The Class is Coming to an End

Well, the class is almost officially over. In some ways I am relieved because I need a break. A really long break. This semester has had to be on the most challenging semesters EVER in my graduate career. My participation in my courses was atrocious. Should I have taken the semester off? Probably, but it was my last semester and I was afraid that if I took a semester off, I wouldn't return. But did I make the right decision? I've been fighting a terrible illness during this entire time and it has literally left me weak, extremely fatigued, and depressed, and oh the list can go on and on. I am so disappointed in my performance. My academic advisor informed me that my condition would allow me to ask my professors for an "I" to give me time to complete my work. I don't really know why I just didn't take the time off or talk to my professors. I'm such a closed person and I guess I have to come to terms with that soon.

What's really sad is that I've enjoyed reading every one's posts and the class discussions were definitely lively. But lack of energy definitely stopped me from joining in. The one benefit I've seen from keeping a learning journal is that this is where I always tend to find my voice. I've found that writing in my learning journal is stress free and I feel like I can be myself without worrying about if I'm including enough sources to back up my statements. I am free to express myself without judgement from my peers. Well, they do have access to my journals and then there is the fact that the professor has to grade it, but it's one area where I do not fear those things. I'm guessing that is one of the greatest tools of a learning journal.

I said that I was in some ways relieved that the course was over. Well, on the other hand I am not. I had so much more to offer and I did not get the chance to do that. I did learn a lot from this course and I look forward to pursuing distance learning teaching opportunities in the future and this course has given me a great foundation with which to build on. Thank you!

Collaborative Assignment

I think I had THE MOST fun in this course with the collaborative assignment. I'm not usually a fan of collaborative assignments due to group members not contributing equally. But my group was stellar! The first collaborative assignment we had in the beginning of the semester was a bit challenging because we started late and it was a little hard trying to get everyone going.

But this time we were ready. Even though we were only given one week to complete the project, I think we did an outstanding job! Everyone came and was ready to work and this is such an important aspect of group work. It's funny that we were able to come together and effectively complete this project asked each group to come up with a class to implement at a learning institution and analyze it using the ACTIONS model and we came up with designing a course on Organizational Effectiveness.

Each group member brought their own area of expertise which helped to produce a cohesive project. I particularly like assignments that call for us to analyze a situation/product/etc because it helps me to learn more about it. The ACTIONS model consists of Access, Costs, Teaching and Learning, Interactivity and User Friendliness, Organizational Issues, Novelty, and Speed. We had to use these components to analyze the practicality of implementing a course such as this via distance education and if it would be beneficial to the students and the institution.

The ACTIONS model closely resembles the SECTIONS model that I had to use in a previous MDE course. I should have posted the question to the discussion board asking what the main difference was between the two models since they basically cover the same things. I kept finding myself wanting to refer back to the SECTIONS model and had to keep reminding myself not to do so.

But back to the project, while I at times fight against collaborative work, I do recognize the benefits. Collaborative learning has been shown to maximize the learning experience and my reaction to this project is example of just that. I felt I learned a lot from working with the other students on one assignment. Working with this group restored my faith in group work and I look forward to doing more. I feel my leadership potential shine through more when I work in groups. Is that weird?

Videoconferencing

Now there's an interesting form of communication! I've never had the pleasure of using videoconferencing in a distance education course but I do love to participate in videoconferencing. It makes e feel more connected, at least more so than simply chatting online or sending emails. But the topic was brought up as to whether videoconferencing should be included in distance education courses or not.

It is my opinion that videoconferencing within a distance education can have benefits. I argued that it could be used a supplementary resource to increase interactivity and build a greater sense of community. I did note that there are potential drawbacks to videoconferencing such as the costs associated with it and then accessibility issues which may hinder the learning process if too many problems are encountered.

I don't think it should be used as the primary means in delivering a course but I do think more institutions should look into including it in their courses. Having more than one mode of communication in a course such as videoconferencing may attract more students. I know I'd certainly be enthralled with videoconferencing in a future course!

Module 4

Module 4 presented us with the costing of educational technologies. The topic that interested me the most was in regard to print media. Print, or texts, are still the number one choice of many institutions when deciding on course materials. Within the topic it would appear that institutions configure the costs of using print/texts in their course when undergoing the course design and development phase. This sounds good but what I've begun to see in many online programs, excluding the MDE program at UMUC, is the fact that a course will require a student to purchase a particular text or set of texts in order to complete the class.

