A short while ago UoP rolled out this PhoenixConnect thing, which is like a massive discussion network. Whenever I log on to check the courses I'm facilitating, I see posts from different students, and I've read through some of them. It seems like most of the students seem to be doing nothing but complaining about the school. Has anyone else noticed this? -Matt
I didn't put it there because it really has nothing to do with teaching. Essentially, it looks like UoP is trying to mimic Facebook, and in doing so, has allowed students to participate in numerous discussions outside of their classes. From what I'm seeing, most of these discussions are rather negative against the school, and I was wondering what other facilitators or students thought of it. -Matt
Matt; The UOP PhoenixConnect is actually a very smart thing to do. It is the equivalent of hallway scuttlebut, or "good goudge" (for Navy folks) as long as the forum is moderated to avoid flaming. Free speech and complaints are a good thing if they are viewed as climate surveys of a sort. Also, peer to peer communication is an essential part of learning. A group of NCU learners have a Yahoo Groups forum that IMHO has kept many a learner in school. They try to make some sense out of the policy changes, pass along advice on classes, professors, the dissertation process, etc. For that matter Degreeinfo.com is invaluable to many of us. We come here to get good advice and information on distance learning. I would not be where I am today without this forum.
I don't disagree with you, but there are enough people complaining about UoP outside of the school's website. Does UoP really need a forum where people can complain about the school within it? That just seems tacky. -Matt
Since the PhoenixConnect rolled out, the grades that students are getting on the final in one of my classes have improved exponentially...........weird, I wonder if the two are somehow related?
I wouldn't take it too seriously. Students complain everywhere. If U of P students are really THAT unhappy then we all know that they have many alternatives. If they're sufficiently unhappy then they'll vote with their feet. Until that happens it's just everyday bitchin'.
