Help convince my wife that DL is OK

My wife "retired" from school teaching after 8 years when our 4 year old was born. We also have an 8 month old at home, and she wants to go back to work (but NOT teaching) when he starts pre-school in a few years.

What she wants to do is library/media science, but no school in our city (Colorado Springs) offer that as an undergrad or grad degree. I was searching for DL programs last night, and found what looks to be a very good one at Florida State that's all DL AND affordable (around $315 per credit hour in a 42 credit hour program).

She's scared of the whole DL format though. I told her I'd help her with the technical aspect of the program (installing whatever software she needs, getting her connected to the right location, etc.) but she's resistant. She doesn't believe she can learn in that format, since her undergrad was done in a traditional classroom, 12-13 years ago.

I did my B.S. and M.S. at on-campus schools, so I'm not sure I can make a real good sell. I don't think the "reputation" angle is a big deal because obviously FSU is a reputable school...I'm looking for reasons that would reassure a non-technical person like her, who is totally unfamiliar with this way of learning.

 

I used to work in a library back in my hometown. I worked at my local library for five years If your wife wants a degree in library/media science, the online degree will be a big help. Most libraries rely alot on heavy computer use. OMG!, almost every job in this country has some connection to a computer. Your wife needs to understand that no matter the format she chooses to purse the degree be it traditional or completely online, the program will most certainly have a technical aspect. The reason I say she should choose the online way is she will have an upper hand on the older librarians already working in that filled. The older librarians I use to work with did not know how to use a freaking mouse. However, that worked to my advantage due to me knowing the very basic computer knowledge. Your wife if smart should really quickly learn the technical aspect fast it’ll pay off in a huge salary, especially if your competing against very older well established librarians who don't know enough about computers.

Hey, now that I'm thinking about it maybe I should look into getting my masters also in library science. I could move quickly up in job positions and make alot of money

 

Yeah, I've stressed to her that the job has changed. She has some basic computer skills (Word, Excel, email, surfing), but all of the M.S. Library/Media Science programs I saw were almost mini-IT degrees. My B.S. is in CIS, my M.S. in IT-Mgmt, and I've been in I.T. for 9+ years...I told her I'd help her as much as I could (without doing the work FOR her) until she becomes comfortable with the technical aspect of DL.

Like you said though, the job requires you to be technically competent now and would probably require quite a bit of lab work even if done on campus.

 

Since this is a big thing to do, dipping a toe in might well make sense.

When my wife was in a comparable situation, 3 children at home, no relevant programs for 3 hours in any direction, and she was 15 years from her Bachelor's, she tested the waters first by taking an almost-random DL course to see how she liked it (astronomy from Penn State), and then, when she found she really liked it, then the first course of the Cal State Dominguez Hills MA in humanities program. If she hadn't felt comfortable with that, then she would have stopped. But she loved it, and completed the program at her own pace.

It sounds as if a single course from FSU would cost under $1,000, and could be a good test of the school, the process, and her interest in doing this.

When I was involved with several on-line Master's programs (1991-98), about 1/3 of those who started ended up with the degree. And overwhelmingly, the main reason for not finishing had nothing to do with ability, but with not finding the time to do the work, or simply not enjoying the process.

 

University of Illinois

UIUC used to have an online library science program.

 

Although I already have an MLS, I continue to take courses through the library school at the University of North Texas to keep current. Many of the courses I have taken from them are available only via the Web. Every Web course I have taken includes students from different parts of the country; some from outside the country.

Naturally, the subject knowledge and computer skills of each student vary considerably. On the whole, I would say that there is much more mutual aid in these Web courses than you normally encounter in classroom courses. A good instructor will respond to questions promptly and continually solicit feedback regarding progress, but help from other class members is a real boon, even if you have an instructor that is not readily available (to be polite about it).

I would tell your wife to make the leap. Library people are trained to be helpful. Certainly, the courses are designed to encourage it, so there is lots of mutual assistance in library school courses. The technical side is fairly simple. You only need a computer, a browser, and a connection to the Internet. Most courses are taught via WebCT or a similar package. These are purchased by and exist on the university networks. All the student needs is an Internet connection to it and money for tuition and textbooks.

The majority of library schools in the country now offer the basic master's in library science/studies (MLS, MSLS, MSIS, etc.) entirely via the Web. Quite a few of the UNT students I have encountered online, for instance, are from Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nevada, all of them working toward the master's degree online from a school in Texas.

Florida State is one of the most renowned library schools out there. If the program is right for her and the tuition is affordable, I would not let DL get in the way. Go for it.

marilynd

 

As I've said before on this site, I often have reservations about DL programs, but having worked as a cataloging assistant and technician in the libraries at UMass and Harvard, I think that DL would be an excellent mode of study for a librarian (well, for a straightforward library science degree; some specialties would be better served by classroom study).

Much library work is solitary, with the librarian, the books, and computer facilities. The DL study mode lends itself quite well to the work situation, and your wife's teaching experience will be a good background for a number of jobs. I never studied library science formally, but most of what I learned for my work involved someone introducing me to a resource or some method of doing something. I would then work independently with ALA materials, OCLC, the catalog, books, and so forth. Some library concepts are complex, but not difficult to master with some reading and research. Very few are the sort of thing that requires in-person interaction. Online communication should work very well in answering questions.

And if your wife's really concerned about getting hands-on experience, there's always an internship or volunteering at a local library. They'll be thrilled for the help, and she can ease her concerns by rounding out her distance work.

Wow, I broke my left elbow Monday, and I typed all that with just my right hand!

 

Nothing wrong with FSU, the price is right, the reputation fine--why not? As for whether she's going to be a successful online learner, it depends on her learning style. Obviously, if she's heavily dependent on auditory processing, she's toast; if she has little self discipline, she's toast. Otherwise, I wouldn't anticipate a problem.

I'm learning more online in my current program--an online MBA program attached to a major uni--than I learned in a traditional classroom setting at a top-tier law school. I like learning through reading vis-a-vis lecture. The 15-20 hrs a week I spent in the classroom were not time terribly well spent for me; I would've been better off by myself reading. I also like the ability to converse on the subject matter with the prof and fellow students in discussion groups--much more valuable to me than the lecture hall.

Online could be the best thing she's ever done, but it also might not work for her. It all depends. I agree with the other poster's suggestion that she test the water; she may love online.

 

lurker:

Emporia State has a graduate library program in Denver. ESU is one of the oldest and better known library programs in the country. There are several people in the Springs that have graduated in the last few years. There may be some commuting right know. Check it out.

 

That's a decent idea. I have an old friend from H.S. who got his Masters from Emporia, he's now a science librarian at the University of Michigan, and I'm sure they don't just hire anyone up at Ann Arbor..