I know it seems as that is not a problem and it may be somewhat different than what the topic is referring to but it's something I felt the need to write about. The problem I've begun to see is that courses are requiring these texts and are barely using them throughout the duration of the course. Now why increase a student's cost for materials that aren't going to be used extensively? I mean I have at one time spent $250 on course material only to have used it ONCE!! That's outrageous! And yes, it has occurred in an online course.

I personally like the way UMUC's MDE program works in that the majority of the course material used is provided free for the students. Now, there may be a fee for us to access this material for free but if there is, it has already been included in our tuition and fees. I think more online courses should try to incorporate course materials that can be accessed for free or in other words, not be an additional expense on top of tuition and fees. Students already pay LOTS of money to even enroll in the course, can't some slack be cut for us? I'm just saying...

Redemption with Assignment 2

So after a not so good start with the grade I received on Assignment 1, I totally redeemed myself with Assignment 2!!! First off, it was a writing assignment. Writing is definitely my niche, regardless of what the content is, I am a great writer. And not just a great writer but great at exploring concepts and tying them in to course readings.

This essay called for answering 1 of 2 questions and presenting your ideas in 2 pages or 1000 words. I'd like to first say that word limitations always tend to be tough for me. Once I get into the assignment, I never have a hard time meeting the word limit, I have a rough time not going over it. I wonder why putting word limitations on assignments is important? I can certainly understand having a minimum number of words but don't fully understand the maximum. But that's another post.

The question I chose to present on focused on the impoact of ICTs on distance education, ascertaining whether DE institutions were vulnerable and applying Rumble's vulnerability debate and determining whether it was still valid or not. A mouthful, right? That's what I thought until I began writing. I actually found lots of enjoyment writing this assignment.

Rumble's vulnerability debate centers around the escalating competition between distance education institutions and campus based institutions that are branching out into distance education by adding distance education courses/programs to their portfolio. This increasing competition, brought forth by the increase in ICT has indeed placed distance education institutions. I concluded that if DE institutions are to remain viable they must collaborate with other campus based universities or become a dual mode university, serving both traditional and distance students.

It was an A paper and definitely redeemed the utter disaster that was my first assignment. Okay, not total disaster, but any grad student will tell you that a C is tragic!

Online Courses

In Module 3 we had a visiting expert, Greville Rumble. In one of the earlier discussions with him, the speculations as to why students tend to drop out of online courses came about and I found this rather interesting. I have personal experience in this matter and would like to reflect on that. A family member of mine decided to return to school for an undergraduate degree and attending online was the chosen method of attending. Before enrolling I explained that online classes are not easier than traditional classes, in fact it may be harder.

I also explained that taking classes online require a great amount of motivation, independence, and sacrifice. Off course that went in one ear and out the other and now not even done with the first semester it does not seem likely that they will continue on.

It was always struck me as weird that many people don't take distance education seriously. Even in the working industry there are still people who frown their noses at potential employees who have received their degree online. Why is this when an online program can be just as rigorous, if not more so, than a traditional program? I have attended both a traditional program and an online program and both were a great experience. For me, the only difference was the sense of community at the traditional institution and quicker access to a variety of sources. But as far as the level of education I received, I believe they were both equal. I put in more effort into my online program than I did my traditional program but this could have been due to my having a different focus, being older.

Due to many people underestimating the time and quality of distance education courses, there appears to be a student retention problem. Many students are opting to not finish their programs. This may not all be due to students not taking online courses seriously, life changes could also be the result. But it is in my opinion that student motivation ranks high in why the drop out rates are high.

Overview of Module 2

Well, there wasn't much participation in this part of the module and that was due to everyone focusing on Assignment 1. Let me tell you, math is definitely NOT my strong suit. Instead of me asking for help, I soldiered on thinking that I could tackle it by myself. Well that was a major mistake! I didn't fail the assignment but getting a C on an assignment in grad school is definitely a no-no.

I think if I had participated in the conference discussions, I would have understood the assignment better. The first part of the module discussed how you go about creating a budget for distance education and listed a method called "the ingredients approach" which I found to be rather interesting. You start by deciding the type of course to be developed, the activities to be done within the course, the materials needed, how many students are to be enrolled, etc and then you determine the costs for each.

