Western Govenors University?

anyone ever hear of this one or have any experience with it? i just found out about it today. it seems to be highly accredited.

www.wgu.edu

i want to get a bachelors in IT Security and i cant find any good schools that offer it.

 

I enrolled there in 2001, was completely baffled by what went on afterwards and left for Cal State Hayward.

It may have changed since then, but I felt like I was drifting without direction and the program had no structure whatsoever. It was kind of like, "here you go" with no direction at all. I was new to distance learning and all, but the way you get credit--the proficiency tests you take seem to leave gaps and like I said, no clear direction at all. The tuition has skyrocketed since then as well (gee, does tuition actually go up?!?!).

I was interested in Education Technology and ended up with a Cal State Hayward MS Ed degree in Online Teaching and Learning.

Even with experience in online learning, looking at the program again, it makes me think of a lack of direction and structure. Maybe it's the way I think, and someone else could do well there, but I don't think I'd be interested in them now.

 

Western Governor's University is a legitimate and sincere effort to establish a different kind of program--one based upon demonstration of compentency, rather than seat time. There are some good people involved with WGU and it is the first institution to be accredited by multiple RA agencies.

WGU got off to quite a rocky start but seems to be settling down.

Tony Pina
Faculty, Cal State U. San Bernardino

 

I wasn't suggesting it was a bad program, it seems to have gotten straightened out from when I was there. The program at Cal State Hayward is much more formal and structured.

It didn't suit me (WGU) because it seemed to be very unstructured. Like I said, I had this feeling I was floating in limbo there.

 

Better Now

I don't really know what happened as far as structure and assistance in the beginning of WGU. I only can say that having begun at WGU in May of 2004, this is the best experience I've ever had at college (so far). I've been to literally half a dozen colleges and gained, I don't know - maybe 140 credits in all kinds of fields. I've attended brick and morter, correspondence, and now competancy based colleges.

The tests are horrible, long, and painful exams but they adequately measure knowledge. They don't just measure memorized formulas and regurgitated knowledge; they also measure understanding and application.

The projects are grueling, I just finished a 91 page paper (including research) which was designed to prove that I am competant at logical reasoning and effective communication in a formal setting.

I'm working on a application project tied in with my work which so far has required a 24-page proposal just to get it accepted as a "worthy" project. The rubric the school grades from is provided for review.

I have to say that the structure is mainly imposed by the student. If I wanted to spend several months goofing off I could. I'd just be behind.

I'll report back later when I have more information (and I've finished the program).
-jacob

 

LAUSD no longer gives its employees salary points for courses taken at WGU. Not enough rigor.

 

Education degrees and Western Governors University

The US Dept of Education seems to be backing WGU for Education degrees. I'm looking further to be sure.

This is the address for US Dept of Ed.
http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml

In the search field, type in Western Governors University and you will get a list of articles about the University and what the Dept of Ed has to say.

One of the articles has a link to the Education page of WGU.

My prospects for entering teaching are getting better.

I am cautiously optimistic.

If the US Dept of Ed is endorsing WGU and giving them and their students federal money, should this not be an automatic flag that the state of Georgia would accept their teaching program?

Mark

 

My answer to the original posters reply

You seem like a very sincere person with legitimate concerns, so I will try to address them with what I know based on my own experience with WGU. Keep in mind that I am a student, not faculty, so I may not have all the answers you need.

In regard to previous classes you’ve taken, WGU is not credit based, it’s competency based, so they may or may not award you credit for certain classes depending on the outcome of a review (as I’ve experienced and understand it). But to explain the process A little better, let me give you an example from when I enrolled and how I’ve heard it from other students relating experience.

First you speak to an enrollment counselor, and it is presumably their job to answer any initial questions you may have concerning WGU. After (or before, I don’t remember which) you apply you take a brief survey style exam, that is intended to give both faculty and yourself a better idea about your suitability to undertake distance learning with WGU. From there you gain limited access to the site, to start familiarizing yourself with and to gain access to the forms and instructions you’ll need to start your program. During this time you will be in contact with admissions, they will make sure you understand, will meet and are able to complete all the requirements for enrollment in the program you’d like. This includes submission of transcripts from the issuing institution, letters of reference and other documentation. (Please note that these documents or information will and must be reviewed and checked for credibility because WGU must comply with the state standards of many states) Once the documentation is received, your transcripts will be reviewed to determine if your courses comply with the prerequisite curriculum of state approved (it is my understanding that they use your home state as a model, Utah, and a reciprocal partner state) teacher education programs that comply with established standards. If a part or all of your coursework doesn’t seem to meet the criteria, you will be notified that you must pass the competencies in the domain or domains it’s aligned with. If you know your stuff, this will not be a problem, as once accepted, you should be able to complete performance tasks, papers, and pass proctored exams much more rapidly and easily that someone just learning the material.

