DL article published with some quotes from members

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Han, Nov 21, 2003.

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  1. Han

    Han New Member

  2. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Interesting; they list K-W as a source for bachelor's degrees in engioneering!
     
  3. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    Not only do they list Kennedy-Western (and Clayton), but the category is "Top Accredited Schools."

    Perhaps one or both of the people quoted might wish to communicate to author Mulrean that she is doing a considerable disservice to her readers -- recommending a degree that could bring criminal action in at least four states, and calling them 'accredited' to boot.
     
  4. Han

    Han New Member

    Already done - I didn't realize. More to follow.
     
  5. Han

    Han New Member

    OK, her is the situation. The article is below. When I go into the link, sometimes it has pop ups in the windows around the article about K-W. I e-mailed her and she said that this is the artcile (below), and does not reference K-W at all. When I go in now, she is right, the pop ups have changed. Is that what you guys think is happening?

    Is Online Learning for Loners?
    by Jennifer Mulrean
    Admit it. You think "online student" is just another way of saying "doesn't play well with others." After all, who would opt for a virtual classroom over the in-person buzz of brick-and-mortar classrooms? No easy banter with the guy sitting next to you. No good way to get the teacher's attention when you have questions. No, you think, I need more than the hum of my computer to keep me motivated and engaged.
    If you are considering online education, it's wise to be aware of the ways you learn best. Certainly, online learning isn't for everyone: Authors, teachers, and students all agree on the need for self-motivation. But self-motivation doesn't have to mean isolation. You might be surprised to learn that some online programs are set up so that you actually have more interaction with the teacher and other students than you would by sitting in a lecture hall.
    Compare online learning programs
    Request information from the top names in online education, and find the one that's right for you:
    "One thing I've discovered with online classes is you can't hide," says Tom Nixon, who's both a teacher and an online student, as well as the coauthor of Bear's Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning. In a traditional classroom, Nixon notes, you generally talk as much or little as you like. But in online programs, you often have to actively participate--by joining online discussions or by posting comments on bulletin boards--to indicate that you are reading the lectures and doing the class work.
    Asynchronous vs. synchronous learning
    Exactly how much interaction online learning fosters varies greatly from program to program and from class to class. In general, there are two basic types of programs: synchronous and asynchronous.
    In a synchronous program you're actually watching lectures as they're given, sometimes by closed-circuit TV. You see and hear everything the students in the lecture hall see and hear as it's all happening.
    Featured Programs from ClassesUSA
    The vast majority of programs, however, are asynchronous, meaning you're not watching lectures in real-time. "You don't have to be in a certain place at a certain time--you can do it at 10 PM in your jammies, or whenever you want to do it," says Nixon. Traveling? No problem. "You literally can take the classroom with you," says Dawn Lehew of Redmond, Washington, who recently completed an MBA program through Colorado State University.
    While some asynchronous programs, such as the one Lehew recently completed, videotape the lectures, Nixon says it's more common for lectures to be posted online as text documents you can read at your leisure. You won't have a teacher talking you through the material, but you will be able to ask questions, via e-mail, message boards, chats, or by phone.
    In fact, online classes might even unleash some students' inner extrovert. "I've had some students tell me they much prefer the online classes because in the traditional classes, they're much too shy to ask questions," Nixon says.
    How accessible is the professor?
    One key factor that can greatly affect the quality of any program is the teacher's accessibility for such questions. Lehew's MBA program accommodated students through weekly online chats with teachers. Additionally, instructors held regular office hours, during which you could call and speak to them by phone.
    What is a reasonable response rate for a professor? 24 to 48 hours, Nixon says. "Certainly nothing as long as a week," he says. "That shouldn't be happening."
    Unfortunately, this sometimes does happen, as Kristie Hansen knows. She recently completed University of Tulsa's iMBA program and found a significant difference in response rates from teacher to teacher. Some teachers were online fielding questions every night while it would take others as much as two weeks. Worst of all, some professors never checked the message boards.
    (Two days is the usual program policy for teacher response time, says University of Tulsa spokesman and current iMBA student Doug Fishback. As a current student, he says he has yet to go more than a day without hearing back, though the program hired an additional support person a little more than a year ago to assist students with any problems.)
    If you are waiting a full week or more for answers, it could be an indicator that the school has overcommitted itself and is trying to enroll more students than it can adequately serve. For this reason, you should ask any online school you are considering about their policies for teacher responsiveness. If possible, it's also a good idea to take a class at one of the institutions you're considering for a degree program--before you commit to the full program. This allows you to evaluate everything from teacher response time to technical support and how the class does or doesn't foster interaction between students.
    More Information
    Student-to-student interaction
    Nixon says that the graduate program he's currently enrolled in at University of West Alabama has a virtual campus, complete with bulletin boards for discussing class work, an online bookstore, and a library. But he also set up an online group so that his classmates and he would have a less formal environment in which to talk.
    Hansen's program required all students to check the message boards and make posts twice a week. She did it twice a day and felt it helped her stay on top of things. Also, because the program required some on-campus time, she had faces to put with the posts.
    Lehew's MBA program required her to work on group projects with students located around the country, including some who were taking the classes on campus in Colorado. They'd each post their work online, then one person would compile it and repost the final project for everyone to review before handing in the assignment. They also held a weekly conference call with each other.
    "I felt that with e-mail and the conference calls, I was interacting a lot--sometimes more than I'd want," says Lehew.
    The flip side, of course, is Lehew says she never felt limited by the online experience: "I don't feel I missed anything by not driving to a classroom, not one bit."
    And while she wasn't in the class to make friends, necessarily, she and one of her classmates have embarked on a business venture together.
    Sounds like good, old-fashioned networking to me, even if it was done almost entirely online.
    Learn more about online learning.
    About the Author
    Jennifer Mulrean is a writer on MSN Money. She has written articles for the Seattle Times, the Los Angeles Times, and In Style magazine. She lives in Seattle.
     