At first glance this may not seem like a hard task but when you really get into designing the course those costs begin to add up. How do you determine what is definitely needed and what is not? What should the average distance education class cost or is that only determined by the content being studied? So many more questions come to mind that it adds more to the mix making creating a budget rather time consuming. Impossible? No. But you have to have a good grasp on the essentials of course design or else you'll be lost.

The module then progressed to classifying costs by determining if they were direct or indirect costs. The professor listed direct costs as those things pertaining to developing and teaching the course while indirect costs pertained to operating costs and costs that were fixed and those that were variable.

These topics were to lead us to success in our first assignment. When I was completing the assignment it seemed a hard task but after it was completed it seemed so simple. It's amazing how when you're too close to something you can't make see it clearly until you step away. I guess I should have stepped away before submitting it! But I have learned my lesson for the next time around, I will make sure to ask my professor for clarification on anything because that is what they're there for. In fact, the instructor is one of those "ingredients" in course design and one that should be sought as a primary source.

Overview of Module 1

I thoroughly enjoyed Module 1. It opened my eyes to view education differently. I've only viewed education as a means to advance your knowledge and increase the chances of obtaining a higher income. I've never really had to view education in aspect to the cost of higher education. When you begin to look at it from that viewpoint, ideas you once had may begin to form into something different.

For example, is education for everyone? Not all individuals will benefit from higher education as it appears that only particular studies have the chance to give individuals higher income which in turn is supposed to help boost productivity. That's not to say individuals shouldn't pursue higher education, because for those who pursue less than favorable studies (ones with lower incomes such as liberal arts) can still have a boost in productivity just from the mere fact that they're more motivated maybe because they have a passion for what they do. And in that sense, having passion for what you're doing without higher education can also lead to higher productivity.

This module helped me to see how education ties into economic growth and productivity. When I thought of higher incomes as a result of obtaining advanced degrees, it was to provide a better life for my family. But I didn't see it as helping the economy, but now I do and it's very interesting seeing it from this viewpoint.

Distance Education

Class topics have thus far have covered the importance (or lack of importance) of education and the role it plays in economic growth. The focus has shifted towards the access and cost of distance education. Since we're going with the theory that education can help to stimulate economic growth, we then move forward to discussing how we access education and training as well as the costs of doing so. While there is the option of traditional education, distance education is increasingly becoming a viable option for advanced education and training.

So just what is distance education? As its name suggests, it's learning via distance. The instructor and learner are typically separated by space and time. Now, learners usually access distance education courses via asynchronous and/or synchronous technology. Asynchronous technology allows learners to access course materials on their own time, such as using discussions boards or email, while synchronous technology allowing learners to meet at the same time, such as web-conferencing. Now of course there are many more ways to access distance education courses but attempting to list them all would not be beneficial to this post.

Accessing distance education courses seems to be the relatively easy part. Yes, I know I shouldn't call it easy but let's not focus on that part. LOL. The hard part, for the learners, comes in financing this education/training. And this is where it gets tricky. Higher education can be financed through grants, scholarships, federal and private loans. For some of these options, it can a simple process, filling out your FAFSA for need based aids, completing applications for scholarships and grants. While the task can be daunting, learners don't typically encounter many problems in securing financing for their education.

Oh no, the problem comes after these funds are disbursed, specifically federal and private loans. Learners tend to take out these vast amounts of loan even when they don't need the full amount offered), creating vast amounts of debt in which they hope they will be able to repay once they receive their higher education degree. After all, one of the many reasons learners cite as why they pursue higher education degrees is to increase their income. Now what happens when a learner finishes their program and does not secure employment with an income to support those loans that were taken out to finance the education? Should learners only pursue programs with higher averages of incomes such as math and hard sciences?

Not all programs come with the guarantee of higher incomes (such as being a Liberal Arts major). Do we abandon those types of programs because they don't generate high incomes and which according to research, won't increase productivity as higher incomes are supposedly the cause for it. I could go more into detail but then I'd have to do another post (which I may have to!).

These are reasons as to the question education being a good or bad thing was put forth. While I certainly believe education to be a good thing, it does leave me to question why certain programs are more favorable than others.

Human-Capital Theory

Sounds interesting, right? Well it is! The Human-Capital Theory is defined as the education and training that an individual or group undergoes in an effort to to increase economic growth. Investing in human capital, similar to investing in higher education, is thought to improve economic growth. Just as I mentioned in the previous post, it is not feasible to assume that investing in education (human capital) will increase productivity.

