Online Education and Distance Learning Discussion Forums & Blogs

Blogging Is Not A Crime

SteveFoerster — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:10:00 GMT

“I am down to earth Law student; I look forward to help humanity against all form of discriminations… I am looking forward to open up my own human rights activists Law firm, which will include other lawyers who share the same views. Our main goal is to defend the rights of Muslim and Arabic women against all form of discrimination and to stop violent crimes committed on a daily basis in these countries.” — Kareem Amer

Today's image is of me, although you're spared yet another shot of my ugly mug in favor of the message I was conveying. As a blogger, I'm glad that I can write about just about any topic without much fear of recrimination from the government where I live. Now, it so happens that I usually write about educational topics, which aren't likely to be that controversial, but the principle is the same.

So when I heard about Kareem Amer, I felt like I ought to do something. This photo is of me at a protest in front of the Egyptian embassy in Washington, D.C. earlier today, organized by groups that support the immediate release of Kareem Amer from his prison cell in Egypt.

So, who is this guy anyway and why is he in jail? Abdul Kareem Nabeel Suleiman, better known by his blogging name of Kareem Amer, is a blogger from Alexandria, Egypt, where he was a law student who expressed his opinion as many people do, through a blog. What he said riled those in power in Egypt, however, as he wrote things critical of both Islam and of Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak. Eventually Mubarak's people figured out who he was and he was rounded up and sent to jail, so far for 1,096 days.

Now, I actually read a bit of what Kareem wrote, albeit in translation, and no, it's not exactly flattering to Islam. If that were my faith, then I probably wouldn't like him very much either. But there are a number of passages in the Qur'an that seem clear to me about whether being an unbeliever should be a crime, such as:

Allah says: “If it had been your Lord’s will, all of the people on Earth would have believed. Would you then compel the people so to have them believe?” — Sûrah Yûnus: 99

So while I'll be the first to admit that this is not my area of expertise, to me jailing Kareem for writing unflattering things about Islam seems not to defend the faith, but rather entirely un-Islamic. Besides, it looks to me like the real reason Kareem's behind bars is not anything he said about Islam, although that was used as an excuse. Let's be real here: The reason Kareem is in prison is that he stood up to the heavy-handed state of Hosni Mubarak.

I don't know whether I would be that brave, were I in Egypt. But I can at least say that as a fellow blogger I support Kareem's freedom of speech and hope that he's released.

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Diploma Mill Being Sued — Yay!

AndriaL — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:59:00 GMT

To See if a School Is Accredited:

Just search for them in CHEA's database — that's the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. They're a pretty big deal. :)

I've got accreditation on the brain today from reading this story about a high school diploma mill called Belford High School that was recently exposed because it's being sued by someone in Michigan. (By the way, here's a list of K-12 online schools in the United States with legitimate accreditation.) Basically Belford has been accused of charging customers (I'm sorry — their "students") $250 for high school diplomas with no authority to do so.

These stories irk me to death because of the inherent dishonesty of buying a diploma outright, or worse, being ripped off by these con artists. Also, each time a diploma mill is outed publicly, I think it reinforces people's suspicions of and prejudices against online learning, or more specifically, the notion that if you got it online, it can't be genuine. We obviously know that to be false, but it just sets us a couple steps back in our crusade to convince people that e-learning is a reputable, reliable, effective way to complete one's education goals.

If you want to brush up on your ability to tell a diploma mill from a legitimate school, read this page on eLearners, then check out the Belford High School web site to see how apparent it would be to you that this site is a scam. Check out those made up accreditation agencies! All done with "high school?" Don't worry — Belford University is right next door! Ack!

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10 Minute Study Tips?

Cajun — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:36:00 GMT

So having a newborn in my house has severely limited the amount of free time I have, that an of course sleep. Also I’m trying to study up on my PMP stuff, so I’m trying to devise a system of short study bursts that allow me to read and retain the maximum amount of information for the minimum amount of time invested. I looked for articles on the subject and so far I’m drawing a goose egg. I know from experience that my typical study sessions need to be not more than an hour with a half hour being ideal for the maximum amount of retention. I then mark my notes for a quick reference later and ultimately prepare in learning the material as if I were going to have to teach a class on it complete with original examples.

So I’m thinking of parsing things down even further to harness the little bursts of energy I have, when I have them. I thought about this tonight when I decided to play some guitar, something I generally love and only had the attention span and energy to do it for about 10 minutes before I wanted to do something less mentally demanding. So I think I’ll shoot for 6, 10 minute sessions tomorrow and how much I get done and what’s more, retain at the end of the day. 10 minutes isn’t much so I’ll build up from there, maybe to 15 minutes but who knows, trial and error, it’s not like I have a deadline on the PMP.

