Where do thumbs point on USQ M.Ed/Educ Tech?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by rinri, Apr 25, 2002.

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  1. rinri

    rinri New Member

    Recently looking into the M.Ed./Educ. Tech. with the Univ. Southern Queensland (USQ - http://www.usqonline.com.au ) among other schools. I would be admitted to the 8-unit online option.

    I'd like to hear from any forum members currently enrolled at USQ or who have graduated as to how they (you!) like the program. Thumbs up? The programs (Online learning, Flex. Learning etc.) appear to be reasonably priced at under $4000 and, at least according to website, accepting of some of transfer credit.

    I'd also like to get opinions from students in other lower-co$t Educ. Tech. Master's programs before making a decision.
     
  2. Tom Head

    Tom Head New Member

    I haven't done the program, but I remember hearing some very good things about it at one point, possibly on AED--a Google newsgroups search might be in order.

    Good luck!


    Cheers,
     
  3. Jeffrey Ahrendt

    Jeffrey Ahrendt New Member

    I have heard mainly good things about USQ, and my own correspondence with them has proven to be courteous and professional. In my opinion, they represent a solid, affordable option for many North American students.

    That said, North American students may find US or Canada-based programs better suited to their needs than programs originating overseas. Access to financial aid and career services are two examples of such benefits, as is the likely higher level of reconition and acceptance of degrees from domestic schools.

    From a price perspective, Emporia State University offers a solid program in Instructional Design and Technology at a tough-to-beat cost of approx. $135/credit. Relatively inexpensive Ed. Tech. programs are also available from bigger-name schools like the University of Missouri-Columbia (my own program; very reasonable at $188/credit) and the University of Wyoming ($200/credit).

    Jeff
     
  4. kajidoro

    kajidoro New Member

    I am currently a student at USQ and about to graduate this semester. I find the units challenging, the instructors helpful, the administrative staff quick to respond to any request, a simple and flawless registration process, a FAST shipping bookstore, and very affordable overall.

    I am very impressed with USQ. It already feels strange that I will be moving on to another university in a couple of months to start a new degree and fear no Aussie school could be as well run as USQ.

    Without being able to recall a single bad thing I could say about USQ (honestly) I recommend it highly.

    Regards,

    Christian
     
  5. rinri

    rinri New Member

    Quoting Tom Head: "Google newsgroups search" http://groups.google.com/

    Thanks, a lot of good info there.

    Quoting Jeffrey Ahrendt: "...my own correspondence with them has proven to be courteous and professional..."

    Yes, I have found the same at USQ. I agree, the University of Missouri-Columbia also has an interesting program in Educ.Tech. It would have my other choice along with CSUH's Online Learning MS. Personally, I found the UI of USQ's demo course material to be easy to follow.

    Quoting Kajidoro: "Without being able to recall a single bad thing I could say about USQ (honestly) I recommend it highly."

    Thanks, for the insight, it can't get any better than that. How many courses did you take per semester? I realize this is a subjective measure but how many hours per week did you need for your studies? Were exams online, locally proctered or project-based?
     
  6. kajidoro

    kajidoro New Member

    I took two to three courses per semester. Two was a good number, but a bit too light on the study load. I am in three now and it seems to be the perfect study load for me. However, please note I have a newborn baby girl, so your optimal study load will vary.

    The course materials suggest 10-12 hours per week per course. However, I find myself studying 6-8 hours per week per course on average, with some weeks being worse than others and pushing my hours to 15-20 hours per week when a lot of reading or writing or research is in required. These spikes usually only last a few weeks per semester.

    Multiple choice exams were done online, but each final (50-60% of your grade) was proctored locally. In my case, I drove to Foothill College in Mountain View and met with my proctor for the final exams. It was simple, painless process, as USQ did ALL the legwork for me - I just had to show up at the date/time they specified.

    Christian
     

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