There exists the inability to accurately measure certain aspects of cause of low/high productivity. Each individual is different and therefore will differ when it comes to personal characteristics, morals and values, and past experiences and so forth.

While I understand the premise behind human-capital, I must say that I am still a little confused about where I stand. On one hand, I agree that education and training do no guarantee increased productivity thus stimulating economic growth. But on the other hand, I regard education, specifically higher education, as something that all individuals should take part in. I think education combined with experience/training allows you to see things from a different perspective. I just feel like education is now being viewed as strictly a business and the outcome is to make the economy better. I think when you focus on such a large picture, you lose sight of what each individual can get out of it for themselves and not just for economic growth.

This is why I am confused because I can see how investing in human-capital can stimulate economic growth and benefit us all but at the same time it doesn't mean that everyone should be pushed to do so because then you begin having problems such as human-capital helping some people but not all.

Is Education a Good Thing?

My new course, OMDE 606, started off with a very interesting question; is education a good thing? Without giving the question much thought, many would answer yes, education is a good thing. After reading the article, Education: Elixir or Snake Oil (Wolf, 2002) it left me feeling somewhat confused about the question. Before responding students were assigned the role of either proponents of the argument or opponents. I was assigned the task of opposing the argument.

As mentioned in the class discussion, many people tend to list higher incomes as the reason why they're pursuing higher education degrees. Research shows that the "happier" and employee is, the more productive they are, the more the economy benefits from the increased productivity. So it would seem that it is a good thing to invest more money into the education system. I argued that just because some individuals appear to prosper financially after receiving a higher education degree does not mean that all will follow in the same path if given the same opportunity. And because of that fact, it does not seem feasible to pump loads of money into education.

However, if we are to look at education as not just a means of achieving a higher income but instead as a way to improve the quality of life (because quality of life does not always tie in with money) then the purpose of higher education becomes clear. Yes, we all want to make more money (who wouldn't) but that shouldn't be the driving force behind creating a financial deficit in the name of higher education.

Economic growth should not be measured by the amount of individuals holding degrees. If we educate ourselves on topics such as consumer spending and increased savings opportunities, maybe we would have a better shot at a positive and long term economic future.

So in your opinion, is education a good thing???

New Class and New Challenges

So as I take on a new assignment of using a learning journal as a tool for reflective thinking, I am yet again met with new challenges. My new course, OMDE 606 Costs and Economics of Distance Education, has me shaking in my boots so to speak. Whenever I hear or see the words "costs" and "economics" in a course title I cringe because it usually means some kind of math is involved. Math has never been my strong suit yet it is not a challenge that I back away from. I've had some what of a slow start to my studies this semester but I am very interested in the content to be taught within this class. So here's to me finishing out my semester strong and learning lots and lots about Costs and Economics of Distance Education!

Coming to an End

Class has begun to wind down as the semester is coming to a close. I've experienced many different things and learned about various topics more in this class than I have in any other! The learning journal was by far the most resourceful tool I've had since beginning my graduate studies. It allowed me to further reflect on topics that were discussed in class. And by being able to write freeform my thoughts were able to flow more freely and I started asking questions that I may not have asked before.

I've also discovered that I'm a big supporter of constructivist learning theory. Who would have guessed?! I just find the concept of constructing new knowledge based on each learner's prior experience and understanding of the world fascinating.

I've also come to learn that I'm a rather weird learner. I connect with the material but it isn't always conveyed in my postings. And while I can connect with the material and understand it, I feel a disconnect within the class. That's something for me to explore in more depth.

Even though I've been hit with health problems I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in the class. The learning journal, as well as many of the assignments and readings have set a foundation to discover the type of learner that I am and what I need to know and understand to become an effective online instructor. Here's to more learning and reflection!!!

Out of Place-Brindle et. al

Again this issue of isolation comes up. Apparently it's more common than I thought it was. Or at least more people may at times feel isolated in an online learning environment. But what really struck me was that instructors experience this too. I've never attempted to look at it from the viewpoint of an instructor, mainly because I've only been an online student. Moving into the realm of instructor is still illusive to me. Nonetheless, the assigned readings opened me to new thoughts.

As I've stated in previous posts, I've at times felt isolation in my classes and this is regardless of whether I'm overly active in the discussions or quiet. I'm starting to realize that what may be occurring is that isolation is expected to happen at some point in the course of pursuing education in an online learning environment. I'd be interested to know what causes this? Is it school related? Home responsibilities? Work? Combination of many factors? It certainly warrants a deeper look into the complexities of distance education. I think at times many articles tend to focus on the benefits of distance education, pedagogical approaches, etc. rather than the underlying unhealthy components of distance education. Not that there aren't articles out there discussing how to cope with the complexities of distance education, they're just not as prolific as other articles.