(My best example of this is would be: Lets say your transcript showed that you had taken and passed beginning, intermediate and advanced programming classes in C++. Then it should be no problem for you to create x-amount of predetermined kinds of programs and supply your own source code using created using different knowledge and skills of a proficient C++ Programmer, and pass a proctored exam or on the language and its use, far more easily and rapidly than someone just learning.)

After all you have been evaluated and approved for admission then you will take Education Without Boundaries, which is a prerequisite course designed to teach to the WGU system, introduce you to others, help you gain practice in distance education, and answer any questions. You will take among other assessments a personality/learning style assessment to determine your best learning style and educational needs. Then you will be assigned a mentor based on your learning style whose personal style of mentoring is considered a match. Your mentor reviews your file then has a long call with you, and exchanges correspondence to discuss the program, answer any lingering questions, and better structure your program based on your background and needs. Then they schedule pre-assessments. If you might be weak in an area of Math or Statistics they schedule you to take a Math pre-assessment, if they (or you) need to know your level and areas of weakness in an initial core subject, you will take a pre-assessment. This will help you both structure your program and determine in which areas you need classes, material and study, or if you’re ready to take any of the initial performance, essay, research, or proctored exam assessments.

If you need study or practice, and its likely that in most cases you will, then you will arrange with your mentor the best route to become proficient in that area. If you need a class or classes, your mentor will suggest the most appropriate options from a list of options from the hundreds of provider universities, organizations and training partner institutions WGU offers. They will tell you what courses are mapped most closely with the competencies you must demonstrate based on federal, and state standards, and what other students report having the best success with in preparation for the competencies. If you prefer independent study, they will give recommended books and courses, and let you determine what you feel best suits your needs and circumstances.

They will stay in contact with you by email and phone, and discuss with you preparation and outcomes in each step of your program. There are in-house chats and domain boards to discuss study strategies, and encourage other students. These boards monitored and moderated by mentors and answered by both students and mentors alike. Cheating or plagiarism is not tolerated and would be very hard to do since work is checked, and assessments have different version and are either changed frequently, or exams are proctored by recognized institutions that are given strict testing guidelines. There are also domain mentors who are all experienced educators who hold doctorates in their field. Also, often if you take classes there is additionally access to outside partner professors from many brick and mortar institutions. Exams are given at approved institutions (such as my exams are given in the testing center of a local state college) and posted assignments are graded by subject-qualified graders. Both you and the grader seem to be anonymous in this, however they do follow a grading rubric as well as their own experience. They leave comments, and encouragement, often under each graded criteria, as well as explain (for each score under a criteria) why it was scored as such and what you need to study or practice, or if you did exceptionally well, their feedback. If you must revise an assessment (not uncommon) or fail, other students post encouragement and tell you what preparations they took to better learn the competencies, and your mentor discusses with you options to improve in that area.

As you get further in your program you will find yourself completing domains and your confidence and abilities will vastly improve. Later you will spend more time watching lectures, observing, and writing extensively on methodologies, standards, practices, and subjects regarding in-service teaching. You will study everything from diversity, classroom management, human growth and development, to more advanced practices in-subject (Math, English, social science, etc) and grade-level specific teaching methods and practices. Depending on your state and areas of concentration you will take different exams (such as the Praxis, various Praxis II and the TeXeS exams) and start preparation to student teaching. When you have passed everything else, including all assessment in all levels save the last level, you will collaborate with your mentor, the local school district, and WGU student teacher placement, then be placed in a mutually agreed upon school. In this school you will be assigned an experienced, licensed, current in-practice teacher who will be your on-site mentor, as well as (I believe) a neutral observer. They along with faculty at the school and district cooperate to evaluate and ease the transition into your new (OJT) practice teaching. You retain your personal mentor, but additionally have a local teacher that (sort of) apprentices you as you continue in your program. During this time you participate in conferences and complete the last domain of your program, and portfolio. Once all evaluations are in, and all parties (Mentors, reviewers, in-service mentor/teacher, school district, your school’s principal, your mentor, etc) agree that you have mastered all competencies required and have demonstrated your skill and competency as a teacher, your program completes.

