Master of Education in Higher Education

Anne P January 8, 2009 at 8:59 p.m.

I have an online degree and believe me it took hard work.
You have to be even MORE disciplined than in a face-to-face course. You have to discipline yourself to work more than a traditional classroom student because you DON'T sit in a classroom 2-3+ hours a day.
You maintain the same grades, write the same papers, do the same homework, "show up" to class X number times weekly. You don’t just relax get handed a diploma.
I graduated with honors and it was hard with two young kids and a husband in Iraq. No one just "handed" me my degree. I had to sit in proctored exams for hours. No computers allowed. Do you know what it's like to hand write a 5000 word essay response in 2 hours?? I was full time and took 4-5 classes per term and it took me three years to earn a Bachelors.
I had to read, research, go to the library, write term papers, answer essays each week, and post answers and responses to discussions. Before you say anything else why don't you try an online course and see how "easy" they really are. You CHOSE to drive to a campus. So if you complain about gas prices, then you should talk w/counselor and discuss your options.
I am taking two graduate courses right now online and I spend about 10 hours a day (no joke) reading and writing. I write 2000 word essays each week for homework, and 500 words EACH to four of my classmates. On top of having to read 1500+ pages per week. Having a diploma on the wall doesn't mean a thing. You see a diploma, did they drive to class or do it in their pajamas?? Do they have a 4.0 GPA or a 2.0 GPA? I worked for my online degree, and I am proud of my 3.85 GPA in History!! And by the way, in case you were wondering, I graduated with 6000 students was ranked #257 in my class. What they SHOULD add to the diploma is your GPA and your class ranking!!

Mark February 23, 2009 at 7:36 p.m.

I haven't taken any online courses yet but I have friends who do & they spend a lot of time working on their degree/classes - writing papers, research, homework, online group discussions, etc. At first, I thought they were taking the "easy way out"... My opinion has changed though. Actually, I think I rather take a traditional, in-person class because I think it'd be easier & would require less effort than an online course. Before mocking &/or ridiculing an online course/degree - take a course or 2 and then post a comment.

Jana April 8, 2009 at 3:52 p.m.

Oh Aaron, how hard you must have worked for your precious PhD, and how dare we underlings who have "cracker jack" online degrees devalue your experience by taking the "easy" way out.

My guess is that while you were getting your PhD, you weren't working a demanding full time job as a college administrator and trying to raise children, nurture a marriage, and run a household- all the while trying to balance reading THE SAME TEXTS that would be assigned in a face-to-face classroom setting, writing THE SAME PAPERS, doing the SAME RESEARCH and SAME THESIS. Just because I don't have a professor lecturing in front of me every day doesn't mean I don't work my ass off. In fact, one might say that it takes a bit more personal initiative to complete an online degree since a rigid class schedule isn't dictating your time management.

It seems that you academic snobs who value education so much should celebrate ANY effort for people to further enrich their knowledge and better themselves. You're an elitist jerk.

Kim September 24, 2009 at 11:51 p.m.

I find this discussion very interesting. I would like to add my two sense as I do have inside knowledge of how much time,effort and work goes into putting together an entirely online degree. Just this past year one of the academic programs which I support switched over to being a completely online program from start to finish.

This move was prompted by a high demand for programs that were better suited to the needs of working professionals attempting to further themselves both academically and professionally. For the working individual, it is often unrealistic to expect them to drop everything and attend a full-time on-campus program. Plus those students who are working bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience that enriches the overall classroom experience.

I am saddened to hear the level of disdain that many of you seem to give to online programs because they are definitely not a walk in the park. Online programs are held to the same stringent requirements as traditional classroom programs. They are help to the same accreditation process and in fact require more documentation on the part of instructors, program chairs and deans in order to prove their value. If you find a program that is offered through an accredited college ALL of the classes they offer are expected to meet the same criteria irregardless of where it is located.

Many of the students who have made the transition to a fully online program are quick to argue that they do in fact spend an extraordinary amount of time studying, writing papers and meeting other classroom requirements. There is no way to get out of an assignment just because you missed a day of class nor are you able to feed any excuses to instructors about missing something. The online classroom is always open. I would further argue that online students are gaining the additional edge over traditional students in that the level of technological skill they gain figuring out how to navigate through an online classroom setting is daunting.

I would challenge many of you who doubt the value of an online degree to do some more research. Academic snobbery aside, if you ask an online program to produce their learning objectives, necessary course outcomes and rubric for grading you will find that they've done their homework.

I also would encourage you all to embrace the direction our technology is taking us. It is moving us in incredible ways. More and more, Universities and Colleges are providing hybrid and fully online classes. This expands the reaches of education. Students from all over the nation including overseas, from different walks of life, professional and academic backgrounds all meeting in the same classroom and exchanging a wealth of collective knowledge. You can't beat that!!!