SUBJECT: Assignment #1, Response Paper #6
COURSE: MCTE 625 - Survey of Courseware
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> I would appreciate your response to the following questions.
> 1. What do you like about the program?
> 2. What needs to be changed?
> 3. Is the course content relevant to your graduate level needs?
> 4. Is the on-line environment adequate to support your research?
> 5. Does the combination of the Graduate Student Forum, the on-
> line syllabus work and email provide adequate interaction
> with the professor.
> If you elect to answer these 5 questions, you are excused from
> next weekly response paper (week 6). Thanks for your
> consideration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUBJECT: Assignment #1, Response Paper #6
COURSE: MCTE 625 - Survey of Courseware
Textbook: None - response to professor-requested questions
Concerning MCTE Program and MCTE 625 Course
Professor: Dr. George Fornshell
Student: Leanne C. Boyd
Usercode: boydl
Due date: November 2, 1997 (Response #6 due date)
Response to 5 Questions from Dr. Fornshell
Concerning the MCTE 625 Course, and the MCTE Program
FIRST, THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS :-)
1. What do you like about the program?
I did a tremendous amount of research for an appropriate
graduate school. My main criteria were 1) the program
offerings, and 2) a totally online status. I need(ed) a very
portable program. Having just graduated from my
undergraduate program, I have been involved in an extensive
career search. My graduate program had to be totally
portable, in case I needed to move locations with a new
career/company.
From the time I discovered Nova and the MCTE program, I
have strongly felt that it is an excellent program, with a
near-exact 'fit' for my academic and career needs. I very
much like the online environment. So far, I also really
like each individual who has been connected with my
program. The staff and teachers seem to be quite willing to
help. I've established a good working relationship with
members of the Program Office.
Interestingly, it is because of the problems I
encountered that I've been able to establish those links in
the Office! There was a need for a lot of communication to
get things straightened out, and I found that the Office
was very helpful - as far as they could - with each of the
problems.
As a new student in the MCTE program, much of the
introductory phase has been similar to what I've
experienced in the past on the undergraduate level - a
whole lot of confusion! I am an extremely organized
individual and perform in a timely manner, but much of the
admission process at Nova is not organized or timely.
In general, there have been several things that I have
experienced that, in my estimation, were not necessary to
have to go through. I am speaking about real basic,
functional things about entryway into any university/
college. These are things that are probably universal
to all college entrance procedures, but which are
certainly magnified when the student is long-distance and
without the opportunity to deal with things in a face-to-
face situation. Many of my complaints concerning admission
procedures, and 'kick-starting' the program have to do with
organizational things that happened with (primarily) the
Program Office and with Financial Aid. While these have
nothing to do with individual courses or professors, they
sure do AFFECT them!
2. What needs to be changed?
As with any program, there are things that aren't
comfortable! There are a number of items that I feel need
to be changed. Some of these have more to do with Nova
policy than with the MCTE program. Again, the Distance
Learning factor accelerates many of these problems because
concerns cannot be addressed in a direct manner. Lack of
timely response (or, in a few instances, NO response) to an
email or a phone call, are highly frustrating. I have never
experienced this with my two professors, but it seems to
happen a lot with Financial Aid and sometimes the Program
Office.
I've spoken a couple of times with George Gabb about one
of my biggest concerns with Nova. As a grad student coming
directly from a B.A. program, I have sacrificed a great
deal in order to return to school to (as quickly as
possible) achieve the degree(s) I need to 'get on with
things.' As such, except for a few contract jobs, I have
been reliant on my scholarships and student loans. The
transition into Nova's program has been very hard, as Nova
gives NO consideration for the extra financial burdens or
schedule of the online student. I think it really should be
a goal of the MCTE Program Office to instigate some changes
that are necessary for the 'different' financing needs of
the online student.
This, coupled with massive problems at Financial Aid,
made me come very close to 'eating' the approximately $900
I had invested, and dis-enrolling from the Program. I only
mention this because these items severely affect the
student, whether they have anything to do with individual
courses, or not.
Nova has been privileged to be a unique program in the
online environment. Things are changing, however, as more
universities take courses and entire programs online. It
has become a much more competitive service. Yes, education
is a service. It is my concern, having made a commitment to
Nova, and endured some 'hard stuff' to stick by my
commitment, that if some changes aren't made, Nova will
become less competitive in that environment! My (and my
peers') successful passage in this program will greatly
affect Nova's online future. With more choices available,
effective and timely services will become very important in
choosing a school.
