Online courses
 

Has anyone taken online courses? I've been looking into getting a masters, but since my fiance is in the military, online programs seem like the only way to go.

Anyone have any good info for me?

I took online classes over the past summer for some of my college basics. The majority of the classes I took were done at your own pace and were fairly easy. I would recommend taking them if the classes you need are availiable. I hope this helps! :)

Online course are good if you're self motivated. I have taken several and I find that I get behind easily because I don't have classes to go to. I find that I put it off more because I can go at my own pace.

It really depends on how well you can pace yourself and how dedicated the professor in charge of the course is. With no classes, I felt like I wasn't taking "real classes" and put less priority on my online courses than the other ones, which could be problematic if it's a demanding course. Luckily (or unluckily, because it was a pain in the butt at the time), the professor in charge of mine was infamous for half-a$$ing the classes she taught, and this one was no exception. It was a joke, pure and simple. The only time I ran into trouble was on the tests, when I kept getting low B's even though I got the answers directly from the textbook...other people taking the class were having the same problem and we discovered that the professor hadn't been paying attention when she made out the answer key and put the wrong answers down. :p

where do you take these classes through? is it part of your school or an outside institution?

My school offers distance education course.

Like all things, online courses has its pros and cons. Self-motivation is the key. I took one and it didn't really work out for me. I think I would have done a lot better if I had just taken the class in itself. The thing with my class was that we were required to give our inputs to questions posted on the internet board and that was part of our grade. As much as I am online, I wasn't too motivated.

What about an online degree? Not like Univ. of Phoenix or any of those "diploma-mill" type programs you see advertised in the annoying pop-ups, but like a professional master's program through an accredited university, such as UF or one of lots of other well-known universities? I am about to start taking online MBA courses through just such an accredited program, but my attorneys at work are skeptical (I think partly because the concept is still so new...and they're old :) ). Would anyone "look down" upon someone because they had earned their degree online? Would they be less employable? Just looking for opinions.

Exactly! Everytime I hear about earning your degree online, it sounds awful. At the risk of sounding stuck-up, I refuse to get a degree from a school that has commercials.

Motivation is not a problem for me whatsoever... it's just getting started in a program that seems credible.

Well, I just got accepted into my M.Ed program at American InterContinental University (or AIU for short), which IS a SACS-accredited school. I will be earning mine in an accerlated program, which takes about 10 months to a year to complete.

I was kind of like that as well (who wants to attend a school with those pop-up ads) but after a lot of research I think I made a great choice. Also, because it's online I can go at my own pace, log on and do what I need to do whenever I want as long as my assignments/projects are on time, etc. It doesn't interfere with me continuing to work full time. Plus, it's accredited. I made sure of that...I certainly don't want a bootleg Master's that I can't use!

And actually Pheonix isn't that bad...I know a few people who have taken courses there and they like it. Just because it's online doesn't mean it's not challenging, because it is.

:)

So, your school doesn't have any sort of commercials or advertisements at all? I went to a fairly known school, especially in the midwest, and they definitely showed commercials, although mostly during televised sporting events. They also had billboards on the highway advertising the school. This in no way turned me off of the school. In fact, it has become increasingly more competitive and difficult to get in as more and more people hear about it. The same thing goes for the majority of the schools that I live near now in Boston. Every single on of them has some sort of advertising in place, whether it be a commercial on tv, billboard on the side of the road, or a "come check out or info session" poster on the T.

ThetaGrrl, a lot of universities advertise in their states via radio or television spots, or even billboards. Also, a majority of colleges and universities go to high schools and advertise at college fairs (yes, they are advertising, if you really think about it). This is not uncommon. Do you mean advertising via the internet? I'm confused by your statement (not trying to pick a fight - just want to understand what you're saying).

So, what then, would make an online program undesirable? I think it's the TYPE of school that it is. For example, the Univ. of Phoenix (and not that I'm knocking this school or it's difficulty level, it's just the first example that comes to mind because it has ads EVERYWHERE) is seen as sort of a "diploma-mill" where you are basically paying for a piece of paper, which won't really help you much.