 

my answer continued

As to your other questions, here are my best (as I understand the process) answers:

It depends on how your program is designed, but in many ways “yes” WGU is somewhat a collaborative effort with other recognized institutions. There are many partner colleges, universities and organizations involved in the process that may add to your education, but WGU is the actual university that guides and assesses your competency and learning outcomes, overseen by various bodies and in compliance with many sets of standards.

In regard to your other questions about the Founding State Governors, the diploma, Georgia, and reciprocity agreements, I am not a student in one of those states so I don’t have a definitive answer. I have heard that WGU has reciprocity with most of the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam. However, for a more accurate answer you should contact WGU, and the appropriate authorities in your state. I believe admissions, or perhaps an enrollment counselor might have a more definitive answer to those questions. To answer your question about the diploma and transcripts; I would assume that they would reflect the issuing institution as “Western Governor University” on them. As to the transcripts reflecting classes and courses at partner institutions taken in preparation for assessments, I don’t honestly know.

If you have any further questions, please contact faculty at the University for a more accurate and authoritative answer. Keep in mind; I am a student, not a faculty member, so my answers are based on my personal understanding, experiences, beliefs and opinions.

If you want definite answers you’ll need to talk to someone who can give you them.

Here is the public website: http://www.wgu.edu/

 

Sorry, my response was meant for cmburford's thread

...However, I believe it might answer some questions for this poster as well.

In regard to someone else's comment of having enrolled long ago and feeling lost and seeing WGU as disorganized, I had the same feeling in the very begining too, but WGU has changed dramatically in just the slightly over a year since I've enrolled.

Part of your feeling in the dynamic of the system, it isn't for everyone. Part it might also be the mentor you were assigned to. They now do regular anonymous student reviews of each mentor asking their feedback in regard to mentor performance. I just filled out the form myself. Additionally, you can request a different mentor at any time or talk to the student satisfaction rep or several other administrative officers who are very accomodating. If you think your mentor is a mismatch they are very receptive to trying to find you a better match with your personality, needs and learning style, and there are no reprocussions or hurt feelings from a mentor change.

Also I'd like to add that WGU has undergone some very strong restructuring to better address the concerns of both individual states, and students in the last year. I'm quite impressed with how quickly and responsively the school acts to address issues of concern. I am not disregarding your perception of WGU from past experience, but your experience is based on a school that is making a great effort to grow, develop and improve. You have to consider how new WGU was when you had originally enrolled.

 

In response to sympatheticear...

"...courses taken at WGU..."

"Courses" at WGU are actually taken through partner institutions, often brick and mortar institutions like BYU and (I believe) Texas Tech. Are you saying that LAUSD found EVERY accredited & recognized partner institution to be lacking in instruction and rigor?

If you’re saying it was due to a lack in the assessments, they are constantly being redeveloped, rewritten and added work or measures implemented.

I'd like to know when LAUSD reviewed WGU (or if this is just your perception, or third party hearsay), because there have been a great many changes in the time since I've been enrolled. They have added additional assessments; they have added the two entire domain requirements and quite a few accompanying assessments. They have defined additional competencies just in the Interdisciplinary Studies Domain alone. Just last month, and for the coming months they have added-to and rewritten, the performance tasks in every domain in my program to make them clearer, more extensive, harder and cover more skills and competencies, address more standards, and make them generally more rigorous.

I have yet to speak with a faculty member at WGU who didn't seem to take a direct interest in how well you, as a student, are learning and how well you've developed competency that translate to effective base for teaching. They seem very concerned with ensuring that you have a strong foundation and grasp in the knowledge and skills necessary to be a qualified teacher.

 

I would like to thank those of you that have explained your experience with WGU. I have been impressed by their unique and creative approach to education. I think that it is exciting to see new things like this tried while enforcing verifiable and real academic rigor in the process.

