Nice to know you Value my Opinion

          Eight months after I started this blog, I created this post. Roland actually works for an online school and had taken advantage of furthering his education at a deal.  He would spend HOURS on the computer - and that was BEFORE he started working at home.  That was a LOT of time.

          Sometimes he would be frustrated - perhaps for different reasons than I had imagined.  I like having someone hold my hand and walk me through a task - rather than just hand me the instructions. And don't explain things to me on a college level.  I want you to dummy it down like I'm five (I would have gone for a higher number, but Jenna seems to absorb things better than I and has always learned things at an earlier age than I)

          Some people have asked why I have gone into accounting as I really don't have a love for it.  Because it's something that I need to know just so that I may balance my own finances - not that all my classes could  applied on a personal level.  Take this last class for example (it's official last day is tomorrow - but I have  officially finished this course as of yesterday.  I have absolutely hated this class the most - though I wasn't overly fond of the one before it.

         I had briefly mentioned in this post the requirements - though I didn't go into detail.  A student has the opportunity of signing in each day to do a daily checkpoint.  The requirement is to do just three or four checkpoints a week.  There is no penalty for incorrect answers, however a correct answer accounts for additional points toward the final grade.

          For at least three weeks (occasionally all four) the student is given a topic to discuss with the class.  We are required to research and reference the topic and it has to be in APA form.  It seems to me that most instructors are a lot more concerned with the APA style than with the content itself.  That seems pretty lame to me.

          Research can actually suck up a lot of time.  The instructor wants your opinion, but you also have to back your opinion up with reference.  Yada-yada-yada . . . . blah, blah, blah . . .

          In addition to the student's initial post, we also have to comment on two other posts from either our classmates or the instructor.  We're supposed to create an actual discussion among ourselves.  Our initial post (thus far) has to be at least 150 words PLUS references.  Our response to our classmates had to be at least 50. 

          All of my female instructors have responded to each student.  I have had two male instructors that have created posts but have not responded.  I actually enjoy the interaction with my instructors.  I like the personal comments that each has left with each individual student.

          In addition to the daily checkpoints and discussions are the assignments and assessments - which actually work out differently for each specific class.  Sometimes the assignment and assessment end up being similar, but for me personally, the assignment has usually been a word document or PowerPoint or excel and most of my assessments have been quizzes.  I like working excel as I don't have to use the APA style or count my words.  Poor Roland has had some assignments that have been bears.  4,000 plus words.  That's his own fault for selecting "business" as his major.  Did I mention that I really really don't care for business and that Roland and I are opposite in our way of thinking.

          Often, if there is a concept that I don't understand (which lately, have been many) I will send the text over to Roland and ask him to explain it to me in the same way he would explain to Thomas - who is in my primary class.  That seems to help me to understand it.  But it still doesn't make the topic any better enough to love it.  

          A lecture is given sometime before midnight Wednesday (that is when the initial discussion post is due) The lecture includes introductions (at least some of them have) reviews (all except for the last two from the same instructor) expectations for the discussion, what to expect on the assessment and how to do the assignment.

          I had a few instructors who would spend so much time on the review that they hadn't allowed for much time for the current week. I couldn't understand why all the rehashing - until I experienced my first rough spot with the course material, and then I finally understood.

          There have been some assessments I've taken that I have really not done well with - but thanks to those daily check points, I was able to remain on top.  So the school does give the student several opportunities in which to pass the course.  All of the exams are open book.

          On the forth week, before a student can enter the portal, he or she MUST fill out a survey in order to proceed.  This is to rate the course and instructor on a scale from one to 10.  Strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree. 

Until the last two courses, I had never gone below a six.  But I must say that  I found both course and instructor very had to follow, and so my ratings overall were not the best.

Overall, I am satisfied with this course.    No.  No, I am not.  I think I gave it a 2.

Course media (PowerPoint, videos, websites, resources) are engaging and useful.  I think my last two courses were the first that did not offer videos.  That's how I learn.  And PowerPoint's?  Come on, man!  The school gave us definite restrictions on the correct way to do a power point, but do not follow  their own guidelines.  The power points are BORING!  I gave both classes a 1.

The work required for the course is reasonable.   I don't know.  I guess it was.  That is if you actually understood it.       4

Course objectives are clearly stated.  Clear as WV water    6

Course content covers all course objectives.   Possibly.  Perhaps I could better answer if I could understand the language.      5

Overall, I am satisfied with my instructor for this course.  It's not his fault he doesn't resonate with me.  No one instructor is going to be liked by every student  4 - do you have any idea how hard that was for me to give someone a 4?

The instructor is knowledgeable about the course subject.  He sounds as though he is.  Maybe?  8  
       

The instructor motivates me to excel in this course.     uh?  no, not really  3 - I don't think it was his method of teaching so much as my lack of response.

I would like to take another course taught by this instructor.   NO!  No, please.  PLEASE, Please . . . no.  I'd prefer somebody who can communicate with me.  No.   1  A fat lot of good that did!  I wasn't even done with 213 when I got assigned 214 by the SAME instructor.  Are you insane????

The instructor is organized and prepared.     I think so.  I gave him a 9, possibly a 10

Instructor teaches concepts in a way that is easy to understand.   No.   I recently had told my instructor that I feel like Tom Hank's character, Josh, in "Big" when he is at a conference meeting with the board.  As John Heard's character, Paul, is trying to explain a new toy item, Josh continues raising his hand saying, "I don't get it."    I have also compared him to the adult you hear in the peanut cartoons "Wha - wha - wha- wha"  No.  Again it might not be his delivery method but maybe just the material itself (though his delivery annoyed me for the most part - except when there weren't any students present for his live lecture)

instructor holds my interest   I may have given him a 2

the instructor connects the course material to my future career.                     uh? I'm not doing anything with stocks and bonds.  That's for sure!

      I have managed to turn in my assignments and assessments by Thursday for the most part.  I think I turned only three in on a Friday for ALL of the classes that I took - until these last two.  I didn't actually get in last week's assignment until Monday of this week - so of course I was docked points for tardiness.  But it looks like I might still be able to retain my average thanks to the daily checkpoints and extra fifteen for Career Integration which is another rating for class and instructor.  Three questions. Answers have to be at least 50 words long.  I think my shortest was 63.

      I would love to take another class from my QuickBooks instructor that I had last mod.  I wonder if he teaches the more complicated accounting classes.

     My next class (I will only have one again) is economics.  I hope I will like and understand it and the instructor better than my last two classes. I don't believe I would be taking these classes at all if we still lived in Utah. Only 138 and a half more credits to go.