What if a university, such as Harvard or Yale, were to start advertising their new "online distance learning programs?" Would this make the program any less valuable? A lot of widely-known schools (and not known for sports or whatever, but for their academics) are starting to offer this option for working professionals. How then do you determine if these programs are any good, and if so, which program is the best one?

just to kind of add on to this, MIT, which is a highly respectable university, has a program they call OpenCourseWare. While you can't actually earn a degree through this, you can take almost every single class at MIT online. it offers, lecture notes, quizes, exams, etc from the professors.

I have taken a few online classes towards my master's degree. The particular program that I'm doing (at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia), which is part-time and is geared towards working professionals, offers some online classes, some on-campus classes, and some classes that are both (some weeks you meet on campus and some weeks you meet online). I find that it is challenging to try to work through the material yourself, because although professors post "lectures" online, it is quite different than witnessing the lecture and being able to interact with the professor and stop him/her when you don't understand a concept. I also found it somewhat difficult to motivate myself, since I didn't feel as accountable for my work as I did when I actually had to present it in person. However, online classes are very convenient, especially when the alternative is sitting in rush-hour traffic in order to get to campus for your class. And, as long as you are getting a degree from an accredited university, I don't think it matters whether you attend online or if you attend in person.

My school isn't a "diploma-mill" and I think obtaining my M.Ed here is actually helping me. Again, that was why I checked to be sure that my school was ACCREDITED. If I couldn't get that, then I wasn't applying. And it's accredited by the same people who grant accreditation to the school where I'm getting my B.A. from. I see what you're saying, but I don't think we should discredit ALL online schools/programs/etc.

My school works like DWAlphaGam's. There are two campuses and you can actually attend class or go the online route.

I'm sorry, maybe I'm not making myself clear here. I'm not trying to imply that your school is a diploma-mill. Actually, I am trying to do the opposite and disprove the perception that ALL schools that offer online/distance learning programs are diploma-mills.

I am looking into a few online Professional MBA programs myself - the main program I am interested in is the same way. You have the campus where you can actually attend class or you can go the online route. Every program I am looking at is accredited. I agree - I wouldn't bother applying if the program wasn't accredited.

Like ThetaGrrl said, (not picking on her, just using her statement as an example), most people associate the schools that advertise these programs as not being good schools.

What I want to know is, other than accrediation, or ranking (and a lot of these schools with the online programs aren't ranked yet, because this is still such a new issue, I think), how do you know that you're choosing a good program (other than accrediation)? How do you know that you're going to get a job with this degree? How do employers view online classes/programs?

I'm just really having issues with this because a lot of people seem to be discouraging me from pursuing this degree through an online program - they're telling me it would be better to just attend the local university (which I really don't want to do).

To the original poster - I'm sorry I hijacked your thread! I think that what a lot of people have posted about it being a good option if you're self-motivated. Most of the online courses are not very structured, so you have to MAKE yourself do the work, and MAKE yourself log in so your professor knows that you are making the effort. You do have to be very organized. If you are a military spouse, then yes, online would be beneficial because you'll never know when you might just have to pick up and move, and if you did so in a traditional classroom environment, that would mean a whole semester of withdrawals.

Oh I see now. Thanks for the clarification.

In the end you have to do what's best for you. Also have you tried talking with anyone from the school you're interested in or done anything along those lines?

WOW! This shows how little you know. The University of Phoenix is an accredited institution. It does not JUST offer courses online. They actually have campuses all over the country that also act as a 'distance education' classroom. You do have the option of taking classes online though.

How do I know this? I'm about half-way finished with my M.Ed. from there. I chose UoP because they cater to military families, I even get a discount (not a huge one though!) for my military affiliation. UoP has relationships with school districts all over the country...and world because the DOD has a contract with them as well...to help their students find locations to do the student teaching requirement. As with most other Master teaching programs, a state teaching certification comes with the package.

I think the stigma with distance education is primarily because it is so new. In the next few years it will be as common place as computers in the home now are. Taking classes on-line is a convenient way for working adults to earn a living and go to school simultaneously.

aj

Apparently I wasn't very clear either...

My undergrad school certainly had advertising!

I'm just worried about paying for classes and then ending up with a worthless diploma. When I google online courses, I seem to be getting the same 10 or so schools over and over. They are full of all kinds of pop-ups and advertisements. While my undergrad advertised, I certainly never got a pop up for a non-school related topic on their site. It makes me wary of their credibility.

