions and seminars. Online classes offer a great deal of flexibility, but some classes are taught in real-time settings online and you may need a high-speed internet connection to keep up with the video demands.
You’ll find that some instructors are more technologically savvy than others. Some include audio versions of their text lectures, allowing you the option to download the lecture onto a mobile device and continue to learn and study while you workout, run errands, or take a break from the computer. This method is especially beneficial for the student who learns best when hearing the material rather than reading it on their own.
Most online classes are conducted in a similar method to their traditional versions. There may be weekly readings that feature group discussion that requires the student to post their views/feedback in a specific chat area and respond to the comments of others. This participation shouldn’t be overlooked for it is often a large portion of your overall assessment and can become the deciding factor in a final grade.
The exchange of ideas within the walls (virtual or otherwise) of a classroom is nothing to shy away from. These discussions are essential to creating new ideas, increasing understanding of the subject, and improving critical thinking skills. Choosing to be an anonymous online student may not only be a thing of the past, but could very well hurt your grades and skill development.
J.M. Striegel
