Joanna and Ecolog:
Seems reasonable to me. The tension between change and resistance to change
is always a mix of pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages. And this is
good. In a cooperative society, nobody gets rich, but everybody prospers. In
a competitive culture, "winners" pile up fortunes by exploiting the good
will of those to whom cooperation comes naturally. That's close to the
dictionary definition of "con," or "confidence game."
Time was, education was supposed to be free--or at least not a "profit
center." That's ALL for-profit, and some non-profit (there's more than one
way to skin a cat or a sucker) colleges.
If what Joanna describes is finally catching on, I'm encouraged. But the
student-loan swindle has got to stop.
Perfection will not happen overnight or ever. But excising (or exorcising?)
the con, the bs, and the "devil" out of education is a positive trend.
The "bottom-line" should be whether or not the emphasis is on knowledge and
understanding and continuously improving those quantities and qualities is
the result of the educational system or whether certification is more
important than substance.
WT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joanna Wozniak" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2013 10:50 AM
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Expanding online ed? Considering online schools?
Read this first!
Dear Malcom,
If you are attempting to start a discussion, this figure is quite useful.
But, if using it as an ultimate determination on employer perceptions of
online education, the figure is questionable at best.
There are a number of online programs that offer the caliber expected for
an 'in person' program. In fact, I received my graduate degree in
Environmental Planning & Management from Johns Hopkins. Not only were the
professors excellent, the coursework prepared me directly for functions in
the workplace. The entire degree was online. I also formed a wide network
of colleagues and mentors that help me to this day. In my experience,
employers have been very receptive to my degree. In addition, several of
them told me they were considering online coursework for themselves.
A number of fields of study are not wholly appropriate for an online
experience. Field study and laboratory work do require work away from the
desk and a guiding influence 'on hand'. However, that does not mean that
online programs with residency or cross-university cooperations cannot
account for those learning experiences. I have heard of online degree
programs forming partnerships to oversee fieldwork in the student's
region.
In my current PhD program, we have online learning then fieldwork during
the residency portions.
Depending on your goals, it's important to find the right online program.
It takes a lot of time to 'get through the weeds' in the online searches
or
by word of mouth.
I hope that students considering an online option are not turned off by
the
surveys. Take the time to find the right program, fitting your needs and
the school's reputation in your field.
Thank you for providing this opportunity to discuss online education.
On Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 11:32 AM, malcolm McCallum <
[email protected]> wrote:
http://chronicle.com/img/photos/biz/26employers_overview03.png
Key figure: Employers prefer all kinds of colleges EXCEPT online!!!!
(its not all that close either, for profit is ranked way better than
online programs!)
M
--
Malcolm L. McCallum
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
School of Biological Sciences
University of Missouri at Kansas City
Managing Editor,
Herpetological Conservation and Biology
"Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
Allan Nation
1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert
1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
and pollution.
2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.
2022: Soylent Green is People!
The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi)
Wealth w/o work
Pleasure w/o conscience
Knowledge w/o character
Commerce w/o morality
Science w/o humanity
Worship w/o sacrifice
Politics w/o principle
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