Search Results matching tag 'distance education'

Fan Mail from Jan

WheelCipher — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT

I did read your blog and the experiences you wrote about regarding Kaplan University. I wanted to share with you that I am just starting out with my education in IT (Web Development). However, I wanted to ask you how your overall experience with Kaplan was. Was it worth it? How the rest of the world and employers receive you with a Kaplan degree. Did they think it was OK or were they impressed with it?

I’m actually an international student so I won’t have a lot of contact with US companies, but I would like to know how they react to it.

My employer at the time was absolutely supportive of it. But how companies look at online degrees will vary. Since they are becoming more accepted every day, I would think one would be hard pressed to run into a problem. It also depends on what kind of job you are looking for. It is probably safe to say that someone with an online degree probably will not be an investment banker on Wall Street. But there are always exceptions to the rule.

I think the more popular online education becomes, employers will be more understanding. Those that scoff at the online programs from accredited institutions are simply ignorant in the arena of distance learning. Perhaps it is up to us (the students) to educate those who don’t understand. I consider all online learners to be pioneers in this field. We have a responsibility to teach as much as we learn.

One thing that is happening right now that is solidifying the validity of distance education is that many major universities that have been traditionally on-campus only are adopting online programs. This is going a long way to help the cause.

Changing Direction

WheelCipher — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Today may be a turning point in my educational journey.

I spent most of the day yesterday contemplating my educational future. I firmly believe that I am not done with my education, but I am beginning to rethink my decision to pursue a doctorate degree. I am not sure what advantages it will have in the long term and I am just not sure it is what I want to do. Not to mention that two years is a long time doing something you don’t want to be doing in the first place. At this point, I am actually considering (very seriously) enrolling in the Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University.

From the Gonzaga web page: “The Masters in Organizational Leadership is an interdisciplinary, online leadership degree that combines cutting-edge research from the social sciences, communication field, arts, humanities, and business, into a transformative leadership masters.” This looks to be a well rounded degree program that I would absolutely love. I really dig leadership concepts and in recent years, I have embraced the humanities and other subjects that should be included in every degree program, in my opinion.

I am going to call Gonzaga today as a matter of fact and see how easy it will be to get in. If that task is no more difficult than getting into Norwich or Walden, I may look to withdrawal from Walden this week. I have looked at the curriculum that is staring me in the face at Walden and I just do not have the fire that I usually exhibit when it comes to my education. It does not excite me. Therefore my desire to push forward is dwindling quickly. I think I would get a lot more from the Gonzaga program. More on this as it develops.

Instructor Deployed

WheelCipher — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:35:00 GMT

We’ve read numerous times about how distance learning has helped students all over the world achieve their dreams. But what happens if you are an instructor who is deployed overseas? Well, if you are Cheryl J. Wachenheim, you make it work. This online instructor from North Dakota was deployed to Iraq and didn’t miss a beat. After buying the communications infrastructure to make it happen, she continued to teach economics classes. Read the story here.

I also recently found an article that applies to me. School is replacing the workplace for many people in this economy. I’ve always thought that the only two constants in a down economy is an uptick in the crime rate and more people going back to school. I am not sure about the former, but the latter is certainly happening now. I am certain that with distance education making leaps and bounds over the past five or ten years is contributing to that. I am happy to see so many people investing in themselves. Read the story here.

On the job front, I am still looking. I have a phone interview this week with a company that I would really love to join! They are on the cutting edge of digital publishing and would be a great field to get into. Pretty soon I want to outline the thought processes of someone who is out of work and going to school at the same time. Finding a job is hard. School is actually less interesting than in the past. At the same time, I know I need to do the right thing. More on that later.

Fan Mail From Natalie

WheelCipher — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Dear Scott,

I am very grateful for the article you wrote about Northeastern's online MBA at:
http://community.elearners.com/blogs/kaplan_management_degree/archive/2007/06/23/Northeastern-University-_2E002E002E00_-Not-For-Me.aspx

As a busy working mother, I am searching for the most viable, valuable online MBA program. Having found Northeastern, I was as impressed as you initially were. The cost is outrageous, though. I couldn't agree with you more. I am also interested in Norwich and wonder how you feel about your experience there? It seems to be a solid school with reasonable tuition (roughly $18-19,000 per year?).

Thanks so much for any insights you might have.

--------

Northeastern did have a good program and yes, it was way too expensive for a lot of people I know or come into contact with. They are almost Ivy League without being Ivy League. At least it felt that way in terms of price.