But I did find it rather interesting to know that students (especially me) aren't the only ones who experience isolation in online learning environments.

Everyone is NOT an Expert

Haha! Downes' article was a riot! He presents a blog where he attempts to discuss the principles of effective e-learning. To me, this article just simplified distance education to be nothing more than a search engine where you go to learn bits and pieces of information. His inaccurate description of distance education and failed discussion on the principles of effective e-learning left me wondering if he had ever participated in an actual online course!?

And to think he's made a reputation for himself with posts like this. How?? Why??

The only useful piece I got from the blog article was in reference to discussion threads being a great resource for learning. There have been multiple times where I may not have thoroughly understood the material I ha just read yet going through the posts of other classmates helped me to get a better understanding of the material. Downes attributes this to interactivity and that's about the only part of the article that I agreed with!

Everyone is NOT an expert and in Downes' case, clearly not even knowledgeable, but if you are not you should not try to offer an opinion on matters as important as effective e-learning principles that could hinder one's understanding. Thankfully, I'm a little more aware of effective e-learning principles and what distance education entails so I won't fall victim to such heresy! So frustrating!

The Joys of Feedback

So we had to read an article from Lewis & Abdul-Hamid and I found an excerpt from the article to be quite interesting (I posted about this in the conference as well). What I found interesting was the statement, "whether it be individually, in small groups, privately, or in the public forum, all student regardless of their performance in the course are given individualized feedback and an overall impression of how they are doing at every stage of the course".

Now I understand how important feedback is for a student. For me, I anxiously wait for my instructors to return my assignments or comment on posts that I've made to let me know if I'm on the right track. But what I found most interesting about the excerpt was the part referencing giving feedback at every stage of the course. Wow! At first glance I'm thinking to myself who has time for that?!? Of course if you have a small class maybe this wouldn't seem so far-fetched. But what about instructors with large classes? Certainly providing feedback in the manner such as what these authors suggest would amount to a second job. And while I am sure that a student would feel grateful for the feedback, I know I would because I'm constantly worrying about my performance, but wouldn't this go against the purpose of online learning? At least one of the purposes.

To me, providing feedback in such a manner is more than an instructor guiding a student. Online learning promotes independence in adult learners and while feedback is important, adult learners should not look to it as a sole means of continued participation. What I mean is that I think feedback overkill can handicap a student, making them rely too heavily on feedback. Constructing knowledge and the learning process in online learning environments (even traditional learning environments) has many components and if both the instructor and student focus too much on one (feedback) how are they getting the most out of the course/experience?

How much feedback is too much feedback? Where does an instructor draw the line? Can a student ever feel like they're getting too much feedback? So many questions, yet I'm nowhere close to an answer :-\

Safe and Supporting Conditions in Online Classes

One of our assignments called for us to list three things that were important to us as learners in online courses and safe and supporting conditions stood out most to me. I think all learners (as evidenced by many of my classmates' responses) list this as an important factor in online courses. It's also a component of facilitating learning. Instructors must create a safe environment so that students are encouraged to express themselves freely. I must say that each of my online courses have enabled me to freely express my ideas on topics even if my ideas/comments were not favored by all. Yet it leaves me wondering if creating a safe and supporting environment really aid in participation. Yes, there are many other factors that facilitate learning but as I previously stated, this stood out for me.

In a sense this ties back to my post about virtual communities. In each of my classes there has been a sense of community as well as safe and supporting conditions yet neither of these are what compels me to participate. Maybe, unconsciously. It's like I know there is a sense of community and that it's safe yet something still holds me back. What I have learned is that it is not an effect of distance education as I hinted towards a few posts back as I've experienced this same thing in face-to-face classes. Which of course leads back to it being something within me. I get so afraid of rejection that I hold back. And it's so frustrating because I KNOW I have so much potential. If my classes provide a safe and supporting community, why am I holding myself back. What am I afraid of???

Constructivism

We've read many articles on different pedagogical approaches and I must say that I am rather enthralled with constructivism. Using one's prior knowledge, experience, and understanding of the world to construct new knowledge is fascinating. It's fascinating because I've never thought of learning in this manner. In my opinion, regardless of what pedagogical approach an instructor utilizes, all students tend to bring with them their own perceptions of the world and those perceptions shape any new information presented.

