Obama pushing for increased Online Courses and Schools

[Danoz]

Seems to me that the technology is there, it's just a matter of utilizing the conferencing and interactive software needed for increased one-on-one communication with professors and student-to-student interaction. We would also need to improve the credibility of online degrees with a vast majority of employers; as it stands, only 37 percent of employers believe a graduate degree earned online is "valid" (and this is much lower for bachelors/undergrad). This makes sense for introspective degrees, but I don't see how the this ultimately helps to improve our standing in the sciences and "hands on" degree programs (engineering, heathcare, work programs etc).

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/07/educational_tools_memo.html

President Barack Obama has proposed an ambitious agenda to reform and improve U.S. education at all levels, including by harnessing the power of technology to deliver education in new and innovative ways. He is backing up these proposals with plans for a significant increase in the federal investment in education geared to reclaiming the world’s number one ranking in college completion by 2020, producing the skilled and educated workers our economy needs to boost productivity and wages, and ensuring that the opportunity to learn and gain new skills is widely available, including to dislocated workers struggling to find well-paying jobs. Few long-term policy initiatives are as important as this for our nation’s broad-based economic growth and prosperity in the 21st century.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Having known my share of people who got degrees online, while it may seem like a good idea to throw lots of money into this space, it's really not for everyone. Someone who would make an excellent traditional college student could make a very, very poor online student. I think it's much more appropriate for "non-traditional" students--parents, people in their late twenties on up, etc. People who already have some real-world experience and are very self-motivated. Because there's really no one there to pester you to drag your ass out of bed and do your coursework. It would be very easy to ignore it and just waste your money.

Frankly, a lot of the people doing online courses just don't take it very seriously, and that's probably why employers don't take degrees earned online seriously.

 

[Starbreaker]

You're better off finding courses at actual schools instead of doing a strictly online school, in my opinion. Employers may see that you graduated from a good university, even though you did online coursework and wouldn't have to know any different... rather than Phoenix or Virginia College at Texas of Colorado or whatever some of those other are. No offense...

 

[Kestra]

Having known my share of people who got degrees online, while it may seem like a good idea to throw lots of money into this space, it's really not for everyone. Someone who would make an excellent traditional college student could make a very, very poor online student. I think it's much more appropriate for "non-traditional" students--parents, people in their late twenties on up, etc. People who already have some real-world experience and are very self-motivated. Because there's really no one there to pester you to drag your ass out of bed and do your coursework. It would be very easy to ignore it and just waste your money.

Frankly, a lot of the people doing online courses just don't take it very seriously, and that's probably why employers don't take degrees earned online seriously.

I totally agree. I've just enrolled in a program that lets me do coursework entirely online (though hopefully I will be able to attend some classes in-person as well). I'm comfortable with computers and technology, and I'm self-motivated, but there are definitely drawbacks. I think this could end up being pretty challenging.

It took me awhile to find a program that I was comfortable with, because of all the stigma surrounding online programs. I am going through a well-established private university in Chicago, and I'm hoping this will work. I've done a bit of research and I want to talk to a few more admissions officers at other schools, but it looks like it's going to be okay. Maybe more challenging, but okay.

I guess I might as well state here that I'm pretty much looking at a lot of school and a change in career. How do you guys think I'd fare as a psychologist?

 

[Ward Fowler]

It certainly depends on the person as far as how effective online classes can be. The online class concept was just being tested back when I was in college. I took one and didn't really enjoy it. I like the back and forth that goes on between student and teacher and how facts and ideas that are black and white in a book are put into greater context by an instructor and class conversation.

 

[Mr. B]

If Obama can actually exert any real influence on higher education, maybe he can get them to lower tuition while he's at it.

As for online classes, I took a few at my brick-and-mortar school and I was quite unsatisfied with the experience... it's definitely not for everybody.

 

[miraclefan]

If Obama can actually exert any real influence on higher education, maybe he can get them to lower tuition while he's at it.

Of course he can, all he has to do is print another TRILLION Bucks & he's solved those nasty tuition fees! ( However I don't know how the chinese would react if we asked for more money)

 

[Tiberius Jim]

I took online classes for my school in addition to the on ground courses, and I can honestly say I don't have a single piece of work to show for the time spent in the online classes. I regret taking some of them online rather than on ground because I feel like I missed out on some important experiences. You just don't get the same experience reading on a screen as you do when interacting in person.

 

[Amaris]

I'm taking courses via University of Phoenix online. It is much simpler than going to an actual brick and mortar school, but in some ways it is much more difficult. It's not enough that you do your work and turn it in, you have to participate in class discussions, and participation is half your grade. For example, in my Com/140 class, you have to submit your work the day it's due, but you have to log in, post in the main discussion forum 6 times a week, divided into 3 two per day posts. This sounds easy until see that the posts have to be substantiative, so you can't just make a comment on a point, you have to talk it out. If you're like me, you don't just post random questions to get points. I actually have to want the answer to something to ask a question. I take several classes at once and they stagger their assignments, but either way, you are definitely busy the whole week.