So here’s the plan.

1.) Gather all study materials and lay them out in an easy to find and organized manner, as if I were about to sit down and study for a nice, long time.

2.) Find the place in my book where I want to start and find the place where I want to ultimately end for the day.

3.) Lay everything out and walk away. When I get a burst of energy or happen to have the time I’ll sit down, pound out 10 minutes of focused study and note taking for a minimum of 10 minutes and not more than minutes.

4.) At the end of the day I’ll reference my notes and try to recite them from memory and see how much I’ve retained.

5.) Report back here in the next few days to see if my method works.

How’s that sound?

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What's a Bible Based MBA?

AndriaL — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:43:00 GMT

Corban College and Graduate School recently joined eLearners, and what's so interesting about them is they offer regionally accredited MBAs with Christian values and ideology woven into the lesson plans. In getting a bible-based MBA with Corban, they say, "you will learn a hands-on approach to using your God given gifts and talents in your future career."

Your MBA can be completed in as little as 16 months — just under a year and a half! — with a concentration in either management or nonprofit management. Click on a particular degree below to learn more.

	Master of Business Administration - Management
	Master of Business Administration - Non Profit Management

Accreditation

Corban College & Graduate School is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (8060 165th Avenue, NE, Suite 100, Redmond, WA 98052; 425-558-4224). Corban is also a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).

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Keeping Up with the Times

jodipalmer — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:26:00 GMT

Undoubtedly, if you are going to school on-line you are familiar with some sort of web based software program that compiles all the information you need for your course work. My school, Liberty University, uses Blackboard. Blackboard announced they are introducing a new program, called Blackboard Mobile. As the name implies students will be able to access their Blackboard information on their smart phones (iPod Touch®, iPhone® and Blackberry®). From what I understand on Blackboard's website, http://www.blackboard.com/Mobile/Overview.aspx, the school you attend would need to subscribe to this service. Also it is unclear to me exactly how much information the students would be able to view from their mobiles. For example, much of the information for my courses would be links to download a word file, would I be able to still download these files and view them from my phone? This is one technology that could seriously help me with my studies. I'm not complaining, but it can be cumbersome to need to use the computer to just check real quick what pages I need to read for one course, or look to see if my grades were posted yet, or to see if someone replied to my discussion board post yet.

I don't think Liberty offers this new technology yet, and I don't have a smartphone, but when Liberty does offer it I would definitely want to take advantage!

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University of Phoenix, the official University of the Dallas Cowboys?

Cajun — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:30:00 GMT

Today I heard one of the more interesting twists in the ongoing saga that is the University of Phoenix’s marketing campaign, the University of Phoenix is now the “official University of the Dallas Cowboys”. Excuse me but what the heck? The UofP is not a beer company, nor are they in the business of manufacturing light trucks or cooking hot wings, they are supposed to be a legitimate institution for the purpose of higher education. One has to pause to ask what could they possibly stand to gain by aligning themselves with a professional football team (even though they already have a stadium for a different team named after them)? I don’t understand why they choose to do business like this. I do not for a second believe that the University of Phoenix is weak academically or that they provide a second rate service for their students but I do believe that this constant and persistent barrage of information (advertising) weakens their creditability in the eyes of potential students and their alumni’s possible employers. This in your face 24/7 spammy type nonsense will eventually come to haunt them and indeed has already started to do so.

In a two part series on Market Place Radio the University of Phoenix is yet again being publicly raked over the coals because of their take no prisoners approach to recruitment of new students (and their money and taxpayer backed loans). The fact is these practices have begun to draw increasing attention (and not positive attention) to for profit schools by legislators, public administrators, employers and of course the media. The ramifications could be far reaching to include consequences for all for profit schools whether fairly or not. American Public University for example is one of the least controversial for profit schools I’ve ever seen, to think that they could be placed at a legislatively mandated competitive disadvantage one day because of the irresponsibility of the University of Phoenix is irritating to say the least and rest assured this will happen if the media attention continues to be negative and as persistent as say…oh, a University of Phoenix recruiter.

