Chief1C Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 The only issue I have with online videos to learn by, is you can't ask a question, when you have one.
JPINFV Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 The only issue I have with online videos to learn by, is you can't ask a question, when you have one. My school uses Blackboard for it's student portal and one of the big benefits is that the professors use the online forum for questions outside of lecture so that they aren't answering the same question 50 times.
Lone Star Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 Teaching online is not easy for an instructor. You need to learn the proper use of the online interface, you need to set up chat times for Q&A and discussion, have resource materials posted, links to places to find further info, and you also need to be available for a student to contact you via email. Many instructors give out their cell phone numbers in case someone needs a more personal touch- I do this, and it's come in handy. I've had a couple students who were lost- mostly due to a lack of effort, and I was able to get them on the right path. It's also hard not seeing the faces of your students- you get feedback by their body language, their facial expressions, etc. If they aren't getting something, you can change gears and try a new tactic. Online classes do not allow that. Again- people learn in different ways- some are visual learners, some are auditory, some learn better by wrote, and other need a combination of input in order to grasp the material. A good instructor- whether virtual or face to face- understands this. My biggest problem with this instructor was the fact that they really taught nothing. Here's your assignment, if you have any questions; here's my email address. Oh wait! I don't check the email address I gave you on a regular basis! My bad! If you're not capable of running a virtual classroom, then by all means, feel free to go back to the 'brick and mortar' format. Do yourself and your students a favor! *DISCLAIMER*Herbie, this is NOT directed at you! The 'you' in this instance is my former instructor. I'm one of those students that uses multiple inputs to 'lock it in'. I don't think that I'm being too demanding when I insist that the instructor do their job. This is MY education, and if I don't ensure maximum exposure, then I've faild myself, just as the instructor has failed the entire class.
jeremybright Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 I looked into these very seriously a few years back. And a few points First unless they have changed the group College Network was a middle man between students and existing online universities such as University of Phoenix and Excelsior Univ. College network used to provide "study guides" that were really prep books for college course equivalence exams such as the clep test. I personally don't have issues with credit by exam, honestly if you can do the book work on your own and pass the final what is the difference between that and sitting in a class. Excelsior is the one I believe was more common and the format for that is 1. Enroll and pay tuition 2. Sign up for classes and get your course materials. 3. When you feel you are prepared take the credit exam at one of their approved test centers. 4. Pass the exam get the course credit In the case of their Medic to online program they were waiving a lot of the clinical hours secondary to on the job experience. That is why only it is a medic to RN not EMT to RN program You did have to go at the end of the program for a 2 week clinical evaluation prior to being eligible to sit for your nursing boards. Not all states take RN's from online programs but you can usually establish in a state that does and then transfer into the state that does not.
HERBIE1 Posted July 1, 2010 Posted July 1, 2010 My biggest problem with this instructor was the fact that they really taught nothing. Here's your assignment, if you have any questions; here's my email address. Oh wait! I don't check the email address I gave you on a regular basis! My bad! If you're not capable of running a virtual classroom, then by all means, feel free to go back to the 'brick and mortar' format. Do yourself and your students a favor! *DISCLAIMER*Herbie, this is NOT directed at you! The 'you' in this instance is my former instructor. I'm one of those students that uses multiple inputs to 'lock it in'. I don't think that I'm being too demanding when I insist that the instructor do their job. This is MY education, and if I don't ensure maximum exposure, then I've faild myself, just as the instructor has failed the entire class. There are good and bad teachers- online and traditional. I think we can all look back to teachers who were only in it for the paycheck. I recall professors who literally read a textbook to a lecture hall full of people. No anecdotes, no interpretation- a total waste of time. I always felt cheated and that I was wasting my time and money- I know how to read too. Too often this is exactly how general education classes are taught in universities. I think online teaching is actually more challenging, for the reasons I stated above. Like anything though, it needs to be a good fit for the person. If you KNOW you need a face to face interaction, to properly absorb the info, then online is probably not the way to go. Some folks simply do better on their own, while others need the classroom setting. Different strokes, I guess. I just see online classes as another option for someone to consider. My school uses Blackboard for it's student portal and one of the big benefits is that the professors use the online forum for questions outside of lecture so that they aren't answering the same question 50 times. Blackboard is huge- many schools use it, or a variation of it.
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