Of course, as with any theory, there are criticisms of constructivism. Some of the readings have presented compelling arguments against the effectiveness of constructivism but I think the good far outweigh the bad. In this day and age, the average adult learner who actively seeks knowledge (i.e. furthering their education) needs to have control over their learning and constructivism allows this. Not only constructivism but distance education classes as well since they tend to promote independence (but that's an entirely different topic). Adult learners are no longer in the phase of learning what the teacher wants them to learn by rote memorization. Instead, adult learners make an active choice to seek knowledge and therefore should be more in control of what they learn.

As an adult learner I'm quickly beginning to understand that, huge thanks in part to me being an MDE student. With any pedagogical approach I think the underlying process involves tyring to understand how students learn and how they learn best. Of course constructivism may not apply to all students (i.e. those coming from a limited background possessing little knowledge and experiences) but I'm a fan of constructivism.

And it's funny because when I first began reading about constructivism I honestly could not stand it! Now look at me.

Virtual Communities/Isolation

It's interesting that I keep coming across this concept of virtual communities. It's embedded in our reading assignments and just like my last post, it's something that I had not heard considering I've been an online student for quite some time. I'm starting to realize the distinct differences between the MBA and MDE programs, which I guess should be pretty obvious. Nonetheless, this concept of virtual communities caught my attention finally. Enough to want to write a journal entry!

Just what is a virtual community? In my own words I think a virtual community is a group of people in different geographic locations having somewhat of the same interests/classes/etc. that come together in an online environment. Hmm, if it were that simple then I guess my class is considered a virtual community?? And maybe it is, but shouldn't a community make you feel as though you are connected by more than simply having the same interests or classes? If so, I have to admit that I've never felt such a thing. And for some odd reason I do not think it is the fault of the online learning community. Maybe it is. Or maybe it's both the community and myself.

I also know that there are advantages of virtual communities such as enabling learners to interact with a diverse group of people (per the readings) and I can say that I have been able to do that but something is still missing.

Many researchers say that students tend to feel a sense of isolation when taking online courses (and I think that's why virtual communities are important). Maybe because I've been an online student for such a long time and have lost that feeling you get when you interact with other students in a f2f class setting. Even when I try to become more engaged, I still feel a disconnect. Could it be the content? I don't know but it perturbs me greatly. I don't like the feeling of isolation yet it seems as if I can't do anything about it.

Is Enough Time Being Allotted to Lessons?

After the reading the article on novice instructors I was left pondering why it seemed to me that instructors focused more on delivering the content of a particular subject rather than on whether the student actually grasped what was being presented. As I stated in the discussion on this topic, in my experience with online classes I have often found that my instructors would present the content, not engage in discussion, and then move on to the next topic/objective. I initially stated that I could possibly understand why instructors would choose to do this but upon further reflection I do not agree with that anymore.

It is not beneficial to the student nor the instructor to simply rush through topics just to ensure that everything is "covered". Engaging thoroughly with the material, both the student and the professor, is how learning takes place. For example, class discussions are a huge part of an online learning environment and it is in my opinion that this is a critical component for both the student and teacher. For the student, it is to express his or her understanding of the material being presented at that time and for the teacher it is to guide that student into a deeper/richer understanding or therefore making their contribution to the discussion just as important as the student's.

One of the reasons I chose to attend UMUC was because the structure of their online learning environment did not strike me as being rushed (i.e. earn your degree in as little as a year type thing). But I have found that even in a 10-15 week course subject matter is gone over rather quickly. Maybe this is the nature of online learning. A survey on how instructors determine how much time should be spent on material would probably yield very interesting results. Interesting...

Just How Important is Technology?

There was a lot of discussion on technology in week 4. The discussion was based on technology being a driving force behind distance education. Some discussions led me to believe that the overuse of technology has hindered distance education while on the other hand technological advancements have enhanced distance education. In my opinion, technology used to deliver educational content is just as important as the content itself. I agreed with a student in stating that I agree that poor use of technology in any case can be a setback yet research shows that proper use of technology has and will continue to enable students access to unlimited knowledge and information.

In a distance education environment institutions must have in place current technology. I can understand the arguments relating to not placing so much importance on technology but at the same time it shouldn't be counted as ineffective. I also found it interesting that the type of technology used in distance education courses should be the last aspect determined in a distance education course. Why is it that it can't work both ways? Why can't you determine the type of technology you'll use and then build your course around that? I just wonder what the implications of that would be....