I am including some things that I feel need to be
reviewed and/or changed:
a. Acceptance into the program needs to be VERY timely,
without the severe delays experienced by this incoming
class. Since acceptance was so late, it made for real
difficulties in making plans: for orientation, for
travel, for financial matters, for job concerns.
Literally, acceptance into the school was in terms of
days, not weeks or months, before the orientation. I've
never heard of that. In pondering my alternatives at
that time, I was so frustrated! I had turned down
acceptance into both the C.U. Denver (Univ. of Colo.)
ILT program, as well as the C.S./Multimedia program at
D.U. (Univ. of Denver). Both of these programs had
offered either financial aid or sufficient coop/intern
positions. I chose Nova for the portability of the
online program. At such a late date of acceptance, I
very much thought I had made a mistake.
b. Better accommodations for necessary textbooks need to
be made. My experience with BOTH classes was a nightmare.
I got the same feedback from my peers. In spite of
starting very early in trying to secure the books,
several of the texts were late in arriving. (I was able
to secure both for 625 before the start of class, but
not for my other course.)
c. Online class information needs to be posted earlier
than it has been. Professor, textbooks, schedule,
syllabus: these need to be made available really early.
Some of the classes didn't have this information up until
the week of the start of class.
d. A list of incoming students for Fall did not arrive
from the Program Office until several weeks into the start
of classes. It would have been very helpful to have this
list when we left from the orientation weekend, in order
to be able to communicate with those we met. Each
teacher should post a list as soon as possible, for
individual classes.
e. I see that communication is vital to this program, and
any effort to improve lines of communication would be
good.
f. Perhaps in the way of communication for new students:
it would help to be assigned a 'student mentor,' a student
who is already in progress and would have some real
insight into the process.
g. The problems I encountered in both the Program Office
and the Financial Aid office seemed to be related to the
under-staffing of both offices, and perhaps to a lack of
a verifiable, organized plan of action. I received many
different answers to the same question, depending on
whom I talked to and when.
NOW, FOR THE GOOD STUFF!! :-)
3. Is the course content relevant to your graduate
level needs?
I am very thankful that I persevered in my commitment to
Nova. In spite of the early problems, I feel justified in
my initial appraisal of Nova's offerings. My first two
courses are both excellent in content and in delivery. (A
short note: I knew that this would happen. As a consumer, I
try to look into all phases of things before I 'buy.' I
admit to cruising through current courses online, and
contacting several students who were already in the
program. I asked their overview of content, and their
personal feelings and assessments. TO A ONE, I received
friendly, favorable-to-VERY-favorable responses. It helped
a lot in my determination to see this through.)
My current courses are exactly what I thought they would
be, and exactly what was needed for the long-range plans
for my education. I am impressed with the choice of
textbooks and with the method of delivery. It is nicely
organized (except for the book problem, which should be
covered by a directive from the Office, for more efficient
means of obtaining the books.) Both of my classes are very
different in delivery and assignments, but both are
appropriate for the content.
A big part of my graduate level needs has to do with the
place of my academic search within the parameters of my
personal life. I returned to college in 1995 after a 20+
year break in academics. Much of my adult life has been
taken up in recovering from a spinal break that happened in
1970 in my first year of college. My commitment to a
successful path through the remainder of the B.A., as well
as a Master's (or beyond) has been strengthened to an iron-
clad level by the fact that I never thought I would be able
to do this!
At this point I am choosing my avenues very carefully,
and with a lot of thought as to WHAT I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH.
Much of what has been required has NOT met my own (very
detailed and strict) agenda. I KNOW what I want to learn,
and I know the depth to which I want to know these things.
Because of this, many times I perform much more than is
expected from a given professor. I have had a very positive
relationship with most of my professors because of the
intensity of my search and my willingness to perform to the
maximum. I think that possibly the only humans who
understand what it is I'm attempting to do, are professors
at the college level.
When so great a portion of your life is lost to an
accident, there is an element of wanting to make up for
lost time. For this reason, I have attempted to include as
much as possible into each academic quest. One thing I've
noticed with both of my current professors is that they
seem to understand this drive. If any given assignment
turns out to be a case of 'overkill,' I have run into
favorable commentary rather than an unwillingness to spend
a bit more time in assessing my results. Thank you for
that.
