As many of you know, Aspen started requiring online discussion even in the online independent classes. I always take independent classes because I like to work alone, but I must admit posting and have others respond and agree or disagree with your comments is kind of fun! I grumbled when Aspen informed me this was a new requirement. I just tried it tonight and it was no problem. Abner
I don't think there is a problem when interacting with online discussions, besides that is what we do around here. But the problem relies on those team projects! I hate them, because there is always someone that is a procrastinator and always have the same excuses as per why something was not done (eg... kids got sick, my computer crashed, my purse or wallet got stolen from the car, loss power, the internet failed etc...) and the team ends up pulling their weigh. Other than that I am find with the discussions.
Exactly! However, I am lucky. At Aspen I do not have to work on team projects with anyone. We are required to interact and agree or disagree with classmates in a cogent manner once a week. Abner
I have avoided this format through my entire online education. I am glad to have gone to Aspen when they did not require this. None of my NCU classes required this. AMU did and I dropped out, I just simply hated it. I tried a UOP class and when I discovered what a cohort was, dropped that also.
I was kind of pissed when they suddenly sent me a letter saying "This is our new policy". However, at least you do not have to log on at a certain time of day or hour. It is kind of informal, we are only required to post once a week, then others kind of bounce of what each other has written. The format is very easy to use, so I like it. I just need to keep a calender so I could keep track of posting at least once a week. The good thing is you get credit for this as well, so it does not feel like an exercise in futility. See ya bro! Abner
With this new requirement in place, how is the online independent option any different from the online interactive option?
David, I completely agree. I absolutely hated this format during my stints at UOP and National Univ. I will never again enroll with a school that requires an "interactive" or "cohort" model. I'll take my education self-paced (or at least independently on a 4 to 12 week schedule), thank you very much!
IMHO, in general this is an attempt to emulate the “classroom experience”. I would guess that schools do it because it is easy to later go back and point to it as demonstration of rich instructor/student interactions. For me personally on the student side there was something that I didn’t connect with. Now that I am transitioning to the instructor side, maybe the wonderfulness of it will come to light.
A fair # of my courses at FHSU have a 'Discussion Board' - thus far, and I've been at this for over three years, while I find it annoying at times, for the most part I don't mind it and certainly wouldn't dismiss a school for requiring participation in such boards...
I have never taken an online interactive class, so I am not sure. I would guess you have to sign in at certain times and days to interact with other students and instructors. I think it would require you to be "connected" via the internet much more than what I am doing right now. Also, the online interactive classes are 8 weeks long, the online independent classes are 10 weeks long. This new thing at Aspen is not bad at all. Abner
