M.A. in Mathematics Education (K-6, 5-9, or 5-12) Reviews

Good if you have strong math background

By: apacecca (In Progress) on November 12, 2008

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If you have a strong math background, GO FOR IT!  WGU would be a great value!!

I am in my 4th term.  This program has suited me very well- I have a strong background in math and have been able to really accelerate my program- this school is a great option for folks that want the degree and already know alot about the material.  You pay by each 6 months- if you can squeeze in lots of credits, you can save a lot of money, I have!

If you need alot of math review, you will probably struggle in this program.  Mentors have to limit what they say about specific tasks- the point is to learn it yourself.  That is frustrating when sometimes the suggested 'materials' do not cover what is needed for the tasks!  I've had to do lots of research outside of what is provided.  Thank goodness that I have a friend with a high math degree that can help point me in the right direction.

If you have a strong math background, GO FOR IT!  WGU would be a great value!!

Ying and Yang

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on October 3, 2008

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Like with all things there are good and bad with WGU.  For the record, I am a very self motivated student with a high academic record having graduated cum luade with a BS from a traditional college after graduating 19th in my class of 350 from high school.  Having established that I am an independent learner capable of carving my own path, WGU has some major limitations.  The graders and the whole system seem to be geared to passing Praxis tests rather than instilling and guiding the acquisition of knowledge.  The whole assessment process is ridiculous.  Comments are vague and unhelpful most of the time.  I often have to supplement learning resources because they are severly lacking... thank goodness for my personal tutor since mentors/tutors/guides will NOT answer any question related to assessment questions..... what is that about?  I don't want to cheat!  But how am I suppose to figure anything out if you won't answer a few questions about the assessment questions?  Everything that the assigned texts teach about teaching are completed ignored in this setup.  I have also had to fight my mentor almost every step of the way to proceed at a quick pace.  Having said that, I do enjoy working at my own pace, and the nugget of information is there to be learned.  It's just frustrating trying to crack the nut every day to get to the information.  Probably not for you if you are completely new to the content material.  It probably would have been a lot easier for me if I had not been quite so rusty with Mathematics.  However, I am still completeing my second BS in under 3 years.  So I do not find it all bad...

Not Satisfied

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on December 24, 2007

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I have been very disappointed with WGU.  My mentor is not helpful at all and when I ask her a question she doesn't seem to know herself yet she has a PHD in math. One is required to complete these taskstream assignments with no help. The community is not helpful and the assessments one is required to complete has nothing to do with the work you have done in taskstream which are supposed to be helpful.  Don't waste your money or time as this program si very time consuming.

WGU ok so far

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on December 21, 2007

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This is my first term at WGU. I went to a state school for my undergrad degree and I have to say that there will always be minor (occasionally major) complaints at any university but overall I’m pleased with my experience at WGU. I think it is what it advertises to be: online, affordable, accredited, and accelerated. 
	I have been able to accelerate my progress but it means putting in extra time. During your first month you talk with your mentor and select which assessments you will be taking that term and set dates when you will complete each assessment- if you don't meet your goal, it counts as your first "failed attempt" but you can still pass it before the term is over and it will be a "pass" on your transcript. Your tuition covers the first few attempts, so that is why not taking an assessment on time is a big deal- it counts as one of your "free" attempts even if you do not take the test. A term is 6 months long, but you can't sign up for assessments that involve writing papers later than the 5th month there is also a limit on how late you can take an objective exam. Their rationale behind this is you may have to make revisions/wait for work to be graded. Their graders do take a while- it took about an average of a week on each of my assignments to get graded the first time, and then if you have any revisions, there's another week you have to wait. They do let you have access to "learning resources" and the course of study (syllabus) the last 2 months of the term so you could always start other work. I think the quality of education I'm receiving is comparable to my undergrad degree in science education I received at a state school. My mentor does call me every week or so and that makes me feel more connected. The competency based approach is a good idea. It seems like some people have the idea that you could just test, test, test, and then be handed a diploma without "doing anything." What I have found is that my program does have some "objective exams" and if I had come to the program having already majored in math education perhaps I could test out of some/most of them. But over half of my "assessments" are assignments or papers. Even if a person came with all of the knowledge for the degree, the person would still end up writing hundreds of pages of work, plus complete a research project. You don't have to take classes over what you already know, but WGU does require quite a bit of work- someone could not take tests for a week straight and walk away with a degree. The biggest complaint I have so far is that my mentor is very nice but never, ever knows the answers to my questions and they signed me up for the "wrong" assessments this term and then wouldn't change them when I pointed that out. But I worked through it and it's fine now. I do think they require depth of knowledge in the MA in math ed degree and that it's a good value for the money. I'm glad they provide an accredited way for me to get my degree online at my own pace.

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