U. of Phoenix's OCD Course Format and Schizo Web Site

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U. of P.'s Schizo Web Site

Words/Phrases that describe their web site:

1. Disjointed

2. Non-intuitive

3. Left-brain designed (high level of complexity and detail)

4. Dizzy

5. Confusing

6. Frustrating

7. Too many Faculty related independent portals We are given about 4-5 different portals. Some which require to sign on again.

8. Not consistent page layout or theme.

The OCD Course Format Design of U. of P

1. Apparently designed mostly by Left-brainers.

2. Apparently designed by Left-brainers who are addicted to lists.

3. Apparently designed by Left-brainers addicted to lists but on pain-killers or hallucinogenic drugs (The lists are all over the place).

4. Apparently designed by Left-brainers addicted to lists and drugs who are Sado-Masochists. They assume you love to suffer and want to join the "fun."

5. The lists induce a psychotropic experience of entering a black hole (also known as "the Rabbit Hole") and often creates a suspended hypnotic mental state of insanity but with no escape routes (you would be expelled should you yell too loud in disgust).

6. Like a house of mirrors, the lists are endless, overwhelming, and create anger with the potential for greater degrees of emotional discomfort.

 

That picture is giving me a headache as soon as I look at it. The horror!

 

Are you serious? I feel the same way.

 

What exactly is this thread talking about?

 

There are two kinds of people: the ones who need to be told and the ones who figure it out all by themselves. -Tom Clancy

 

See the other thread: http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30898

 

It's very informative. Thanks for sharing.

 

Geesh....I login (username & password), and it's like second nature to me.

Do we teach at the same University of Phoenix??

 

I can understand how the word schizo can be offensive. Especially when it is combined with an image of a person. On the other hand, discussing the psychology of distance education can shed light on how students who enjoy face to face interaction cope with online learning as a result of a busy working schedule. The psychology of distance education can apply to learning management systems. Is it possible for the design of an LMS to influence a students mental health.

Does a learning management system or a university as whole reflect the cognitive, social, and emotional health of it's creator.

 

Something else that has to be considered is the transition from online student to online instructor. Students have preconceived notions of what the work and responsibilities are for online instructors, but those expectations may not match reality. When a student finally starts working as an online instructor, he may be stunned to find out that it's much more difficult and time consuming than what he previously imagined.

Similarly, citizens have expectations of what it's like to be a police officer; and those expectations are oftentimes based on Hollywood's glamorous portrayal of law enforcement duties, which doesn't match reality: citizens' expectations of what it's like to be an officer are grossly inaccurate. The duties and responsibilities of being an online instructor are similarly more difficult than what students realize; and as a result, new online instructors may be disenchanted and surprised.

If you knew the number of hours that I spend evaluating the assignments of online students, you'd be amazed.

 

Assuming there is only one person responsible then I would say that the answer is yes.

 

What I am amazed at is how abusive teaching at U. of P. is compared to teaching at a Brick and Mortar school. I surmise that not all Online Schools are as abusive. I know that some pay well and therefore the abuse turns into music or the system is better designed to deliver teaching without the professor needing to be an addict to endless lists and rubrics. With U. of P. I get the feeling that folks that are left brain do much better than folks that are mostly right brain. U. of P. faculty systems appeal to those who already think that way.

I spoke to my son yesterday and he informed me that he gets paid for his Work-study at his college about 12 dollars an hour and he just became a senior. If you calculate U. of P.'s per hour rate it comes close to 9 dollars per hour. What's wrong with this picture? I make about 45 dollars an hour as an adjunct prof. at the college I teach. I teach three classes per semester and it is nowhere as much work as one class is for U. of P. and paying about 1/4 of brick and mortar salary. This is why I say it is abusive and Sperling + CEO of U. of P. know this. They are still laughing... all the way to the bank.

 

The best thing to do, is not to get associated with this place in anyway. It may be the best next thing to some, but that is not the reality. They do not respect their students(customers) and employees(staff and "independent contractors").

 

I used to know a couple of adjuncts who taught at the UoF B&M campus and they really enjoyed teaching there (this was 5 years ago so things may have changed). The Torrance, CA, UoP campus is bigger and better equipped than several CSU/US satelite campuses. Perhaps the treatment of faculty depends on the 'district.'

By the way I do not understand your initial posting; is that your "analysis" or someone elses?

 

Ian,

My post is purely a personal quasi-attempt at humor. I realize that U. of P. might fit another person's style. Just giving my two cents.

 

Since I've never heard these complaints from anyone else before, perhaps they are a more clear reflection of the poster than the website. Accusations about drug use and a curious compulsion/aversion to "left-brain" stuff. Combine that with an apparent interest in "sado-masochism" and the experience of "anger with the potential for greater degrees of emotional discomfort" and I'm thinking that this is just a little bit "out there."

 

Have you ever thought of writing a rap song about what it's like to be an instructor at UOP? You might even make yourself wealthy like Eminem!

 

I call BS on the pay rate. If it is federal work-study, his pay would be more in-line with $6-$10. $10 is the absolute max I have seen for work-study anywhere, and it was for an experienced student welder.

 

I call BS on your calling BS.

Here is a random FWS job I found at the Boston Architectural College.

Gallery Assistant
Hiring Department: External Resources
Number of Jobs Availablele: 2
Hourly Rate: $11.50
Semester: Spring 09
Location: 100 Mass Avenue
Hours per Week: 15-20 hours

Job Duties: This FWS position includes assisting with the following activities: Receiving, unpacking objects on loan; Repairing and painting walls; Constructing platforms, pedestals, and custom hardware; Installing of objects and related graphics; Moving display materials in and out of storage areas; Dismantling and packing objects for return.

 

I've never taught for the University of Phoenix. (I've never taught any college classes anywhere.) But I'll comment anyway. Apparently the whole thread boils down to this:

I've posted before about the challenges that I think that Phoenix presents to its regional accreditor, the North Central Association.

Phoenix has many hundreds of thousands of students, spread among countless geographically distant "campuses" and remote sites. There's just no possible way that the accreditor can physically visit the U. of Phoenix, since Phoenix is everywhere... and nowhere in particular.

So if the NCA/HLC is going to accredit this thing at all, then it's going to have to rely on Phoenix's own internal quality control procedures to an extent that it wouldn't for more normal schools.

That's where I suspect that all of the lists come from. Given that Phoenix relies on a huge and constantly changing assortment of adjuncts, they have to specify procedures to the point where classes are cookie-cutter and professors become standardized plugged-in student-assistance components. If professors were given their heads to exercise their own professional judgement and design their own classes as they see fit, then the QA function in an organization that massive and diffuse would be like herding cats.