Costs and Economics of Distance Education & E-learning (OMDE 606)
I took this class during the spring semester of 2014. I have to admit I was not looking forward to take this class. The name scared me because I knew it would face me with one of my weaknesses which is math. The main focus of the course was to see the greater context of economics within distance education. The course started with a heated debate about the economic benefits of education. I automatically felt identified with the controversy. As a citizen from a developing country I have experienced the benefits of education throughout my life and I was able to speak about my experience during class. Our second assignment was probably the most difficult task for this course. The task consisted on calculating a list of ingredients from a course scenario. The task was very detailed and it involved using math formulas in Excel to get the proper results. Assignment 2 was very laborious however, I was able to finish it on time. The teacher posted many topics to discuss with students and I felt overwhelmed several times.
I participated moderately and read for every module. There were times I felt I could not contribute meaningfully to the class due to my lack of knowledge of economics. However I enjoyed reading the contributions of our guest professor Greville Rumble. Furthermore, I appreciated the review on the different distance learning institutions throughout the world and I was able to analyze their success through a quantitative view rather than a qualitative retrospective which comes more natural to me.
Moreover, I was grateful we had a group assignment which consisted on doing cost analysis and a narrative that allowed me to work with excellent classmates. We came together and quickly divided the task among each member of our team and successfully completed the assignment ahead of time. Talking to other classmates during this assignment also reminded me of the fact that other students also feel insecure and alone in distance learning courses but we tried to support each other up until the end of the course.
It was probably one of the hardest classes I had to take throughout the program however I had also a good learning experience.
Library and Intellectual Property Issues in Distance Education & E-learning (DETT 611)
I took this course during the fall of 2013. This course was excellent and informative in every way. I had very few classmates only 3. We read very compelling articles about open sources and creative commons. We read about the role of librarians in distance education and how they help out students and teachers to find adequate resources online for learning and teaching.
Before this course I remember I had a very limited knowledge about the role of librarians in distance education. I now know that their role is linked to the learner support system a distance learning university should offer students.
During this course we also learned about creative commons and how an author of any kind of work can decide how each person can decide how to share their work and if they will allow others to edit or to reuse their creations. In class we also discussed the ACRL Information Literacy and Information Technology Standards and I believe these competencies are essential in this era of information and as a student and a teacher I should know how to find and evaluate certain information I find online. Not everything online is true and to be a critical thinker when analyzing information is key to my role as a teacher and as a long-life learner.
This class was instructive and the professor made a connection with all of us while teaching the course. She always showed concern and care throughout the course. Moreover, the last assignment of the course was to develop a short presentation to inform others about Information Literacy Modules. I found the assignment to be challenging but it allowed me to show the professor and my classmates I had understood and could explain others this important topic we covered in class. I am proud of the end product. I would tell other students that this class is meant to be enjoyed.
I took this class during the spring semester of 2014. I have to admit I was not looking forward to take this class. The name scared me because I knew it would face me with one of my weaknesses which is math. The main focus of the course was to see the greater context of economics within distance education. The course started with a heated debate about the economic benefits of education. I automatically felt identified with the controversy. As a citizen from a developing country I have experienced the benefits of education throughout my life and I was able to speak about my experience during class. Our second assignment was probably the most difficult task for this course. The task consisted on calculating a list of ingredients from a course scenario. The task was very detailed and it involved using math formulas in Excel to get the proper results. Assignment 2 was very laborious however, I was able to finish it on time. The teacher posted many topics to discuss with students and I felt overwhelmed several times.
I participated moderately and read for every module. There were times I felt I could not contribute meaningfully to the class due to my lack of knowledge of economics. However I enjoyed reading the contributions of our guest professor Greville Rumble. Furthermore, I appreciated the review on the different distance learning institutions throughout the world and I was able to analyze their success through a quantitative view rather than a qualitative retrospective which comes more natural to me.
Moreover, I was grateful we had a group assignment which consisted on doing cost analysis and a narrative that allowed me to work with excellent classmates. We came together and quickly divided the task among each member of our team and successfully completed the assignment ahead of time. Talking to other classmates during this assignment also reminded me of the fact that other students also feel insecure and alone in distance learning courses but we tried to support each other up until the end of the course.
It was probably one of the hardest classes I had to take throughout the program however I had also a good learning experience.
Library and Intellectual Property Issues in Distance Education & E-learning (DETT 611)
I took this course during the fall of 2013. This course was excellent and informative in every way. I had very few classmates only 3. We read very compelling articles about open sources and creative commons. We read about the role of librarians in distance education and how they help out students and teachers to find adequate resources online for learning and teaching.
Before this course I remember I had a very limited knowledge about the role of librarians in distance education. I now know that their role is linked to the learner support system a distance learning university should offer students.
During this course we also learned about creative commons and how an author of any kind of work can decide how each person can decide how to share their work and if they will allow others to edit or to reuse their creations. In class we also discussed the ACRL Information Literacy and Information Technology Standards and I believe these competencies are essential in this era of information and as a student and a teacher I should know how to find and evaluate certain information I find online. Not everything online is true and to be a critical thinker when analyzing information is key to my role as a teacher and as a long-life learner.
This class was instructive and the professor made a connection with all of us while teaching the course. She always showed concern and care throughout the course. Moreover, the last assignment of the course was to develop a short presentation to inform others about Information Literacy Modules. I found the assignment to be challenging but it allowed me to show the professor and my classmates I had understood and could explain others this important topic we covered in class. I am proud of the end product. I would tell other students that this class is meant to be enjoyed.