Under the Flash and Gee-Whiz of Online Learning– a student experience

Thank Jeremy Hiebert for sharing via his blog Old-School Adminstration of Online Learning’ÄÝ
. Jeremy is very favorable of his online learning experience at Memorial University, which is a miracle considering the administrative hurdles placed before him. It is amazing students manage to learn online despite that our institutions are still operating in the wrong century.

Within the program, which is all online, specific courses tend to be run reasonably well, but the administration of the overall program is almost hilariously out of touch. They don’t seem to understand that students learning online require a different way of operating.

Jeremy goes on to describe unapplicable fees for recreational facilities he will never use, and a deans approval required at almost every step of the way.

I’m feeling locked-in now, but if I found out that UBC or another university offered a similar program at a similar price with better service, I’d certainly advise people to check it out. Is this commoditization of learning a bad thing, or will it force old institutions to improve the quality of the experience for students?

I’ve never taken a business class, but how truly <buzzword>”learner centered”</buzzword> our our institutions for not providing meaningful customer service? Perhaps if the were on a tip system rather than full fee…. nah, that is a bad idea too.

But students are comparing more than ever, and sharing their experiences. Kudos to Jeremy for his well-placed constructive comments and honesty.

Our institutions of learning need quite a bit of learning themselves…

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Comments

and why is a tip system a bad idea? As long as the corporate mission was being fullfilled (as measured by student attainment of course competencies), why shouldn’t those that are more successful at helping students achieve in a more enjoyable environment?

What if A&R techs and deans got a (minimal) base pay and had to work for tips? Would their behavior improve (as measured by customers and colleagues)? If instructional technologists worked for tips, you could retire dude…

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