I keep thinking there must be more out there, and I don't really know where to start looking. The "diploma-mill" idea, is something to be very nervous about, and that's why I wanted to see if anyone else had any insight into online programs. Like ajuhdg said, distance education is fairly new, and that's why I'm a little apprehensive.

I am in complete agreeance ThetaGrrl! And actually, ajuhdg, I do know A LOT about the subject because I have been researching this for the past several months. I knew Univ. of Phoenix has physical campus locations...that is how I got into the whole idea of a professional program to begin with because they don't have a physical location in my area. So, if I have to do an online program, I'm going to do the best I can find! If you'll go back and reread my posts I never said they were an online-exclusive program. And, on the topic of accreditation, the Univ. of Phoenix is NOT MBA accredited - at least not the AACSB accreditation that I am seeking anyways.

I think the whole "working professional" program is a GREAT concept, and I'm sure the classes are the same as if you were attending in person. I'm just concerned about the stigma that is attached to it. My employer told me flat out that he wouldn't give much weight to any MBA I earned online. :eek: That blows my whole idea out of the water I guess....the whole point of earning the MBA is to get a better job!!!!

That is really odd about the MBA program, although that is not the degree that I am pursuing. You did not make that clear in your post. I think that it is very unfortunate that your boss has that attitude. Perhaps, it's just the subject. But, like I said, those attitudes will change as the idea becomes more mainstream.

I worked for a Fortune 500 company straight out of college, and two of the mentors for my training program received degrees from UoP. So, I'm sure that not everyone feels the same way your employer does. I really cringe at the phrase 'diploma-mill'. You don't just take a few classes and get your degree! They have several pre-requisites for grades, work history, and class participation. Outside of that, I'm required to get finger-print clearance from my state for the teacher certification.

Sorry to have hijacked your thread, ThetaGrrl. UoP was the best choice for me and my lifestyle. Living in Germany didn't make things very easy to get into a more tradtional university program. I would just make a list of questions that you have, and call an advisor. Ask them all the questions, no matter how brutal/probing. That's what I did!

aj

You should also research programs that you're interested at universities you're interested in to see if they offer online classes. You'd be surprised to find out how many schools are now offering online classes. I didn't pick my program for the sole reason that I could take online classes; it was just an added benefit.

I think that the main reason why my employer is concerned with the program I pick is because the concept of "online" and "distance learning" programs is still fairly new (and he's fairly old ;) ). Another part of the problem is that one of the guys that employs me is VERY concerned with top-ranking schools and networking. I think it's a guy thing! I don't CARE if my school is not in the top 10. I don't CARE if I don't have a network of alumni who all earned their MBA from that school. I have a network of sorority sisters who I can call on if need be! ACK!

Sorry, had to vent. I think the professional program is the way to go, mainly because my husband and I don't have enough money saved up for me to quit work and go back to school full-time. That's how I got into the whole idea to begin with - I'm ready to go back to school but not ready to stop working (or give up my salary!)!

ajuhdg, it's encouraging to hear that you chose a program similar to one I am looking for, for the same reasons, and you know other people who have been successful with it as well. I certainly appreciate (and I'm sure ThetaGrrl does as well) your input into the topic. Discotish, thanks for the info and for the link!

ETA: I guess I should watch how I use the term "diploma-mill" - I did not mean to offen anyone or discredit anyone's program in any way. I was loosely using the term, but I will try to be more careful how I use it. I don't want to ruffle any feathers or hurt anyone's feelings!!! :D

If anyone is interested in online courses or degree programs, you might want to check out www.icn.org. That is the website for the Indiana College Network. I work for them so I know a little bit about how this works! Basically, the Indiana College Network serves as a connection between students interested in taking online courses and schools in Indiana that offer courses online. The person does not have to be a resident of Indiana to take these courses...I have talked to people in New York and Texas that are taking online classes from ICN. It's a really neat program for people who prefer online classes over on campus classes. Also, if you have any questions about ICN, feel free to call the hotline at 1-800-426-8899. We are open 8am to 7pm, Indiana time! Also, I can try to answer any questions you may have too.

I tried taking an online course once: BAD MOVE!! I ended up dropping out because it was really difficult not to have direct interaction with the professor and other students. Also, because you're posting on an message board, it's often hard to figure out the tone of a student's response. Of course, it may be different for other people, but it's certainly not something I'll ever try again!