My eventual goal is to be part of a team that is
delivering educational content via the Internet. It is my
strong feeling that much of education will be delivered
that way, and probably much sooner than any of us expects.
I want to be in the dead center of this technology move,
ready to create and deliver! There are a few of us who
understand where (and how quickly) this is going...most of
them are involved in programs such as Nova's. Much of the
academic world is in for a big shock, I believe.
Therefore, the very 'CURRENT-ness' of the program at Nova
is essential to my path. I have noticed that course content
and research offerings at Nova are very up-to-date and
current.
4. Is the on-line environment adequate to support
your research?
I have been working via the Internet for over three
years, and am very comfortable with research methods
online. Over the past year, I've seen a drastic increase in
Internet content. it is massive and a bit overwhelming,
even for an avid researcher such as I! When I began my
classes and started using Nova's research facilities, I
have been impressed with the magnitude and quality of the
online choices.
In my undergraduate studies, I entered the Auraria Campus
library only a few times, and hardly ever to perform
research. The offerings online are much vaster, and
certainly easier to obtain, once a student is familiar with
the avenues. Any 'wait' that ensues for receipt of
documents is shorter than requesting hard-copy material.
Nova's online offerings are totally praiseworthy. I like
being able to instantly retrieve many of the documents. I
have been able to instantly download materials, as well as
put through requests that are delivered by email within
REALLY short time periods. This is a wonderful benefit for
students.
Most colleges HAVE these offerings - the average student
just isn't aware of them (actually, many professors are not
aware of them!! - several of my undergraduate professors
sought my advice on online searches, and I was asked to
talk to several classes). The average student at Nova, it
seems, is in that group that is ahead in its understanding
of where education is going.
5. Does the combination of the Graduate Student Forum,
the on-line syllabus work and email provide adequate
interaction with the professor?
Both of my professors have been accessible and have
replied quickly with needed information.
I am very impressed with how effective the Graduate
Student Forum platform is! I am able to check the Forum at
least once daily, and the input is immediate. In taking the
initiative to respond to one of my classmates, I found that
that sort of interaction was not only allowed, but
encouraged (a small note in the forum at the start of class
might be helpful! I think no one knew they could do that!)
The thing I like best about the Forums is that we are
able to see what our peers are doing and it helps to pace
our efforts. It really is one of our only forms of
'feedback.' I much prefer this method to any other. Email
is great for mass or personal communication. But, for an
ongoing "class dialogue," the Forums are the best.
When posting a work to the Queues (my other course),
there is no feedback at all! Not only can you not see your
OWN work online, but you cannot see/read the work of your
peers. A place to post your paper has been made for that
class, but few students have done it. So, there isn't that
feeling of feedback. I had the same feeling with the recent
email posting of my first Assignment #2 paper (mcte625) by
email. It has become important to me to be able to track my
own, and other's, progress by the reading of our online
work. To deliver by snail mail would create the same
frustration, although it would allow for better formatting
of a document and the addition of graphics.
When the program is taken to a totally internet-delivered
interface, I feel that there will be a more common ground
for all courses. I am hoping that it will help in the
communication factor, as the feeling of being isolated is
very strong for distance learners.
Believe it or not, I like the ECR concept! Although
difficult for some students to attend, I think they are a
marvelous way of creating a real-time aspect to our
studies. Once the program is by Internet, the "chat
services" that could be made available would speed up an
online classroom. However, I don't know if that will be
offered by computing services.
The online syllabus for MCTE625 is excellent. My other
class has a syllabus, but it isn't as extensive or
descriptive. Of course, the material is different, and his
syllabus meets my needs for that class, too. I very much
like the PDF format of 625's syllabus. It is apparent that
much thought and planning went into the creation of this
class. I was easily able to create a timeline for my
studies.
---
I've probably more than bent your ear with this one,
George! To quickly encapsulate this:
There were many problems getting this course of study
started. I am happy to state that I kept this Irish redheaded
propensity for quick-action (translate: temperament!) in check,
and I am very pleased with what Nova has to offer. My greatest
hope for my graduate degree(s) is that I will be allowed to
explore more deeply than is required, and it looks like that
will happen. I am extremely pleased with my current classes, and
expect that will continue throughout my Nova experience. All of
the logistics problems will simply have to be endured!
Thanks for the opportunity to 'sound off' a bit!
Leanne Carson Boyd
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at Leanne@refuge-earth.org
All works on this site are protected, copyright ©1984 - 1999