For more http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/11/04/pm-phoenix-two/

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Reader Question: Do you recommend Bellevue? My answer, yes and no

Cajun — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:57:00 GMT

I have had multiple people email me over the last couple of months asking if I recommend Bellevue University. Well here’s the thing, yes I do and no I do not. See I cannot really recommend a particular school, any school without knowing more about the person asking, why they want the degree and of course what their priorities and needs are. It’s just not possible for me to ever do that in good faith without that basic amount of knowledge. For me Bellevue had the right program, the right curriculum and for the right price. It was a combination of factors that made Bellevue the right choice for me, having said that I have enjoyed my experience at Bellevue thus far and do not regret my decision even a little bit.

For me there was the starting point of price, simply put if I couldn’t afford the program then all of the rest of the criteria would be a moot point. Secondly I wanted a regionally accredited degree program, this was non-negotiable for me as at the point I’ve arrived at with my career a regionally accredited degree is really the only thing that would have moved me to the next level (potentially) due in large part to the corporate environment that I currently find myself in. Third I needed a course curriculum that was in line with my current job responsibilities and something that would broaden my understanding of information systems, something I desperately needed and still need. Fourth I wanted to work with a school that had an emphasis in project management and finally a school that was experienced and robust in their online offerings. After my experience with Western New Mexico University, I didn’t want to feel like a side project or an afterthought.

So my criteria may be different than that of other people’s and to a point I recommend schools based on need, not based on the school itself. There is no one college or university that is right for everyone only the one that’s right for you, assuming of course that college is right for you which is a different matter entirely.

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Back in the Swing of Things

jodipalmer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:24:00 GMT

Well, A LOT has happened in the past three weeks, enough ups and downs to last for a couple of years but time and life marches on and so I find myself settling into the routine of housewife/volunteer/student again. Yesterday started my second week of this eight week sub-semester, and as usual I feel as though I will fail one of my more difficult classes. I've felt this way at the beginning of every semester and yet somehow I make it through, so I feel safe to say the same will be true this semester. I'm taking Genesis 410 and Introduction to Church Ministries 201. Genesis should be fairly self explanatory, we are studying..you know...Genesis, but in a very detail oriented sort of way. Church Ministries so far seems like it will be beneficial for sure but also easy as it seems to be covering material I've already studied but applying it to, yup you guessed it, Church Ministries. What I find interesting in both this course and my Evangelism course is that both courses focus on the life of the believer for a significant portion of the course before even getting started on the purpose of the course. I really like that.

On a side note, Just recently I was wondering how women keep their homes put together. So like any good online student who ought to be doing homework I decided to research. I haven't really deciphered an answer yet, but I did come across an article titled "How to Clean your Bathroom in Fifteen Minutes". Uhmm... How long could it possibly take to clean a bathroom? What's missing from my list? Wipe down mirror-30seconds, wipe down counter-30seconds, scrub toilet-one minute, wipe down toilet-1min, spray off scrubbing bubbles-1min, sweep floor-2min. I'm only getting six minutes worth of work here. We could double that time and I'm still way faster than the article. I'm gonna stick to my way.

Also, the Yankees are going to win, and most of y'all who say they aren't are just a bunch of whiney Yankees haters who don't even like the Phillies. I mean, let's just give it up now people, aren't the last two games gonna be at Yankee's Stadium? They.Don't.Stand.A.Chance.

Feel free to belittle me later if I'm wrong. But I'm not.

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Oregon's Concordia U Joins eLearners

JonM — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:20:00 GMT

Concordia University

Concordia University is a 104 year-old, private, Christian school that "prepares you for life and for living." To give you a valuable e-learning experience, Concordia stresses frequent communication between teachers and students, such that many online learners feel more connected to their professors than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. To further encourage a feeling of connectedness, Concordia sees to it that campus resources are available to online students. E-learners at Concordia get access to almost everything in Concordia's campus library — that means access to books, electronic databases, full text articles, and more. They'll even photocopy articles and mail them to you or send books you'd like to check out to your home or local library. Services such as those set Concordia apart!

Here are the online degrees offered at Concordia:

	Bachelor of Science in Business (Degree Completion)
	Bachelor of Science in Business - Accounting (Degree Completion)
	Bachelor of Science in Business - Healthcare (Degree Completion)
	Bachelor of Science in Business - Marketing (Degree Completion)

Accreditation

Concordia University is fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (8060 165th Avenue, NE, Suite 100, Redmond, WA 98052; 425-558-4224).

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HR Certificate? Maybe, maybe not?

JaynaB — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:49:00 GMT

I love my job, I love it because I am able to help great people that fell on hard times. Since I consider myself full of humor, I like to uplift them and help them to feel empowered. That's the social services side in me. I do love the whole world of nonprofit, although it can be disorganized and lazy managment can be a negative, however I love helping people. Now the corporate side of me that likes money, is that person who wishes I could have a position where bonuses are attached to my percentage of placements. As a job coach, I am responsible for sending people who are on the welfare system to various jobs and helping them to STAY OFF the system and ON the job.

