My studies at Education Direct

It was pointed out to me in another thread that it has been awhile since I have updated this one. Sorry for the delay; I've been quite busy at work lately.

Anyway, I am about halfway through "Introduction to Business". It is taking longer than I would like, although it has only been about a month since I started reading the book. I guess I get impatient when things don't move as quickly as I think they should. I am carrying about a 93 average so far in my ED studies. I have scored a 90 on each of my online exams for "Introduction to Business". Although these are open-book exams, the multiple-choice quesions can be tricky. Sometimes three of the four answers may seem like they all apply to the question and could therefore be correct. As usual, I try to pick the answer in my head first, then go back into my textbook to double-check the answer. Each of the onliine exams are 20 questions. If you get two wrong, that's a 90. Sometime it was a stupid mistake that prevented me from getting a perfect score, such as mistakenly marking the wrong letter in the multiple choice exam.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I should be in a big hurry to finish this course. "Math for Business and Finance" is up next. Math...*shudder*

 

TCord1964,
Did you already take the english composition at ED?
If yes how is it like?
I will sign up as soon as I am done with my other classes.
Thanks,
Pilot

 

I have run into the same thing with the test TCord. I too have begun going with my first instinct, because when I have second guessed myself and changed it, I got it wrong.
I would find it interesting if it is the same questions causing us both problems since the issues you are mentioning are the same I have had. I really beat myself up over missing these questions because I felt in the beginning that with an open book test I have no excuse for getting one wrong. Some of these are tricky enough, I'm finding I will have to adjust my thinking on that quickly.
Melissa

 

No, English Comp is later in the first semester. I'm actually hoping I can skip this class because I took English Comp at a B&M college a few years ago. I just have to get my transcript and send it to ED.

 

I am now exactly at the halfway mark in my "Introduction to Business" course. You have to reach 4 chapters in the text book and then take an online exam dealing with the reading material. Each chapter is about 25 pages. There are a total of six exams in the Introduction to Business course. I took the third test last night and once again scored a 90. Frustrating, because as I've mentioned before this is an open-book test. I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person, so the fact that I miss ANY questions on an open-book test is kind of maddening. Some of the questions are kind of tricky, and their answers are not exactly spelled out in black and white in the text book. The questions really make you think about how different concepts of management would be applied "in the real world." Since I have no prior business training, I usually trip over a question or two.

I thought I would breeze through this text book in a couple of weeks. I can see now it will take me about eight weeks to complete this course, at the rate I'm currently going. All I can say at this point is thank God these tests are open-book. I'd hate to think of how I'd be doing if they were not.

 

You might want to avoid making the usual assumption that students make regarding open-book exams. Open-book does not automatically translate as "easy", with open-book exams you are evaluated on understanding concepts and ability to apply the material rather than just recall and regurgitation. I remember some open-book/open-notes exams taken at a traditional B&M college, they were not easy exams. The students who didn't do well were those who assumed open-book/open-notes automatically meant easy, so they only read the material but did not study it for understanding.

But don't so be hard on yourself either. You mentioned that you have no previous formal training in business classes, considering that you are doing well if you are scoring in the nineties. Good luck and continued success!

Kit

 

You may be right about that. What with ED being NA and offering open-book exams, I was expecting this course to be much easier than it actually is. Before I get a flurry of angry responses, I don't mean to insinuate NA means "easy", just that RA schools typically don't offer open-book exams. I don't ever remember taking an open-book exam at an RA B&M school.

Yes, a 90 is still good. I just thought open-book meant there was no excuse for not getting a 100.

Right now, I'm in the portion of the book which discusses integrated marketing communications. Back to my homework...

 

As you have discovered open-book exams do not mean easy exams much less a sure 100% grade.

I have taken open-book exams from both NA and RA schools and based on my own experience the NA schools are definitely not easier than the RA schools.

When I attended a B&M school I often wondered why open-book exams were never permitted. Memorization is less useful over the long run than knowing how to look up information and synthesize it.

 

Excelsior

was very disapponited with my evaluation from Excelsior I applied for Associates in Science in Electronic Technology.