Norwich was not “cheap”, but did offer some things that appealed to me. First, because of my undergrad in Management combined with my years of work experience, I was able to get the first few classes waived. That cut my program down to a year and a half. That made a huge difference for me. At that time, I had been going to school for four years with no breaks and wanted to get every advantage I could. I think the Norwich MBA program still costs about $35,000 total. You will need to contact them for the cost.

The other option (if cost is a concern) is to look at in-state schools. A lot of them have distance programs now and are in direct competition with schools like Walden and University of Phoenix. The key to finding the right program is to shop around.

My Norwich experience was great. I would not trade it for anything. With that said, if you end up at Norwich, I wish you luck. At the same time, do your homework before committing to any school. Weigh the pros and cons and make an educated decision. You will be glad you did.

The unadvertised skills online students have that increase their corporate worth

Cajun — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:15:00 GMT

It’s almost 3PM and I’ve spent almost all day either on the phone, answering email, filling out online forms or instant messaging coworkers, contacts, supervisors, project managers, etc. I have spent my entire day coordinating over a dozen different teams to work towards one objective on a million dollar project that will be executed for only 2 ½ days. In other words, months and months of planning and preparation is going into holding a workshop that costs hundreds of thousands in productivity, opportunity cost, etc. in addition to travel expenses, hotel, etc. We’re talking over 200 people on multiple project teams, often with overlapping personnel, working towards a series of deliverables to be realized in very little time. Sound like a logistical nightmare? So what does this have to do with online learning whatsoever? A lot actually.

All throughout my BS and MBA programs I had to develop and refine multiple skills that I use almost daily in the workplace but that had absolutely nothing to do with the actual degree plan itself. These skills have value in the workplace and may even be listed on your resume to effect if worded correctly (don’t forget to be honest though).

For example I’ve had to learn how to work remotely, unsupervised for long periods of time and meet deadlines, details as to “how” to get the work done or “when” were never provided, only when it was due and what it should look like. I had to learn how to communicate effectively in writing, email, papers, etc. I had to get used to the idea of working with people I’ve never met or seen. I had to learn how to read and think critically and provide feedback, again to people I’ve never met or seen. I’ve had to work in groups and teams, develop relationships and gain the trust of people I’ve never met or seen. I’ve had to develop schedules, agendas, document progress, stay on course and meet milestones and objectives and even work with my own personal budget towards those objectives so that I have enough money for things like books.

So in short here is a list of the skills you will or have learned, use and maybe mastered. If nothing else you can certainly list them on your resume:

Ability to:

1.) Schedule

2.) Budget

3.) Coordinate

4.) Meet Deadlines

5.) Communicate effectively in writing

6.) Think and read critically

7.) Communicate effectively verbally

8.) Develop and maintain excellent collaborative, working relationships

9.) Prioritize

10.) Plan

11.) Develop and meet milestones

12.) Follow detailed, sometimes complex sets of instructions

13.) Be detail oriented

14.) Be analytical

15.) Keep a big picture focus

16.) Track progress and document success

17.) Understand scope and limitations

18.) Stay within scope

19.) Receive and provide constructive feedback

20.) Learn new concepts quickly and independently

21.) Work with little to no direct supervision

22.) Multitask

23.) Remain organized

24.) Work well under stressful conditions

25.) Work with technology in communication and collaboration with others

And that’s just off the top of my head. What other unadvertised skills do you think you’ve developed as an online student? You may be surprised if you list them all. You may have more corporate worth than you even imagined…

What’s an Online MBA Worth?

WheelCipher — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:19:00 GMT

You might remember a while back when I posted a link to a poll about online MBA programs. Well, the story that came out of that poll has arrived.

“What’s an Online MBA Worth?” can be found at BNET.com

The poll for the article was highly favorable to on-line MBA programs. The story hits some important points.

"Why would a respected business school go online? Because that’s where the money is. Corporate middle managers who would rather not leave their jobs to attend a full-time MBA program are a huge, barely tapped market."

I have been saying this for a long time. Top universities and traditional brick and mortar schools that do not adopt some form of on-line degree programs are realizing that other schools are taking away from their bottom line. On-line degrees are an up-and-coming market that will eventually take the place of traditional degrees. I recently read that last year, 12 million students took some form of on-line education. That should be a hint to those who are not adopting this method of learning at a much faster pace.

The article focuses a lot on “elite” schools. What it does not spend enough time on is that people who seek online degrees are not ones looking for high-paying Wall Street jobs. They are looking more to advance their career and create more value for themselves and their employer.