You can call me the "taxpayer's heroine".

Since 2008, I am attempting to wrap up my long 2 years of graduate school study at Capella U and I've been thinking about the Human Resources Certificate or SHRM certification. Not sure of which one I want to go with. I do know that Human Resources is not a huge field to jump into right now, because of all the downsizing or resizing of companies nationwide. But working in the nonprofit era is something I want to do, but within the employment arena. But I am also looking at the fact that I am gaining some great experience in my position and I loooovee coming to work everyday.

I could continue to work here as long as I can stand it. I am great at what I do (according to what management/coworkers say) and I am happy to give many people smiles. So HR is a possibility but not a confirmed decision. I want to whip this M.S. Counseling degree into shape as soon as I can.

Don't worry it will be 2010 and well into the summer or fall before I pursue any further education and that's a maybe. Phd...? Maybe not so much, can't even stomach thinking about another 5-6 years of doctorate study. No offense to all the doctoral learners out, I'm just totally burned to the crisp on school.

But oh well, we shall see!

Happy Learning,

JaynaB

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Looking for an Income Boost? Try a Certificate Program

susan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:58:00 GMT

Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.

A good certificate program led to an immediate $15,000 per year boost in income. That is what more than one person has found out after returning to school to obtain a certificate on top of their associate's degree.

After Marriya graduated with her associate's degree in general studies, she was able to get a job at a document processing center where her job was to scan checks, receipts, deposit slips, and other items from a local credit union. It was not a bad job, but there was not much opportunity for advancement. Someone mentioned to her that a good way to get a boost in her career and find a job with a future was to finish a certificate program.

After looking at several different certificate programs, Marriya decided on a certificate in sustainable business. It seemed a bit vague at first, but after Marriya looked more closely, she began to realize what a positive program it really was.

"It's great, Mom," she remarked as she and her mother were drinking coffee at a local bookstore and perusing a stack of books in the section entitled "Careers for the Future."

"What I like about the certificate program is that it covers so many areas. Sustainability has to do with new regulations, new technologies, and "green" planning -- across the board. For example, the place where I do scanning also has a copying and printing business. They need people who know the laws governing environmental issues and also they need to find ways to conserve energy and reduce costs," said Marriya.

"What did your certificate program require you to do?" asked her mom.

"I took all five courses online. At the end, I had to do a project as well as a brief internship. It was rigorous, but I was able to finish it in one semester," Marriya told her mom.

What Marriya found at her workplace was that her employer had an opening for someone with the kind of credentials that Marriya now had. While Marriya was considering applying for that position, she found another company that managed hotels. They needed a person to help them develop sustainability plans for the hotels they were updating and refurbishing. They loved Marriya's educational background in sustainable business practices and were willing to give her a $5,000 signing bonus, which essentially paid for Maria's certificate program. After deliberating, Marriya accepted the job. She now had a job with potential, as well as immediate benefits. Her new salary was $15,000 higher than before.

Marriya was delighted. She was not alone, however. Two separate studies that tracked the earnings of individuals after college found that for a quick boost to earnings, the best and quickest approach was to obtain a certificate in a program that is in demand.

According to one report, Changing the fortunes of America's workforce: A human capital challenge, certificate programs are key elements in helping workers make the transition from a manufacturing-based to a service-based economy (McKinsey & Company, 2009).

Another study, Pathways to Boosting the Earnings of Low-Income Students by Increasing Their Educational Attainment, found the biggest gains in social mobility were found in individuals from at-risk backgrounds who obtained funding to go to a career college and completed a certificate program centered on a specific job category (The Hudson Institute, 2009).

Marriya sat quietly as her mother leaned forward. She could tell her mother was very moved.

"Marriya, I am so proud of you. You have had a tough time, with the kinds of lives we've had. But, you're fearless and persistent. You are a true leader."

REFERENCES

Jacobson, L. and Mokher, C. (2009). Pathways to Boosting the Earnings of Low-Income Students by Increasing their Educational Attainment. The Hudson Institute and CNA. http://www.hudson.org

McKinsey & Company. (2009) Changing the Fortunes of America's Workforce: A Human Capital Challenge. McKinsey Global Institute. http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/reports/pdfs/changing_fortunes/Changing_fortunes_of_Americas_workforce.pdf

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Reader Question: Why am I getting a PMP Certification in addition to my degree

Cajun — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:13:00 GMT

First of all thanks to all of the well wishers on my (and my wife’s) new little girl. We’re so excited I can’t even tell you.