 

Additional Information

Anyone can say anything they want. I disagree with their assessment, but then I'm not a college professor or a public administrator.

I said above, that I was going to provide portions of the rubric against which we are graded as soon as I found it.

This is the minimum skill pattern which must be evidenced to pass the Collegiate Level Reasoning and Problem Solving paper at the Bachelor's Level.

"Perpetual Analyzer"
Skill Pattern 2--How performance might appear when Step 1 and 2 skills are adequate, but Step 3 and 4 skills are weak
• H-2—Proceeded as if goal was to establish a detached, balanced view of evidence and information from different points of view
• G-2—Articulated connections among underlying contributors to limitations and described limitations from different perspectives; next steps articulated as gathering more information and looking at problem more complexly and/or thoroughly
• F-2—Implementation plans tended to stall or be overly complicated due to difficulties in prioritizing; provided sufficient information and motivation for others to understand alternative points of view, but did not adequately prioritize for the audience
• E-2—Used evidence to reason logically within a given perspective, but criteria used do not necessarily apply across solution options
• D-2—Organized information and concepts into viable framework for exploring realistic complexities of the problem*
• C-2—Qualitatively interpreted information from multiple points of view; included discussions of assumptions, alternative objectives, and evidence quality*
• B-2—Used a range of carefully evaluated, relevant information
• A-2—Articulated complexities related to uncertainties and the relationships among different sources of uncertainty


Though the above is the minimum skill pattern which must be evidenced; this is the expected skill pattern of a college student at WGU.

"Strategic Re-Visioner"
Skill Pattern 4--How performance might appear when one has strong Step 1, 2, 3, and 4 skills
• H-4—Proceeded as if goal was to strategically construct knowledge, to move toward better conclusions or greater confidence in conclusions as the problem is addressed over time*
• G-4—Identified limitations as in G-3; as next steps, suggested viable processes for strategically GENERATING new information to aid in addressing significant limitations over time*
• F-4—Implementation plans considered long-term issues; provided appropriate information and motivation, prioritized for the setting and intended audience, including descriptions of processes for achieving best solution over time
• E-4—Argued convincingly using complex, coherent discussion of own perspective, including strengths and limitations; articulated how systematic process of critical inquiry was used to build solution
• D-4—Same as D-3 PLUS articulated how framework and criteria can be refined, leading to better solutions or greater confidence over time
• C-4—As new information was generated over time, interpreted and re-interpreted evidence systematically
• B-4—Same as B-3 PLUS included viable strategies for GENERATING new info. to address limitations
• A-4—Exhibited complex awareness of ways to minimize uncertainties in coherent, on-going process of inquiry

I think that these rubrics indicate a high level of rigour in the WGU model.

-jacob

 

Now that I have been a college professor...

I stand beside my statement several years back. Western Governors University has an extremely rigorous program and is much more difficult than one ACCSB school I taught at for a while.

 

LAUSD and WGU

This is an incorrect interpretation of LAUSD's policy. Rigor has nothing to do with it.

As the LAUSD web site indicates:

Please note, however, that the page does, in fact, list WGU as an accepted school for teacher certification. Indeed, LAUSD accepts only WGU and Cal State as acceptable online teacher's school programs through which teacher's certification can be obtained. In other words, WGU teaching school graduates are fully accepted as accredited teachers for the Los Angeles school system.

Now, as it happens, LAUSD also has a policy of awarding salary points, based on the number of credit hours, for university courses taken in pursuit of professional development. But, because WGU does not award "credit hours" in any of it's programs, LAUSD has no way of knowing how to apply salary points for credit hours that don't exist. Similarly, my employer refused to offer tuition reimbursement for WGU because they pay for individual courses, and WGU's tuition system is paid by term, not by course. In both cases, these are administrative difficulties due to the unusual nature of WGU's methods, not reflections on the quality of education.

The idea that LAUSD will accept WGU grads as teachers, presumably because their teaching school offers an acceptable level of rigor, but denies salary points because WGU isn't rigorous enough is...counterintuitive.

 

Thank you...

For researching and explaining that.

As a WGU graduate myself, I appreciate this clarification.

Jacob

 

Thanks, I too am seriously considering WGU.