S/O why are online degrees useless?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the expensive brick and mortar university I attended in DC, a bunch of profs would read word for word from their Power Point slides then post the slides online.

Showing up to class offered zero benefit. So I could often skip class and read the slides on my own then show up and pass the tests.

How does that differ from an online class?

Real learning happens on the job anyway.

THIS exactly!!

This is how I felt going to a brick and mortar college. Now I am pursuing another degree online and I have learned a lot more already. I don't waste my time commuting, parking, paying for gas and I can use my time more efficiently.

I think this speak more the the low quality of your brick and mortar college than the high quality of on-line schools. Some people find community college difficult, that doesn't mean the course work is as difficult as the course work at Yale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why they're not respected?

Because there is no guarantee the work is yours. Because there is no writing component, no research projects, no laboratory experience, no presentations, none of the "stuff" that employers actually give a sh*t you can do. Unless your job is to be on the other end of an email "help desk." Oh, and we don't need BAs for that job. We can send that job to India.

Maybe diploma mill type online classes are as you say, but other online classes have a great deal of writing and research required. True, the instructor has no way of knowing that you actually did the writing but isn't that true of bricks and mortar classes as well? PLENTY of plagiarism going on in colleges today....

Anyone CAN game any system, but it's a level of percentage, frequency, and barriers to gaming the system. With online education there are VERY FEW barriers, and I believe this is one of the major reasons why all those managers and HR people said they immediately throw out anyone who has a "degree" from an online school.

I will also point out one other thing: A lot of getting to a job is about getting up, getting dressed, showing up, making it to meetings. It doesn't reflect very well on potential job candidates to claim that a major benefit of online learning is that you didn't have to drive to class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I had a TON in college. Maybe I'm showing my age, but this was done "back in the day."

I find this whole thread depressing.

I don't understand what is so depressing. Have you ever taken a good online class? Maybe they aren't as useless as you seem to think.

never

I received two undergrad degrees from UMCP and an MS from Hopkins. I am currently looking into another graduate degree through McDaniel. I love being around others and having an energetic and productive exchange of ideas. There are enough assignments to do on your own. I'd find it boring to have to complete the course staring at a computer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I had a TON in college. Maybe I'm showing my age, but this was done "back in the day."

I find this whole thread depressing.

I don't understand what is so depressing. Have you ever taken a good online class? Maybe they aren't as useless as you seem to think.

never

I received two undergrad degrees from UMCP and an MS from Hopkins. I am currently looking into another graduate degree through McDaniel. I love being around others and having an energetic and productive exchange of ideas. There are enough assignments to do on your own. I'd find it boring to have to complete the course staring at a computer.

Wy do you assume in an online class, you do not interact with others? I think you have an old fashioned idea of what online education is. It isn't a "correspondence course" where you watch a video of the professor and complete your assignments on your own.

I actually interact more with people online than I ever did in most college classrooms. Did you know that in many online classes, students interact with each other via webcam and discussion rooms? Classes vary of course, but not all of them involve "staring at a computer" passively and filling out a multiple choice test at the end of the course. Some instructors require their students to post a certain number of "substantive, thoughtful" contributions to a discussion, say twice a week and the students are graded on the quality of their contributions. Some teachers have mandatory times when students must be online at the same time and they make presentations and comments via chat forums. There are many different ways to have an online class -- some are hybrid, where students come together a few times in person (and at the end of the course for the final exam).

[Anonymous]

NP here- for me there is a big difference between online degrees from respected educational institutions (UMUC) and degrees from these other places (University of Pheonix, Strayer, etc).

I hired someone with a degree from one of these less-reputable schools few years back. Checked a random sample of her references/experiences during the hiring process but did not call her school. A few months in she was having trouble with the job, specifically around tasks that she had her degree in (like if it was a programming job, she had a degree in programing and specific classes in the specifc languages but could not do program in it). I got suspicious and called her school on a whim one day, and it turns out she had only completed 75% of the courses towards this degree even though she listed it as having been granted a few years earlier. So I asked them to send me documentation so I could build a case to let her go. Well, a few days later I still had not gotten the documentation, so I called the school to get the status and I was told that the problem had been resolved. Turns out they decided to give her credit for being in the workforce to make up for the 25% of the courses she was missing....and as soon as she paid the hefty bill for those on-the-job credits, her degree was going to be retroactively granted back to when she lied about receiving it. I was shocked. No trusted educational institution should work that way.

So I do not think this is an argument of online vs in-person courses. It is a matter of choosing a trusted institution. My college (which now offers online degrees) would never grant someone a retroactive degree for profit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an elementary school principal and have received over a hundred resumes in the last few weeks. The online degree resumes go to the circular file.