Now back to the topic at hand, education of course. I posted a few days ago that I was going to study for my PMP starting in the next week or so. I had a reader question since then as to why I need a PMP if I am already going to have an emphasis in Project Management in my MSMIS program. Good question, but the answer is a little convoluted. See the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) is an industry standard credential in project management. It is different than a degree in that project management attracts people of varying backgrounds, skill types and industries and is more of a taught methodology. The certification isn’t so much a credential based upon research and study but of applied skill and knowledge, to be built upon work related experience. You cannot sit for the test without years of prior experience, in my case a BS degree and 3 years of experience. Without a degree I think the minimum is 5 years.

I desire the credential for a simple and selfish reason; the project managers and general managers at my organization are all PMPs. It’s certainly not the only reason these people were promoted but it does seem to be a part of the weeding out process. Being that I am in a new career and with a new daughter, etc. I am definitely going to try and get to that next rung on the ladder. I would like more deference in my job, greater independence and of course, more money. So there you have it in a nutshell.

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I Have Applied to Excelsior College

tcord1964 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:44:00 GMT

It has been awhile since I have blogged here at eLearners. For those of you who may be wondering where I have been hiding myself, I have been here at home, recuperating from the flu. I suspect I had H1N1, although officially my flu test came back negative. However, the doctor also said the test is wrong 40 percent of the time. If that's the case, what good is the test?

I was on medications for two weeks, and it took about two more weeks to fully recuperate and start feeling like my normal self again. Now that I'm feeling healthy, I'm ready to contribute to the eLearners community once again, and get back to my studies.

Over the past month or so, I also came to a decision about my future at Penn Foster College. As I slaved away over my Managerial Accounting exam, I thought to myself "why am I studying Managerial Accounting? I work a marketing job and I really want to study Communications." Although I have time invested in this semester at Penn Foster College, I feel the right decision for myself is to transfer to a school which offers the program I really want to study, and where I can make full use of my transfer credits. I have decided that school is Excelsior College.

I got a user name and password for Excelsior's documents and admissions page, and I filled out the online application form and paid the $75 admission fee. I now have to send in requests to the U.S. Navy, Penn Foster, Andrew Jackson University and the University of Wisconsin to have my transcripts sent to Excelsior for an evaluation of how many of my credits will transfer into their Bachelor of Science in Communications program.

Once I receive my evaluation, I will know more about how many more courses I need to complete until I earn my degree. I believe that with all of the credits I have earned so far, I am very close. I will post the results of my evaluation here once I receive it. I am truly excited about being so close to realizing my dream of earning my degree!

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A New Addition to our Family

Cajun — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:12:00 GMT

Yesterday at 2:46pm Central Time my baby girl was born into this world. My wife of course did all the work and I mostly cheered her on and generally got in the way but however it went down, our daughter finally made it into this world healthy and intact. This changes the whole dynamic of being a student and working professional. I’m not really sure what changes are coming or how I will learn to work around these new demands but rest assured I’ll write about what I discover here.

Now on to the important details, she has red hair, weighs 7.5 pounds and is 19.25 inches long. She’s asleep next to my wife as I write this in the hospital room we’re staying in. Remember all those months back when I was working on my MBA and thinking about giving up but decided to stick it out for the sake of my “future” family? Well that “future” has become the “present” and I can unequivocally say that all the hard work, all the late hours, all the frustration and all of the lost sleep was well worth it to be able to provide the best life I can for my wife and this beautiful new little girl.

I’ve already started thinking about what colleges I’d like her to go to and though it’s entirely her decision, I think nothing would make me happier than to see her get her undergrad degree from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. It’s not just because of the school, though the school is great it’s also the town that the school is in. The whole town looks like a post card of Mayberry (from the Andy Griffith Show) and the whole town revolves around “the college on the hill” (what many of the townspeople call Southwestern). So maybe I’ve got a little Moundbuilder making infant sounds near me, maybe not. Either way I do know that the choices I’ve made as a student and professional over the last 4 years are now going to impact the choices I can offer as father to my daughter someday, when she’s ready.

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Human Services: Adopting Multicultural Acceptance Views

JaynaB — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:17:00 GMT

I am in the midst of completing an assignment based on multiculturalism which is what human services is pretty much all about, along with ethics, values, and competency. But, focusing on exposure with many cultures, adjusting to different traditions, and being sensitive to other's views are important to being a good human services professional. I have learned so much in this assignment so far.