I have 25 semester hours on my ARRTS, (16 in Electronics) (9 in General Education I.E. electives)

32 semester hours from education direct.
(13 in Computer Science) (13 in Business) (3 Mathmatics) (3 social science)

6 Semester hours from UMUC
(3 History) (3 Psychology)

3318 clock hours from Cleveland Institute of Electonics


per my eval

I need 26 hours in Arts & Science
I need 28 in Technology Componet
for a total of 54 credit hours out of the 60 required for the degree

Appears they didn't accept any credits from my ARRTS transcript because they where over 10 years old. (1990-1998) I sumbitted a time limit appeal form but I quess it didn't get approved.Even though i been working in the Technology field since 1998

24 Credits Hours from Education Direct did not apply to my degree (Go figure) and I cannot use them for electives because there is no free electives in the AS degree in Technology

Got nothing for CIE (which I accepted because they where only accredited through DETC)....

Not sure what I'm gonna do at this point but I'm thinking about American Public University

 

Re: Excelsior

American Public University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Information Technology Management. Thomas Edison State College might be another option.

 

I took another test today in my Introduction to Business course. This one was on Marketing Management. Once again, I scored a 90. I'm not going to beat myself up over these open book tests anymore. A 90 is still pretty good, but I'm going ot have to really cram when it comes time to take my proctored exam at the end of the semester.

I figure I have another two weeks to go before I finish this course. That means I will have spent a total of about eight weeks studying the course. Not bad, I guess. Time constraints with work just won't allow me to study any faster.

 

OK, you really shouldn't beat yourself up. But ... maybe it would be wise to take more time with the material and the exams rather than be in a hurry to finish? I only suggest this because from your other posts it's clear that once finished, you want to transfer your Ed Direct degree to a regionally accredited college to continue on to a bachelor's degree. For greatest acceptance possibilities it's always best to keep up your GPA. These are the grading standards from Ed Direct's web site:

92-100 - A Excellent 4.0
81-91 - B Good 3.0
75-80 - C Average 2.0
70-74 - D Passing 1.0
Below 70 - F Failing 0.0

As you can see, you don't have much to go to raise those 90 B grades to 92 A grades. You can do this! You already have a high B so it shouldn't take too much more effort to turn that into an A.

Incidentially, as a side point compare Ed Direct's grading policies with those from Ashworth College, their closest competitor. It's quite a difference. From Ashworth's site:

90-100 - A
80-89 - B
70-79 - C
60-69 - D
Below 60 - F

The tougher grading policies can only help you though, as well as any courses that are ACE evaluated. Gotta watch that GPA though.

Good luck and keep going!
Kit

 

I don't mean to give the impression I am rushing through this course. I'm really not. I'm essentially reading about 50-75 pages of material a week and taking a 20 question online test every two weeks.

In my opinion, the online tests have a tendency to contain "trick" questions. The answers to some of these questions cannot be found in the text book. These questions require you to apply something from the book in a real-life situation not mentioned in the book, or it will word a question differently than examples in the book and require you to "figure it out". I am sure this is meant to make sure you fully understand the material, but there is also a certain amount of "guess work" that goes into answering these questions, too.

To give you an idea of the grading scale on these exams, a 90 means you have answered two questiones incorrectly on the 20-question online exam. 1 wrong is a 95. So far, I am still carrying a 93 average, so I guess I'm still an "A" student.

But you are right, I won't be much longer if I continue to score 90's. Thanks for the words of encouragement.

 

Hmm. What's the point? Isn't the 90 A, 80 B, 70 C, 60 D, 59 and below F (Ashworth) the more widely accepted standard? The only place I've ever seen with a grading policy even close to ED was my alma mater Fruita Monument High School in Colorado, whose grading policies were 93 A, 85 B, 77 C, 70 D, and 69 and below F. They were hardly a paragon of academic excellence.