Because they threaten the brick and mortar government funded school eco system?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I had a TON in college. Maybe I'm showing my age, but this was done "back in the day."

I find this whole thread depressing.

I don't understand what is so depressing. Have you ever taken a good online class? Maybe they aren't as useless as you seem to think.

never

I received two undergrad degrees from UMCP and an MS from Hopkins. I am currently looking into another graduate degree through McDaniel. I love being around others and having an energetic and productive exchange of ideas. There are enough assignments to do on your own. I'd find it boring to have to complete the course staring at a computer.

Wy do you assume in an online class, you do not interact with others? I think you have an old fashioned idea of what online education is. It isn't a "correspondence course" where you watch a video of the professor and complete your assignments on your own.

I actually interact more with people online than I ever did in most college classrooms. Did you know that in many online classes, students interact with each other via webcam and discussion rooms? Classes vary of course, but not all of them involve "staring at a computer" passively and filling out a multiple choice test at the end of the course. Some instructors require their students to post a certain number of "substantive, thoughtful" contributions to a discussion, say twice a week and the students are graded on the quality of their contributions. Some teachers have mandatory times when students must be online at the same time and they make presentations and comments via chat forums. There are many different ways to have an online class -- some are hybrid, where students come together a few times in person (and at the end of the course for the final exam).

I know all of this. I have friends who teach online courses, and while the last course I took was face to face, we interacted on Blackboard, too.

But no, I don't want to stare at another student on a webcam.

More and more I see those who'd rather text a friend than sit down over coffee for real interaction. It's the same in education. You can log on and pick your nose in your underwear as you respond to others in a discussion room, or you can make the effort to actually be around people.

I think there are some people who are somewhat anti-social. So this is their preferred choice. And sadly, I see more and more teens become anti-social b/c they're always plugged in. Being part of an online course is being plugged in.

But whatever works, I guess . . . So I'll shut up, as I'm sure I'm in the minority.

[Anonymous]

You don't want to take an online class, you don't have to!

What I care about is, will the online class allow me to master the content of class at least as well as I would if I showed up in person?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I had a TON in college. Maybe I'm showing my age, but this was done "back in the day."

I find this whole thread depressing.

I don't understand what is so depressing. Have you ever taken a good online class? Maybe they aren't as useless as you seem to think.

never

I received two undergrad degrees from UMCP and an MS from Hopkins. I am currently looking into another graduate degree through McDaniel. I love being around others and having an energetic and productive exchange of ideas. There are enough assignments to do on your own. I'd find it boring to have to complete the course staring at a computer.

Wy do you assume in an online class, you do not interact with others? I think you have an old fashioned idea of what online education is. It isn't a "correspondence course" where you watch a video of the professor and complete your assignments on your own.

I actually interact more with people online than I ever did in most college classrooms. Did you know that in many online classes, students interact with each other via webcam and discussion rooms? Classes vary of course, but not all of them involve "staring at a computer" passively and filling out a multiple choice test at the end of the course. Some instructors require their students to post a certain number of "substantive, thoughtful" contributions to a discussion, say twice a week and the students are graded on the quality of their contributions. Some teachers have mandatory times when students must be online at the same time and they make presentations and comments via chat forums. There are many different ways to have an online class -- some are hybrid, where students come together a few times in person (and at the end of the course for the final exam).

I know all of this. I have friends who teach online courses, and while the last course I took was face to face, we interacted on Blackboard, too.

But no, I don't want to stare at another student on a webcam.

More and more I see those who'd rather text a friend than sit down over coffee for real interaction. It's the same in education. You can log on and pick your nose in your underwear as you respond to others in a discussion room, or you can make the effort to actually be around people.

I think there are some people who are somewhat anti-social. So this is their preferred choice. And sadly, I see more and more teens become anti-social b/c they're always plugged in. Being part of an online course is being plugged in.

But whatever works, I guess . . . So I'll shut up, as I'm sure I'm in the minority.

Arrrr....kids today! You sound like an old hag

[Anonymous]

I did everything backwards. I'm 31, married for 10 years, two elementary age children. Worked my way up the corporate ladder with no degree. At some point, I knew I was going to need the degree -- possibly even a master's degree, but I kept coming up with excuses to wait. I have a busy, full life. (I am earning a six figure salary in a nonprofit, currently.)

I start at UMUC on August 20. Would I rather be at Georgetown or GW? Of course. But I can't take on that kind of debt load and I have a decade of excellent work experience. So UMUC makes the most sense for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I had a TON in college. Maybe I'm showing my age, but this was done "back in the day."

I find this whole thread depressing.