America is a melting pot of different colors. Racism, discrimination, and oppression is still alive and well in the country, although, we have came a long way. I have been extremely blessed to have been exposed to so many types of people and keep many as friends. Taken back to how I was raised which was primarily in an African American environment, very limited exposure to other cultures. When I ventured off to UT in Knoxville at 18 years old, I was in culture shock. I remember my mouth flying open when I saw interracial couples walking in the malls. I couldn't believe it! But that was the world I lived in as I was younger. After coming back to my original birthplace to live as an adult, it disappoints me that the city I live in is still perceived as segregated.

I love interacting with other people, to see how they live, how they think, and how their cultural attitudes line up with mine and my former views. So this assignment was great, I studied the Caucasian-American culture. Now my interviewee's view did not speak for the entire race, but it was interesting to see how different cultures grow and interact with each other, if their minds are open. Me? I'm glad I'm open to new things, although I stay with a firm foundation to what I believe, but I accept new ideas and people.

I continue to grow everyday and learn as well. In school and in life.

Happy Learning,

JaynaB

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Levers in Persuasive Writing

susan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:36:00 GMT

Changing Minds (Your Own and Others)

Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.

Chances are, you're going to have to write a number of persuasive papers in any given semester. Even if you're not required to write a paper, you'll probably have to post items in a discussion forum, and you're going to have to be able to defend your position. You'll need to be able to help people change their minds. Further, you may need to change your mind about things you always took for granted. You'll be asked to take another look and to consider things from a different point of view.

For example, you may be taking a sociology course, and you're asked to discuss gender roles, expectations, and behaviors. In one discussion forum, you're asked to comment on a current case in the news where a woman who was jogging in the park at night was attacked and raped. You posted something in the discussion board to the effect that she was "asking for it" and "what did she expect?" To your dismay, your classmates vehemently dispute your assumptions that the woman's dress, behavior, and location made her deserving of attack.

Your first instinct is to defend yourself. You are not in a mood to be bullied, you tell yourself. However, your instructor reminds you that the goal of the course is to learn to see things from new lenses, and to gain new perspectives, and then to describe them.

So, you step back a moment and analyze what is happening. Why are you starting to be receptive to a different point of view?

Howard Gardner, an educational psychologist and researcher famous for his book, Multiple Intelligences, has discussed the process of cognitive accommodation, which, simply stated, is how we start to change our minds. In Changing Minds (2004), Gardner provides examples of how and when minds are changed, and how groups and individuals are persuaded to think in a new way.

He looks at certain elements as "levers" that move one from one place to another. Cognitive levers are what help us change our minds.

Reason

Individuals often have a self-concept in which they think of themselves as "reasonable" people. For them, it's important to think of themselves as rational and reasonable. They say that they're reasonable as they're ranting about some sort of political issue, and are verbally condemning everyone who disagrees with them to a ghastly and painful demise. How can such "reasonable" individuals be persuaded? One way is to ask them to consider the pro's and con's of certain viewpoints. Chances are, once they've come up with their own list of pro's and con's, they can be persuaded.

Research

Another way to persuade your obdurate friend of something they are dead-set against is to present them with clear, uncontrovertible evidence. Do the research. Better yet, let them do research and come up with the facts. For example, one might be convinced that measles vaccinations cause measles. If that is their belief, ask them to do research to support their premise. Chances are, the research will support the converse. Measles vaccinations prevent measles. They do not cause the disease.

Resonance

Appeal to your audience's emotions. Or, conversely, find a way to get emotionally connected to the topic at hand. For example, one might assume that a woman jogging in a park at night is "asking for" sexual assault until it happens to their own sister. Then, instead of getting on their moral high horse, they're feeling sadness and anger. Empathy reigns. Suddenly there is a certain resonance when one asks one to have compassion for the individual who was attacked in the park.

Representational Redescriptions

Can you redescribe the problem? Can you put in other words? If you do, chances are you'll disarm your audience, or at least slow them down enough to reconsider the issue and see it from a new point of view. So, the tactic of "representational redescription" can be quite effective.

Resources and Rewards

Carrot and stick. You can try to punish people for their viewpoints, but it is likely that you'll just make them angry and they'll rebel. They'll just become hardened in their mindsets and won't even think of considering your views. So, it's much better to reward them. There are often tangible rewards for adopting a new point of view. You might look at it as "selling out" -- or, alternatively, it's just a matter of practical realities. Either way, rewarding people can be a way to encourage them to think of things in a new way.