  6. tcnixon

    tcnixon Active Member

    While she doesn't mention K-W in her article, it is possible to find information about the school on the MSN website as well as a link to a site that calls it accredited (classesUSA.com). I can't find anywhere that MSN calls it accredited (and would appreciate a link, should it be there). I will certainly e-mail Jennifer about it.

    By the way, it is a good article, I think. Touches on some interesting things.*



    Tom Nixon
    *And yes, I'd say that even if I wasn't liberally quoted.:cool:
     
  7. Felipe C. Abala

    Felipe C. Abala New Member

    This part of the article caught my attention.

    Working adult distance learners are there to acquire new knowledge and skills in their chosen profession and not to socialize.

    Simply put, how can a working adult be in isolation if 8 hours a day, and 5 days a week he/she is already engrossed by the day-to-day activities of the work place attending to the bosses, subordinates, clients, vendors and other colleagues. This is already so much of socialization (not isolation).

    Full time students attend classes mainly to acquire knowledge and skills and, of course, qualification.

    Most professionals takes some spare time at work for learning new skills by reading the manuals and work related materials.

    DE learners are there to gain knewledge and earn a qualification.

    What makes the difference between a full time student, an ordinary working adult and a DE learner working adult:
    1. full time student earns his/her qualification
    2. working adult learns and earns salary at the end of the month
    3. the DE learner working adult earns a qualification at the end of the program and earns his/her salary every end of the pay priod.

    So, I'll never be in isolation, I earn an income, and I'll earn a degree.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 22, 2003
  8. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    When I read the article this morning, the box at the left, halfway down, was entitled "Top Accredited Programs" and included 8 that are + Kennedy-Western and Clayton.

    Since is something else now, clearly it was a paid pop-up, and cleverly designed to look like a 'sidebar' for the article itself.

    Now when USA Today did its pretty article on mills recently, and the on-line version included paid ads for several dubious schools, to their credit, they changed that as soon as I pointed it out to the reporter. (But, of course, did nothing about the phonies that continue to advertise in the paper.)
     
  9. Han

    Han New Member

    She notified the editors right away, and she is going to get back to me, but was very concerned. It was deceiving, maybe they already fixed it, but the pop ups are different each time, so not sure. Will let you know when I receive info.
     

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