I don't understand what is so depressing. Have you ever taken a good online class? Maybe they aren't as useless as you seem to think.

never

I received two undergrad degrees from UMCP and an MS from Hopkins. I am currently looking into another graduate degree through McDaniel. I love being around others and having an energetic and productive exchange of ideas. There are enough assignments to do on your own. I'd find it boring to have to complete the course staring at a computer.

Wy do you assume in an online class, you do not interact with others? I think you have an old fashioned idea of what online education is. It isn't a "correspondence course" where you watch a video of the professor and complete your assignments on your own.

I actually interact more with people online than I ever did in most college classrooms. Did you know that in many online classes, students interact with each other via webcam and discussion rooms? Classes vary of course, but not all of them involve "staring at a computer" passively and filling out a multiple choice test at the end of the course. Some instructors require their students to post a certain number of "substantive, thoughtful" contributions to a discussion, say twice a week and the students are graded on the quality of their contributions. Some teachers have mandatory times when students must be online at the same time and they make presentations and comments via chat forums. There are many different ways to have an online class -- some are hybrid, where students come together a few times in person (and at the end of the course for the final exam).

I know all of this. I have friends who teach online courses, and while the last course I took was face to face, we interacted on Blackboard, too.

But no, I don't want to stare at another student on a webcam.

More and more I see those who'd rather text a friend than sit down over coffee for real interaction. It's the same in education. You can log on and pick your nose in your underwear as you respond to others in a discussion room, or you can make the effort to actually be around people.

I think there are some people who are somewhat anti-social. So this is their preferred choice. And sadly, I see more and more teens become anti-social b/c they're always plugged in. Being part of an online course is being plugged in.

But whatever works, I guess . . . So I'll shut up, as I'm sure I'm in the minority.

Arrrr....kids today! You sound like an old hag

You're an online entity to me. Who the hell cares if you think I'm a hag?

Saying it to my face would give it more meaning, but you can't do that on a forum, can you???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did everything backwards. I'm 31, married for 10 years, two elementary age children. Worked my way up the corporate ladder with no degree. At some point, I knew I was going to need the degree -- possibly even a master's degree, but I kept coming up with excuses to wait. I have a busy, full life. (I am earning a six figure salary in a nonprofit, currently.)

I start at UMUC on August 20. Would I rather be at Georgetown or GW? Of course. But I can't take on that kind of debt load and I have a decade of excellent work experience. So UMUC makes the most sense for me.

This is my story almost word for word. I started at Mary Washington last semester. It's hard, 17:31, but you will do just fine. I wish that I hadn't waited so long either.
Good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

non profit is not a good example of the standard business model

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taking an online class right now and there is a ton of reading, writing and research involved. We also just completed a group project which was a great challenge.

Took another class at a school with a professor a few weeks ago and it was hell. He could care less, never answered questions and frustrated the hell out of us. He never gave us a straight answer about anything. His tests were a joke and I was surprised that this guy was a professor and has been teaching for 8 years.

I also find that most professors don't add much to their lecture and read right off of their notes that they've written. Sometimes line for line. I can read someone's lectures notes and the book at home. Why do I have to sit in a classroom for someone to read to me?

You're comparing apples and oranges. I agree that you are better off with a great online professor than a crappy in-person professor. But you are WAY better off with a great in-person professor than a great online professor.

When I make hiring decisions, I don't have any information about the particular professors an applicant had. I have to just make generalizations based on probability And the probability is that someone with a "real" degree got a better education than someone with an online degree, so that's who I'm more likely to hire. Are there exceptions? Absolutely. But I get too many resumes across my desk to figure that out on a case by case basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking an online class right now and there is a ton of reading, writing and research involved. We also just completed a group project which was a great challenge.

Took another class at a school with a professor a few weeks ago and it was hell. He could care less, never answered questions and frustrated the hell out of us. He never gave us a straight answer about anything. His tests were a joke and I was surprised that this guy was a professor and has been teaching for 8 years.

I also find that most professors don't add much to their lecture and read right off of their notes that they've written. Sometimes line for line. I can read someone's lectures notes and the book at home. Why do I have to sit in a classroom for someone to read to me?

You're comparing apples and oranges. I agree that you are better off with a great online professor than a crappy in-person professor. But you are WAY better off with a great in-person professor than a great online professor.

When I make hiring decisions, I don't have any information about the particular professors an applicant had. I have to just make generalizations based on probability And the probability is that someone with a "real" degree got a better education than someone with an online degree, so that's who I'm more likely to hire. Are there exceptions? Absolutely. But I get too many resumes across my desk to figure that out on a case by case basis.

are you 50 years old?