Real World Events

Sometimes a person's life causes them to stop, check their beliefs, and turn them upside down. For example, someone might be impatient with a person who is getting older and unable to move around in the same way as before. That person might have been even aggressive in their treatment of an elderly person using a walker and having difficulty seeing things. However, something might happen to them and they start to lose their own mobility. Suddenly, real-world circumstances give new meaning to the condition. The person changes her mind about the elderly.

Resistances (Overcoming)

Finally, if you're developing a persuasive paper, or are trying to persuade people of a certain position, then you may have to overcome the person's own resistances. Succinctly put, they've become hardened over the years. How can you overcome the resistances they've developed? You're going to have to do some research into what is going on in their minds and their hearts. What are their beliefs? Their values? Their life experiences? The more you know, the more you'll be able to appeal to your audience.

A Final Thought

Persuasion is often thought as a dark art, something lurking between hypnosis and enchantment. In reality, it's more of a science. If you know exactly how "levers" work, you can move seemingly impossible-to-budge objects, as well as opinions. It just takes persistence, tact, and a calm, well-reasoned approach.

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What's Wrong with For-Profit Schools?

SteveFoerster — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:30:00 GMT

“It is not easy for men to rise whose qualities are thwarted by poverty.” — Juvenal

Currently on the forum there's a discussion about whether there's a big difference between for-profit and non-profit schools. A link was posted to this article in the Washington Monthly that takes for-profit schools to task, essentially calling them predatory and that they have conspired with evil Republicans to exploit unsophisticated prospective students in order to enrich themselves while leaving those students with unmanageable debt that recent legislative changes have made almost impossible to discharge in bankruptcy. Whew!

And you know what? There isn't zero truth to this. Many schools are far more expensive than they need to be to break even, or even make a reasonable profit. Consider your typical online course. Let's say it costs you a thousand bucks. (I know, some are even more, but it makes the math easy.) And let's say there are twenty students in the course. Adjunct instructors don't usually get paid more than two thousand dollars to teach a university level course, so that's where two of the students' tuition is going. What about the the rest of the eighteen grand? Sure, there's overhead, you need to have support staff, and office space and computers and supplies for that staff. Preparing reports for the accreditors takes a lot of time, and you need people to help with that, okay. But does all that really cost nine times as much as the person who actually does the lion's share of work by teaching the students? Color me skeptical, but I say there's a heck of a lot of profit in there.

But before you start to think that I agree with the Washington Monthly that the profit motive is eeeeevil, let me add a few other ingredients into this witch's cauldron of debt creation.

First, non-profit schools often cost just as much as the most expensive of the the for-profit schools. In fact the most expensive ones cost even more: Check out the list of the 100 schools with the highest annual tuition rate. For a bunch of schools that are supposedly non-profit, don't those rates seem kind of steep?

Second, much of the blame lies with the federal student loan system. The left-of-center Washington Monthly blamed the Bush administration and Congressional Republicans, but there's no one in Washington with clean hands when it comes to this broken system. It was, after all, Democrats who sent the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to Bush's desk last year. And while that reauthorization did include a few baby steps toward making things easier for students, they did nothing to address the systemic problem that making it artificially easy to access student loans means that tuition rates will inevitably rise to soak up all that extra money that's become available. I guess they were too busy trying to protect their buddies in the entertainment industry, and I do use that term loosely.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, if for-profit schools are works of the devil, then why is it that they're also standing up to be part of the solution? As I've remarked before, companies like Straighter Line and for-profit schools like Penn Foster College and Andrew Jackson University are leading the way when it comes to providing solutions for students that are extremely low cost. In other words, the profit motive has more than one side — it leads some schools to charge as much as they can, yes, but it also leaves them vulnerable to other schools that come in and undercut them to attract their students away.

So no, there's nothing inherently wrong with for-profit schools. Some of them charge a lot, aided and abetted by Uncle Sam, and others of them see that situation as an opportunity to attract students by charging less.

Next up, I protest the imprisonment of fellow blogger Kareem Amer.

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PMP Certification Materials Ordered

Cajun — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:51:00 GMT

Those of you who read my blog regularly may remember a few months ago when I stated that about this time of the year I would begin to study for my PMP exam. Well, that time has come and what a time for it too. My wife is very pregnant and she is to have our baby by Friday morning or be induced at 5am. Suffice to say we’re going to have our hands full. But I’ve saved a month’s worth of vacation, classes at Bellevue don’t start until November 31^st so between then and now whenever the baby is asleep and I’m not, I really don’t have a whole lot to do, so I’ll study.