"The ultra-elite’s resistance to distance learning makes intuitive sense. How can sitting in front of a computer compare, say, to the intense, 90-minute case-study lectures at Harvard Business School, in which students do 80 percent of the talking and well-known business leaders often show up in person to spur conversation? Technology like digital blackboards, Web conferencing, and Skype make collaboration and class participation easier for students in online programs, but the experience is not the same."

They are right about this. The experience is not the same. What is different is that most people who seek this type of degree are working professionals who are not in need of some of the things traditional, on-campus programs offer. They are usually very independent and can work on their own.

I will let you read the article and make your own judgment. Overall, it’s not a bad article. But I do think it misses some important points.

The Future of Libraries

WheelCipher — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:07:00 GMT

What does the future hold for our libraries? As everything becomes available online in one form or another, the role of the library as we know it is changing. Will the library become obsolete? I think so! It will not happen for many, many years, but we are certainly leaning in that direction. Here is a great article that outlines some of the thoughts on the changing role of the traditional library.

I have mentioned the on-line library available to Walden University students in past posts. It is very extensive and a wealth of information. Students recently received an e-mail announcing an expansion of the library.

Annual Reviews

Annual Reviews indexes and abstracts the recent literature in a particular field. On the Annual Reviews page of the library’s site, there will be a green check mark next to the titles to which the library has subscribed, including those in psychology, economics, public health, and clinical psychology.

LexisNexis Academic

This database provides access to more than 6,000 news, business, and legal sources. The news coverage includes deep back files and up-to-the-minute stories from national and regional newspapers and wire services, as well as broadcast transcripts, international news, and non-English language sources. With the Company Dossier module, users can retrieve detailed company information and financial performance measures, or identify and compare companies matching specific criteria. LexisNexis also provides access to Shepard’s Citations Service for all federal and state court cases since 1789.

LexisNexis Statistical Publications and DataSets

This Web-based research tool provides access to more than 12 billion data points from licensed and public domain datasets through an easy-to-use interface. With this new tool, users can scan the contents of the collection; select subjects and variables of interest; and view data in side-by-side tables and charts. This product provides unprecedented access to a broad range of social science data, including:

    * Banking, finance, and insurance
    * Communications and information technology
    * Criminal justice and law
    * Education
    * Health and vital statistics
    * Science and technology

Do I Really Want to Do This?

WheelCipher — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:52:00 GMT

I thought about quitting this week. But alas, I keep plowing forward. Up until this morning, I seemed to have lost my energy and desire to do this anymore. Do I really care one bit about business innovation and sustainability? Do I care to write one more paper analyzing my experiences and how they relate to other theories? I just wanted to stop this ride and get off.

I have been spending a lot of time looking for a good job and otherwise enjoying the time off that I have. Doing nothing seems appealing more times that not.

I had three assignments due today and was dreading them. Then I remembered how far I have come. I have done this a million times. I have put off until the fourth day of the week something I could have (and should have) done on the first day of the week. The assignments did not take long. I didn’t even have to think very much. But the thought of actually doing this for what seems to be the 1,000,000th time hit me this week for some reason.

Now that my assignments are done, I can tell what actually brought me back into the fold and re-interested in this stuff. I have found that there is an empty space in my soul that is only filled with reading and staying on top of issues that I have dedicated my career and life to. But I do not read nearly as much as I need or want to. I have not done so in a while, as a matter of fact.

Someone once said that The Enlightenment was fueled by caffeine and knowledge. I took that approach today and felt like a new person once I sunk myself into some of the management books I was using as reference material for my latest assignment. I drank a couple of Starbucks Doubleshots and read some books. I feel like I just got a shot of B-12 vitamin or something. Completely re-energized and ready to go.

I believe that hard work pays off and luck and opportunity follows. No matter how down I get about doing this all over again, I will persevere. If for no other reason that it is the right thing to do.

College for $99 a Month

WheelCipher — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT

As you probably know, I am in a Business Strategy class right now. This is a perfect time to share an article with you that outlines strategy and how it relates to education.

The article is called, College for $99 a Month. The subheading could not be truer. “The next generation of online education could be great for students—and catastrophic for universities.” The article is four pages long so don’t miss the other three pages not displayed at the beginning!

Make what you want out of the article. The bottom line is that education is evolving like never before. Coming down are the walls that would have normally prevented the average person from attending college and earning a degree. The method of content delivery is evolving. Accreditation is also evolving. How does this relate to my Business Strategy class? At the end of the day, education is a business just the airline industry, the beverage industry, the automobile industry, or any other type of business that creates and delivers product to a broad customer base with growing and dynamic needs.