 

Well Ted, it was a side point but why bring it up at all does seem a reasonable enough question. I did consider leaving that out, but here's why it was left in:

1. From previous posts TCord was seriously considering Ashworth College, and seemed Ashworth-bound until deciding on Ed Direct due to their candidacy for regional accreditation and ACE evaluations. Ed Direct has since voluntarily withdrawn its RA candidacy, but the fact that they were able to achieve candidacy at all still speaks favorably. Surely Ted is aware but for those who might not be, RA has a candidacy status which is an achievement in itself. Conversely, DETC has no candidacy status, a school is either approved or it is not. So it's possible TCord might have a peripheral interest in the difference in grading scale. (Again, it was a side point.)

2. Again from previous posts, TCord is determined to transfer the completed Ed Direct degree for RA bachelor's completion. Anyone attempting to do that is wise not to accept "no" for an answer, as a few other posters have sucessfully transferred their DETC degrees to RA colleges exactly by not accepting an initial "no". One poster recently was able to get an Ed Direct degree accepted by Excelsior, despite an initial rejection. There have been other DETC-to-RA success stories as well, do a search.

3. To get past any initial "no", some amount of 'selling' will be involved. (As distasteful as that might sound to those who love to think of higher education as an ivory tower, some amount of 'selling' is involved in any transfer negotiations, that's a reality similar to the reality that RA has more transfer options than NA. But hey, TCord is majoring in Marketing ) The fact that Ed Direct's grading policy is non-standard, and non-standard in the direction of being tougher could only be a supporting point. Granted, not nearly as strong as their (now previous) RA candidacy or ACE evaluations, but still a good point nonetheless. If the grading policy were standard then it wouldn't be worth mentioning at all, if it were non-standard in the other direction then it would be something to specifically avoid mentioning which could only work against any quest to transfer to RA.

Not sure what you thought I meant, but it was not in any way a "Hey look, if you went to Ashworth instead then you could have a 4.0 with just a 90." Not at all. I wish TCord every success in completing the Ed Direct degree with a high GPA, and transferring it for RA completion.

Kit

 

This transfering stuff isn't easy
****
I Called and spoke with admissions at Excelsior college about my evalution. The re-eveluated my transcripts they now reduced the "need to complete SH cerdits" to 28 from 54 . There still only accepting 32 cerdits out the 63 that are on my transcripts ** looks lilke there still not accepting any Technology cerdits from my AARTS because there over 10 years old. Which is huge because that would max out my career componet which would leave me with the 12 sh cerdits in Arts & Science (which I expected)
*****
I need
12 cerdits in art & science
16 cerdits in the Career componet (electronics)
and the Information Literacy requirment
*****
I applied to APU I can transfer up to 45 SH cerdits of the 60 required for the degree. (Associates in General Studies w/ Concentration in Computer Science) My tanscripts are in the process of being sent to APU I got my fingers cross hopefuly it will be better
* ***

 

Perhaps Thomas Edison State College will grant you more transfer credits. They have a Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences and Mathematics with a number of majors / areas of study which may get you closer to a bachelor degree.

American Public University is a good school as well. I am enrolled in the Associate of Arts in General Studies degree.

 

phone call

just wanted to mention a simple phone calll netted me an additional 26 cerdits ...

26 @ $250 = $6500
*****

 

Been working with admission at Excelsior the past few days and I got them to unofficialy accept 51 credits out of 63 that I sent them. 47 in which will apply to my degree

As stated in some of the pervious post don't take that initail no !

I had to change the orignal degree program that I applied for (Associates in Science in Electronic Technology) to Associate in Applied Science in Technology
Guess theres a big difference in degree requirments between "Science" and "Applied Science"

27 out 32 cerdits from Education Direct
(with 3 additonal credits pending if I send them a course description for Computer Literacy because that course wasn't evaluated by ACE, It will have to be approved by an Advisor at enrollment)

9 out 25 from my AARRTS (With 6 pending if I send them an Evaluation report from the military(NCOER) to support my Miltary Occupation this will also have ot be approved at enrollment by an Advisor)

6 for 6 from UMUC
***********

I also ask if Excelsior would accept credits from APU because they are not RA accredited. Admissions basicly said it would be up to an Academic Advisor

 

I think Excelsior will accept credits from a school which is a candidate for RA. Now, American Military University is a candidate for RA, but I don't know if that also includes American Public University, with which they are associated.