Inside eLearning by Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.

Diploma Mill Being Sued — Yay!

2009-11-06T18:59:00Z

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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Looking for an Income Boost? Try a Certificate Program

2009-11-03T17:58:00Z

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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Levers in Persuasive Writing

2009-10-29T19:36:00Z

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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Long Term Memory & E-Learning

2009-10-28T17:30:00Z

Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.

"How am I ever going to remember everything for my timed exam?" asked Renata. She had just completed a practice quiz and had not done very well. For some reason, she just could not seem to put the information she was studying in a coherent form. Everything seemed clear when she read it, but when it came time for the quiz, her mind felt utterly empty. She drew a blank.

"Renata, don't panic. I can help you. I've got a few memory tricks up my sleeve, thanks to my work with individuals with traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's," said Renata's mother. Renata's mom was a clinical psychologist, and her work often took her in interesting and quite helpful directions.

"Thanks, Mom." Renata opened up her textbook and showed her mom the biology chapter she had been studying. It contained vertebrates and and also a food web. "Mom, there's too much to try to remember."

"You probably think so now, dear, but let's work on a few encoding and retrieval tactics. First, let's look at remembering the names of people you meet. How do you do that now, Renata?"

Renata sighed.

"Mom. You know I'm horrible with names. I never can remember people's names and it is very embarrassing!"

Renata's mom took out a stack of photographs. They were ones she used with combat veterans who had memory issues.

She went on to explain that there were several ways to remember names, and both were very effective.

1. Remember their salient features.

Renata's mom pointed to a picture of a man with a tattoo of barbed wire around his bicep. "Renata, what is the first thing you notice?"

"The barbed wire tattoo, of course," she said.

"Excellent." She paused. She looked at the card. "Now, if I were to tell you the man's name is Dave, how would you remember?"

Renata sighed again. "I don't know."

"Barbed wire Dave," said Renata's mom. "Repeat it, envision it, think it."

They went through the entire stack of cards -- about 20 cards -- and developed system. Later, when quizzed, Renata was able to remember 12 of them.

"That's 12 more than you could remember before!" said Renata's mom. "Now I'm going to put this with an even more powerful technique."

2. Create a rhyme that includes their name.

"Wave to Dave!" said Renata's mom.

"What?" asked Renata

Renata's mom held up the card of Dave and his tattoo. "Wave to Dave!"

Renata waved reluctantly.

"I feel like such a child," she said. "But, I do see that this will help me remember. I will remember waving and then I'll search my mind for a name that rhymes with "wave." Naturally, I'll come up with Dave."

"You've got it!" said Renata's mom. "That will work."

3. Connect the person to an event in your life or prior knowledge.

"Renata, if you're studying for a test and you need to remember information, sometimes a great way to remember is to relate it to prior knowledge. Ideally, it's something that happened in your life. You'll find it will help you."

Renata looked at her mom and thought of the people her mom worked with.

"What if the person you're working with does not want to remember things in the past? What if they can't?" she asked.

"Well, then, this technique will not work as well as it could," she said.

"But, when it comes to an exam, it's much better for me to remember my own experiences with the activity. You're so right about that!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

As Renata and her mom continued to discuss the issue of long-term memory, they also looked at forgetting. Renata was surprised to learn that things could be forgotten simply by means of "proactive overlay" which is to say that an idea or concept could be generated to interfere with one's authentic experience and memories. It was one way to explain the idea of false memories, particularly as they related to such things as people who claimed to remember being abducted by aliens, or traumatic events early in their lives. "Suggested memory" could be a kind of forgetting, said Renata's mom.

"How does that relate to online learning?" asked Renata.

"It relates to discussion forums. If you read something erroneous in the discussion forum, or something erroneous as you're doing online research, you need to make sure that you return to the correct information. Otherwise, it is possible that one memory will be replaced by another."

Renata paused, then looked at her mom. "All the more reason to encode well and when I retreive, be sure to do a reality check."

"That's right," said her mom. "So go out there and ace your test!"

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Short Term Memory & E-Learning

2009-10-24T14:18:00Z

Getting Ready for Your
First Online Course

When Renata decided to enroll in an online certificate program, she realized for the first time how many logins she would have and how many computer processes she would need to remember.

"How can I possibly remember all of these passwords, codes, and procedures?" she asked her mom.

Her mom, a clinical psychologist who worked with individuals with memory and cognition issues, including Alzheimer's patients, was a bit unsympathetic. "I guess you'll just have to improve your short-term memory," she said. "The best way to keep your mental abilities sharp is to exercise them."

"But how?" asked Renata. "I'm not supposed to write them down."

"Well, one way is to repeat the code over and over to yourself," said Renata's mom. "That way, you keep the information active and available in your short-term memory. It's what psychologists also call 'primary memory.'"

Renata paused for a moment. She realized for the first time that taking an online course - with all the links, and places to go -- could potentially help her develop her short-term memory. It was an interesting bonus for taking the course.

"But, what exactly is short-term memory?" asked Renata.

Renata's mom explained that short term memory is the part of the memory function that keeps things fresh, and keeps information available for further processing.

"Renata, here's a test for you. Take 20 seconds and repeat the following four words over and over to yourself: cat, road, brick, boot."

Renata paused, rehearsed the words a few times, and the repeated them perfectly. "Hah. That was easy, Mom."

"Yes, of course it was," replied Renata's mom. You're doing what's referred to as "maintenance rehearsal." However, it's not something that is sustainable."

She went on to explain that there are two things that often interfere with short-term memory and maintenance rehearsal: 1) interruption of the rehearsal (which leads to forgetting); 2) an explicitly interfering activity. Interruptions will often disrupt the rehearsal and make it impossible to hold the items in short-term memory.

Short-term Memory Boosts: Strategies for holding more items in short-term memory involve coding, avoiding distractors, and chunking:

Coding: Coding allows you to recode items into a different form. For example, you can recode written information to acoustic codes, through verbal rehearsal. So, explaining what you're doing to someone, or finding a way to put it into verbal form and rehearse, can be very helpful.
Avoiding Distractors: What's the best way to forget something? Interruptions and distractions are probably the most destructive elements to short-term memory. So, if you're trying to remember something, do not let anything interrupt you as you rehearse.
Chunking: Storing easy-to-remember groups of information rather than every single individual item is called "chunking" and it is extremely helpful when it is necessary to remember details.

Working Memory

It's one thing to discuss how to store information in short-term memory. However, what is most important is how to use the information. To understand how the mind makes use of short-term memory, we have to look at "working memory," explained Renata's mom.

The working memory manages information. It is assumed to consist of a central executive and two subsystems -- phonological loop (verbal) and visuospatial (visual). The central executive helps coordinate the two subsystems, and makes it possible to both access and use information from memory.

Being able to work actively with one's short-term memory, or working memory, are both vital in online courses, particularly in the daily navigation of the interface.

* * * * *

Renata looked at her mom.

"Do you think it's possible to do well with in an online course if something happens to your short-term memory?" she asked.

Her mom said "Frankly, I think you'd have a very difficult time if your short-term memory is constantly being interfered with, and you're always distracted. For that reason, I advocate studying in a quiet, distraction-free environment."

"No tweeting while I'm studing online?" asked Renata

"That's right. Save Twitter for another day." Her mom smiled. "I'm all for your getting an education, and I want to help you in every way I can."

"Thanks, Mom," said Renata. "You're great. I couldn't do it without you! It's great to think I have a support team as I take online courses."

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