Since I work primarily in project management as an analyst and I’m supposed to be the project support for all of these various technical project teams, it only makes sense that I have the credential. To be sure my weakest area is not in project management or business; in fact those skills are the reason I got the job in the first place. My weakest area is in the technology involved in application development. I don’t even speak the language right 100% of the time and occasionally come off sounding like an idiot (at least by my standards) when trying to keep up with some of the technical jargon various developers and architects get in to. But when looking at it from their perspective, I’m not there to give technical advice or to make technical decisions or really to provide technical input. I’m there to answer questions related to project management, business needs and occasionally offer some outside perspective. So I’ve decided to shore up my strengths, quantify them and then start working on my weaknesses.

Some people have asked why I would work so hard with a new baby in the house during my vacation. Honestly I know for a fact that once I look at my daughter asleep in her bed I’ll be so motivated to get ahead (financially and professionally) that finding the “will” to study won’t be the issue, only the when.

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Are Private Loans Like Credit Cards?

ter — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:27:00 GMT

A couple of years ago the financial aid industry saw a huge change in the process of awarding federal student loans, thanks to New York
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Congressional Democrats. At the time, it was a huge hit on how colleges awarded loans because schools were banned from assigning a lender to a student. I still believe the action was not in the student's best interest, but on the bright side I think colleges have offered better consumer information on student loans as a whole.

Now, the target is the private loan industry and loans offered by for-profit colleges. The Obama administration is trying to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency to regulate these types of loans. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. Why? Have you ever taken out a private loan? Or at least looked into taking out one? I am not saying that private loans are bad, but one has to be very careful and do extensive research. Some opponents to private loans liken them to credit cards, where interest rates are high and failure to pay will ruin your credit.

Private loans are usually taken out to 1) supplement the federal Stafford Loan and other financial aid, or 2) be the only financial resource for students enrolled in schools that do not qualify for federal student aid. Because these loans are not federally regulated, entities can charge exorbitant fees and require students to repay immediately. In my experience, students who have taken out a private loan tell me they will be paying interest rates anywhere from 6% to 16% (sounds like credit card rates?). Not only that, but private lenders may gladly loan funds to high-risk students-those with high dropout rates, which increases the amount of loans that go into default. And if increased numbers of loans do go into default, chances are your interest rate will go up to cover those bad loans.

I can't say that I support the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency because I have yet to see the written proposal. However, I do support any action taken to support students as consumers. For now, I can offer several suggestions if you are thinking of taking out a private loan:

Research and compare private lenders. Mark Kantrowitz has a comparison list of the more popular private loans through his finaid.org website. (Take an indepth look at his excellent website)
Compare interest rates and repayment plans for private loans to select which best fits your needs.
Utilize a co-signer. In some cases, using a co-signer will lower your interest rate.
Find out if the lender will sell your loans. While this seems trivial, many lenders turn around and sell their loan portfolios. You may find it difficult to track down who owns your loan when you have questions.

I am not against private loans. In fact, with the rapidly rising college costs over the past 10+ years, I know it's a necessity. What I am saying is that one has to be very careful to select a private lender who has the student's best interest in mind.

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Support From Viking

WheelCipher — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:54:00 GMT

Scott,

I wrote to you a few times last spring/summer if you recall. Since I've least written, I have graduated from Kaplan with a BS in paralegal studies. I can't find a job, so I'm considering doing a BS in accounting from Southern New Hampshire, and then possibly a MS in accounting from the University of Connecticut. My ultimate goal is to become a CPA, but that is way into the future.

I see that you withdrew from Walden. I think you made a good decision. Unless you are planning to become a full time professor or want to work in research, I don't really see a benefit to a doctorate. Traditionally, these are the fields that doctorates were meant for. If you’re planning to work in the private sector or even as an adjunct professor, an MBA should be more than adequate.

With that said, I'm sure you will be very successful in your career and I would not regret the decision to withdraw at all, especially since you did not like the program. I hope your job search is going well. Mine is horrible and a complete disaster.

Anyway, good luck to you in the future.

Thanks for the support. I was not willing to do the Walden program for two years if it didn’t hold my attention. The program seemed to be focused on things that I was not interested in. It was very much like hard science and did not focus on a lot of the leadership topics that I enjoy so much. I have since enrolled in Gonzaga University (my new blog should be up soon) and I’ve had more fun in the first three days than I did in more than two months at Walden.

I am sure the Walden program is good. It seemed to be of high quality. It just was not for me. Hang in there with the job search. Things are getting better.

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