Reflective Thinking

I've heard the term reflective thinking countless times but it never occurred to me to discover what it really was. Considering that I've been in school for over 20 years, you'd think that I would be quite familiar with its concept. Reading Mayes' article (as well as just about everything else in this course) made me realize just how truly important reflective thinking is. Not just important, but an essential and fundamental element necessary for learning.

It is through discussion that we are able to learn, to take in other people's perceptions and we use reflective thinking to process these new perceptions and try to make sense of those new perceptions by using our own perceptions (prior knowledge). Reflective thinking allows for a greater learning experience and it's something that I becoming to understand is pretty much unavoidable. So when I really think about it, it's more than likely (highly possible) that I have utilized reflective thinking in the past without realizing it. However, now I am able to channel my thoughts in a way to get the most of learning.

I also feel as though effective reflective thinking in itself is a learning technique. What I mean is that I don't think you're a born expert, it is something that must be honed in on in order to mature to its full capability. I'm off to do some research to see if there are ways in which you can improve your reflective thinking skills, it's such a necessary concept, one that shouldn't be left unattended!

Recognizing That Change is Good

So last week we had to read an article by Wilson and I must say I found it rather interesting. We had to choose a line/excerpt from the article and talk about it. I liked this activity so much that I wanted to include it in my journal. Below is the excerpt I chose and my explanation as to its importance to me.

"Consistent theoretical grounding is only possible or desirable where participants share a common ideology. Examples might include the military, a small company, or a charter school. But even in these cases, constituencies have this maddening tendency to diverge off the beaten path; to seek innovation and change; to differ on even fundamental points. Resulting instructional designs are likely to be some sort of compromise, reflecting the diversity of the community. And rather than being seen as a weakness for lack of theoretical consistency, I tend to see such compromise as valuable reality checks" (Wilson, n.d., p. 7).

I found this excerpt to stand out the most for me as I constantly come across this in both my educational and professional life. In learning environments I tend to see that generally, most communities do attempt to utilize a common concept or try to generalize a theory to fit for everyone. While I can understand the implications for doing so, especially when looking at the given examples, it makes me wonder why we tend focus so much on applying a single/common theory when we as individuals are not one in the same. And even though most learning communities allow room for change and innovation, many still hold strong to a common theory across the board.

I also come across this in my daycare when managing my employees. I find myself trying to use a general theory of management practice when dealing with my employees and find myself getting frustrated when it seems as if I need to employ another theory because the current one isn't working for one or all of my employees. So what I like best about the excerpt in regards to my business is that he says to not look at it as a weakness but rather a reality check. A reality check because no matter how common the community, no one theory is going to work 100% of the time and it's okay to change it up a little. You don't have to abandon the theory in favor of a newer one, but altering it by allowing for change and innovation is best. Once you get past that, Wilson says you're beginning to account for people's needs.

Which is Better: Online or Traditional?

Two days ago I submitted my first assignment, an annotated bibliography. I must say that I found this to be rather interesting. The topic I chose was online learning vs traditional learning and which method was preferred when pursuing an MBA degree. I literally found TONS of information. But what I didn't find were clear cut articles that actually addressed whether online learning or traditional learning was best.

Is it too early to decide this? I mean online learning, while extremely popular, is still fairly new so maybe there's not enough groundwork to really assess a question like that. Or maybe online learning and traditional learning are both just as effective. It paves way for more in-depth research into the topic. Surely one has to hold an advantage over the other, especially when it comes to the particular program a student enrolls in.

It would be really interesting to do a study on this. I chose the MBA degree initially because I just completed my studies for the program online. But as I was doing my research I found that online MBA programs are very popular. So if I were to do more research on the topic, focusing it on this particular degree would be beneficial.

But I'd go even further to assess if indeed one method (online or traditional) is better/preferred than the other. It certainly makes for interesting discussion!

Challenges I May Encounter on the Way

One class assignment asked us to determine what challenges we might face in being a graduate student. The biggest challenge for me (and maybe many others) is of course, time management. Time management is one of THE most difficult things for me as a graduate student and in my personal life as well. It's not that I don't accomplish what needs to be done but by the end of the day I feel exhausted and discombobulated of sorts, like I had to rush to fit it all into a small window of time. This can be very overwhelming and often leads to frustration and stress.

