Ok, guys;important questions about scheduling of classes in DL programs...

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by MisterTEB, Apr 10, 2009.

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  1. MisterTEB

    MisterTEB New Member

    OK, it's no secret that the way higher education institutions operate is designed to maximize the amount of time people spend on their education, which of course results in the college getting more money. The way classes are scheduled and spread out throughout a time frame may help students avoid burn out, but ultimately pumps the institutions' coffers.

    I have always wondered why you can't go take 4 or 5 classes a day, five days a week at your university, (unless they do it now, remember it's been 20 years plus since I was in college)


    Anyway, how does DL work in places like Excelsior and COSC and TESC? Can I schedule my classes in a way that actually speeds up my time doing the bachelor's degree?

    I know that I can shave plenty of time off of my Bachelor by Clep-ing out and life experience and other non-traditional ways of getting credits, but once I am done with tests and all of that, can I actually schedule my courses in a way that I can finish my degree in less time than the usual?

    I know that when you go to college you have one class here and then the next in 2 days, then another course three hours from now then the next 3 days from now, but I wanna be able to say, study 5 or 6 days a week, take as many classes as I can take and put all of my effort and focus in it. I wanna do that, but will DL allow me that, or will I also be at the mercy of teachers, curriculums and red tape, just like at a B&M place?

    I need help!
    Thanks in advance, guys!
     
  2. bazonkers

    bazonkers New Member

    Online schools usually still have some limit as to how many credits you can take in one semester AT THAT school. There is nothing preventing you from taking 12 credits at one school and then 12 the same semester at another school. The only thing that might make it difficult is the coursework. There is no guarantee that you wouldn't have 6 classes with projects all due in the same week with only one week to work on them. Some classes won't let you work ahead so you are still stuck with the deadlines on the syllabus.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 10, 2009
  3. okiemom

    okiemom New Member

    At COSC, most classes are asynchronous.

    www.charteroak.edu/prospective/new/faq.cfm#online

    Have you considered doing an independent study course? Most of those allow at least two assignment submissions a week, sometimes three. You could consider doing a combination of online classes, independent study and CLEP/ DSST.

    Then there's always ALEKS. You can work at your own pace with that.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 10, 2009
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    When I was in undergrad school you had to petition in order to take an "overload" of credits. Full-time was 15 credit per semester. Most students had difficulty in maintaining decent grades while they carried 15 credits. Those that were the most ambitious seemed to shoot for a higher GPA so that they'd get into the best grad schools rather than shooting for the most credits per semester. If you are a person who can do both then perhaps the best choice for you would be to try several strategies simultaneously. You could take some number of courses while also focusing on testing out (CLEPs, etc.) of as many credits as possible.

    You can believe that schools are set up to maximize profit if that's what makes sense to you. However, I believe that most kids in school have a hard enough time pulling very good grades on 15 credits per semester. Students who have proven their ability to succeed with a credit overload are allowed to do so. I think this is true across a wide spectrum of universities.
     
  5. MisterTEB

    MisterTEB New Member

    Please tell me more about ALEKS and independent study...I am clueless as to what either of them is.

    (And thanks to you and everyone else)
     
  6. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    A full time student taking 15 semester units is expected by RAs to study for 45 hours per week (for 15 weeks).

    Here is the WASC requirement:
    Credit, Unit of: A quantification of student academic learning. One semester unit
    represents how much time a typical student is expected to devote to learning in one week
    of full time undergraduate study (at least 40-45 hours including class time and
    preparation). Thus a six-week summer session might, if fulltime, equate to six units. An
    WASC Handbook of Accreditation / 2001
    alternative norm is one unit for three hours of student work per week (e.g., one hour of
    lecture and two of study or three of laboratory) for ten weeks per quarter or 15 weeks per
    semester. A full-time undergraduate student program should normally be 14 to 16 units,
    and, if fulltime, no less than 12 units. More time is expected to be devoted to study at the
    graduate level, typically more that three hours of study for every hour in class. A fulltime
    graduate program is normally nine units or less. Considerable excess allowed on
    grounds of student ability should be subject to special analysis and approval.

    Source: http://www.csuchico.edu/vpaa/wasc/docs/pdf/Glossary_of_Definitions.pdf
     
  7. guz19

    guz19 New Member

    Does WASC also state how many credits can be allowed to be transferred in?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 5, 2018
  8. Fortunato

    Fortunato Member

    Almost all accredited schools, even online schools, have policies that prohibit concurrent enrollment without special approval.
     
  9. MISin08

    MISin08 New Member

    I'm doing 6 units (8-week term, so I guess that's like 12 units in dog semesters) plus studying for the Ethics DSST. Between that and full-time job I'm pretty busy. There's no room for more. I'm sort of "studying" for the MIS DSST, maybe 1-2 hours/week, but I work in the field and have had several classes as well. Your experience may be different; just thought I'd throw it out there.

    Phillip
     
  10. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    Check out ALEKS at http://www.aleks.com/ . You can complete these at your own pace, there are no proctored exams, and they are ACE accredited.

    With independent study, you typically do an independent assignment or project for a faculty member in exchange for credit. For example, a friend of mine needed an additional 2 or 3 credits to graduate, but couldn't find a course that fit into his schedule. A faculty member needed someone to help him with data collection, and offered my friend 3 credits of independent study in exchange for his work. This was on-campus. I haven't heard of an independent study being offered via DL.
     
  11. okiemom

    okiemom New Member

    With independent study, you enroll in the course, receive your books and submit assignments. Sometimes it's a paper course but there are quite a few online. There's no classroom attendance and very little contact with the instructor. Many schools don't require admission to take an independent study course. They are self paced with most allowing 9 to 12 months for completion. I'm currently taking Public Speaking at BYU. It could easily be completed in three weeks. My son is almost finished with the Christian Fantasy Literature course which has a heavy work load and has taken him months to complete.

    If you'll do a search here or with google, you'll find quite a few colleges that offer independent study classes.

    To help you get started:

    http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/

    http://isd.ou.edu/

    http://is.okstate.edu/default.aspx

    http://cdis.missouri.edu/
     
  12. okiemom

    okiemom New Member

    I should have added, BYU is probably the most economical of the ones I listed.
     

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