What’s Missing from Online Universities
First, what’s going on with edublogs? I have spent more time waiting for these pages to load then I do writing. (Yikes!) I keep getting SQL errors. Maybe it is time to just keep everything with blogger.
I had a great conversation with a professor that will remain nameless. From this conversation came the realization of what is actually missing from online universities. How about personality? We mow through class after class, never really getting to know the highly educated mind behind the grades. I think that is a shame. What good is an all-star faculty with PhDs if all they really need to do is grade papers? I am sure there is a program that will check for APA citation.
Online universities are slaves to their own system. It’s their books, their curriculum, their method of learning and assessment. There is no room for creativity on behave of the faculty or the students, just a regurgitation of their resources. I am currently on the tail end of a technology integration degree from WaldenUniversity. Overall I am pleased with what I have learned, but after talking with the professor I have realized how much I have missed out on.
We learned at NECC that the company or persons that embrace new technology the quickest are the ones that survive. Here’s hoping that the online institution takes a hard look at it self and realizes how far behind they are falling. In my opinion, if you want to change, you need look no further than the qualified professionals that already populate your ranks.
In the words of William Wallace (okay, Mel Gibson) “FREEDOM!”
Clarification – In the past year I have learned a great deal about how learning occurs and that is thanks to Walden University. I think they do a wonderful job in connecting MI Theory and Learning Styles. I am a better professional because of continuing my education with Walden. I just wish I had more opportunity to learn from the experience of the faculty employed by Walden.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Ken,
I agree with you that Walden University was my best online experience. I believe that there is a significant amount of work that has to be done by the instructor to make it “meaningful”. I received my M.S.Ed. in “Integrating Technology in the Curriculum” in May 2006. Two years earlier, at the start of the program, we were using Skype to conduct voice and text conferences with students in the cohort, and the level of professionalism and the expectation of the work required made this program extremely valuable to me.
Here’s a snapshot of my portfolio if you want to see how I met the ISTE NETS objectives: http://www.cchampion.net/portfolio/NETS_Portfolio.htm
-Chris