I know that distance education has been growing and developing for a long time. Since I started my classes at Kaplan University six years ago, I have personally seen distance education “grow up” in many ways. Where online education used to be an anomaly, it is quickly becoming the norm. Hybrid degree programs are taking hold. Degrees earned completely online are gaining respect. There is now a very real “line in the sand” between the schools who do not offer online options and those that do.

When it is all said and done, education will be redefined and any reference to how education was viewed 20-years ago will be a distant memory. There will be those few Ivy League schools that may try to avoid much of this global shift to online content. And perhaps that is what they need to remain “different”. But I believe that in the next 20 years, there will be schools asking for government bailouts because in 2009, they failed to recognize the changes going on and refused to adapt.

Thinking of Dropping Out? You’re not alone…

Cajun — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:59:00 GMT

Far be it from me to ever encourage anyone to forgo getting an education, as it is probably one of the most worthwhile things a human being could ever do. That being said there are times in life when “dropping out” or dropping a course or quitting a particular program is the right call. For example in my own academic career I can think of at least 3 times where I did that exact thing and each time it was the right decision.

The first time I ever dropped out of a program was actually at Kaplan University’s College for Professional Studies. During my degree program Kaplan University rolled their College for Professional Studies into their overall Kaplan University flagship school. This did several things, first the students who had gone beyond a certain point were offered to finish their current degree program at the agreed upon tuition rate as it was when they enrolled but they would lose the student support services that up to that time they had enjoyed. Essentially they would be on their own. Also they had strict deadlines for academic progress to be met or they would be automatically dropped. Otherwise the students could matriculate over to Kaplan University and pay almost 4 times their current tuition rate and finish there. Essentially the catalyst for my dropping out was Kaplan changed the terms of the deal. At times there a student may find themselves in a degree program where the school changes the terms of the deal, whether that be a significant increase in tuition cost, adding multiple courses to the degree program or in some cases eliminating the degree program altogether in favor of something more trendy. Anytime this happens the student should weigh their priorities and look at their options and choose what is best for them. I know that changing from the known to the unknown can be nerve wracking but look at it this way, either way you will have to change, but when the school does it you have to do it on their terms, when you do it you can do it on yours.

The second time this happened to me was after I enrolled and completed my first course at St. Joseph’s College of Maine in their Leadership MBA program. I had been planning to enter this degree program for years, I fantasized about it, I longed to be in that program. I was so sold on the idea of their MBA program and on St. Joseph’s College of Maine in general. However after completing the course the school presented me with one of two unacceptable alternatives. Either I could forgo tuition reimbursement from my employer or I could forgo financial aid. They would not allow me to use both as this was their school policy. I appealed, I begged, I pleaded and cried but nobody was willing to challenge their policy for little old me. It absolutely broke my heart to do so but I dropped out of the program. I knew that taking on unnecessary loans, adding to my already seemingly huge pile of debt was irresponsible and unfair to my family. The costs were not terribly prohibitive compared to some schools but the return on investment would be hurt and financially I could not justify it. In this example the school placed themselves out of reach for me. If a student should find themselves where a school places themselves out of reach, whether that be you are denied admission into a degree program, whether the school is prohibitively expensive or whether they simply require more prerequisite courses than you are prepared to complete, this is a viable excuse for dropping out of a degree program and looking elsewhere. There’s no shame in it, life just works out that way sometimes.

The third time this happened was at Western New Mexico University. I was enrolled in their Masters of Liberal Studies program with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and Management Information Systems. The cost was cheap, the courses looked interesting and the school pretty much on the surface met all of my criteria perfectly. I was excited to start and eager to get to work. However about 4 weeks into my first two courses it became readily apparent to me that the school had serious technical, pedagogical and administrative issues. They were ill organized, the classes were poorly conceived, poorly executed and overly burdensome for seemingly little payoff. In short the school did not meet my expectations. Sometimes this happens and it’s a tough choice as whether to stick it out or make a change. Personally, I feel if a school does not meet the student’s expectations early on they should move on and look elsewhere. Of course I’m as patient as the next guy but when it comes to investing money and time into an undertaking I want to ensure I am investing in something worthwhile.

So to recap if you are thinking of dropping out of a program you’re not alone. I consider myself reasonably successful academically and I’ve dropped out of no less than three programs. It’s all about your priorities, needs and options and whether a program is right for you. Being stubborn when things aren’t working out just isn’t worth it, so if you are struggling and unhappy in your program, if the terms of the deal have changed unreasonably or if you are longing to enter a program that is simply out of reach, it may be time to drop out and move on to something better or at least more suited towards your needs.