I've read many books on time management and yet I still find myself struggling to get it all done without so much pressure. According to the article Time Management (2007) time management "is a set of principles, practices, skills, tools, and systems working together to help you get more value out of your time with the aim of improving the quality of your life" (p.1). Now here's my issue with that, I have yet to discover a book that lists these principles, practices, skills, tools, and systems. Yes, I find information or examples about how to better manage my time but I have yet to discover how I can actually obtain these principles, practices, skills, tools, and systems.

The most meaningful concept of time management, yet still a bit elusive, is ensuring that you are "working on the right things, the things that truly need to be done" (Time Management, 2007, p. 1). How do I know if I'm working on the right things? I'm not only a full time wife and mom, but I'm also a small business owner and graduate student. These are the four MOST important aspects of my life right now and I still don't know how to effectively juggle them all. Even finding time to write my journal entries is yet another task I find difficulty doing because I try to determine where I can effectively fit it into my schedule.

Time management is very important to me as I know once I get a better handle on it I'll be much more productive. I do somehow manage to get it all done but I have yet to find a manner in which to get it all done and still function at a normal level. What I'm learning is that just because I have not found my most effective method today does not mean I should stop looking. In the meantime, I'll just continue to try different ways to effectively manage my time.

References

Time management. (2007). Timethoughts. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from http://www.timethoughts.com/time-management.htm

Being a Graduate Student

Trying to determine which three things would challenge me most as a graduate student was very difficult. My first thought was, "Isn't everything a challenge with being a graduate student?". But as I sat down to ponder what three challenges I would write about, I began to realize that I never thought to wonder what it meant to actually be a graduate student. When this question was asked in my MDE 610 class, I started to really think and it brought me back to when I first became a graduate student. Being a graduate student in itself is a challenge. I find that the majority of graduate students are full time employees, have families, commitments far outside any association with school. So how does one overcome all that to become a graduate student? And that's where I started.

What made me decide to become a graduate student? I've always loved learning. That, coupled with the fact that I wanted to advance in my career, pursuing my Master's degree was ideal. I was working as an Executive Assistant to the Assistant Dean of Admissions at George Mason and determined that pursuing my MBA degree would help in my future career endeavors. The initial steps taken to apply and enroll in my first course went so smoothly that I wrongly assumed I could take this on with no problems! Ha! That just sounds funny right? Who in their right mind would think grad school would be easy? A person who obviously hadn't give much thought to what it would be like to be a graduate student.

My first semester of graduate school was a mess! I still can't believe I made it through with hair. I didn't realize that I'd be sacrificing plenty of family/social time in lieu of writing papers, reading hundreds of pages of text, and participating in class discussions. While I managed to somehow meet every deadline, I realized that I wasn't learning. I was so focused on getting the assignment done that I wasn't allowing myself the chance to actually absorb what I was learning. That was a HUGE mistake!

I also was afraid to ask the professor questions because I feared that because I was a graduate student, I should know all of this already! My questions seemed "stupid" and I didn't want to be viewed as not being smart so I kept my mouth shut. Yet another HUGE mistake as my work suffered for it. What was I doing? What was I learning? Did I really have what it took to be a graduate student? I was losing out on family time, I was frustrated, overwhelmed, and stressed. So many questions were flying through my head and I honestly thought about quitting. But I wasn't a quitter! I told myself that I could do this.

I talked with my advisor, I talked with my professors, I talked with other graduate students, and even post graduate students. I sought advice on how to make it as a graduate student. I think many students when first starting out focus on the end result but never realizing until they're "in it" what it takes to reach that end result. I fail victim to just that kind of thinking. It's not always about the end result, although don't get me wrong, it is important, but it's how you get there that makes the end result much more special.

What did I learn from this experience? I learned that you have to stay focused, ask questions, and know that you're not the only one who makes mistakes. How else can you learn if you're so perfect at everything? I also learned to recognize challenges that I may be faced with for future graduate classes (I'll expound on that in the next posting). Being a graduate student is definitely a challenge, but a challenge that can be overcome. Where's the fun and pride in achievement if there's not a challenge?

Not only did I complete my MBA, I'm now pursuing my second Master's degree in Distance Education. I did manage to complete my MBA studies exclusively online :-) What better way to enhance my MBA by wholly understanding the process in which I endured to get my degree. Not only that, I've developed a great passion for online learning and hope to someday teach at a distance.