J.

 

[Ward Fowler]

• For example, in my Com/140 class, you have to submit your work the day it's due, but you have to log in, post in the main discussion forum 6 times a week, divided into 3 two per day posts. This sounds easy until see that the posts have to be substantiative, so you can't just make a comment on a point, you have to talk it out.

That certainly sounds more difficult than a traditional class. I'm not one who asked a ton of questions and slowed class down (and believe me, there were students who seemed to love the sound of their own voice) but I certainly asked questions so that the professor clarified things that may not have been clear. Students who don't participate in class discussion benefit from those who do. From what your saying, everyone has to participate. That can only be a good thing.

 

[Squiggy]

I'm taking courses via University of Phoenix online. It is much simpler than going to an actual brick and mortar school, but in some ways it is much more difficult. It's not enough that you do your work and turn it in, you have to participate in class discussions, and participation is half your grade. For example, in my Com/140 class, you have to submit your work the day it's due, but you have to log in, post in the main discussion forum 6 times a week, divided into 3 two per day posts. This sounds easy until see that the posts have to be substantiative, so you can't just make a comment on a point, you have to talk it out. If you're like me, you don't just post random questions to get points. I actually have to want the answer to something to ask a question. I take several classes at once and they stagger their assignments, but either way, you are definitely busy the whole week.

J.

Posting in a forum? I'll be a doctor inside of a week!

 

[Miss Chicken]

I did a small part of my library technician course online. Only a few specific classes were offered online and for two of them I was the first person to take them online that year. I was sort of the guinea pig.

I think the classes were more difficult in the long run because I didn't have other people to get feedback and ideas from. Maybe these classes would have become easier once they were more established and there were online discussions amomg students.

 

[Amaris]

• For example, in my Com/140 class, you have to submit your work the day it's due, but you have to log in, post in the main discussion forum 6 times a week, divided into 3 two per day posts. This sounds easy until see that the posts have to be substantiative, so you can't just make a comment on a point, you have to talk it out.

That certainly sounds more difficult than a traditional class. I'm not one who asked a ton of questions and slowed class down (and believe me, there were students who seemed to love the sound of their own voice) but I certainly asked questions so that the professor clarified things that may not have been clear. Students who don't participate in class discussion benefit from those who do. From what your saying, everyone has to participate. That can only be a good thing.

It is a good thing, but my life is very busy, and the reason I took an online education was to simplify things.

I'm taking courses via University of Phoenix online. It is much simpler than going to an actual brick and mortar school, but in some ways it is much more difficult. It's not enough that you do your work and turn it in, you have to participate in class discussions, and participation is half your grade. For example, in my Com/140 class, you have to submit your work the day it's due, but you have to log in, post in the main discussion forum 6 times a week, divided into 3 two per day posts. This sounds easy until see that the posts have to be substantiative, so you can't just make a comment on a point, you have to talk it out. If you're like me, you don't just post random questions to get points. I actually have to want the answer to something to ask a question. I take several classes at once and they stagger their assignments, but either way, you are definitely busy the whole week.

J.

Posting in a forum? I'll be a doctor inside of a week!

You would think with my level of posting I could post 40 different threads and be done but they space it out so you have to do it at least twice a day, but also three days a week, and it has to be substantiave, relevant to the particular thread, and graded that way.

J.

 

[Danoz]

College students are sort of at the low-end of the totem poll right now as far as handouts are concerned. Hopefully he can actually implement community service programs for tuition help, as long as they don't discriminate against students with parents who make too much money.

 

[Warp Coil]

Currently enrolled in a graduate program that caters to working professionals (i.e. adults with careers and families), and while they offer some classes at night and on weekends, they also have several online classes. I'd never taken a course online until I started the program this past spring. I have to say... I absolutely HATE online courses. I don't learn anything. I can't motivate myself enough to just read the book and retain the knowledge. It just doesn't happen for me. I really need to be in a classroom setting with a professor and other students to interact with, face-to-face. While I'm still passing my online courses, I'm not enjoying them as much and I really hope that I won't have to take too many more of these courses online.

 

[wew]

Although I have some qualms about certain online programs, as noted they can a lot harder than people think. Unlike brick & mortars, where a professor can use a variety of ways to evaluate your performance and use lectures to provide are variety of information; in the online environment the student has to be much more motivated to actually do the work on time/etc. The student doesn't have some one necessarily looking over them and urging them on.