Backgrounder

Hello fellow teammates and viewers, please take a look at some topics I plan to include in my backgrounder. Any feedback or ideas would be greatly appreciated! If there is a topic you would like me to include please let me know.

Enhancing online graduate programs at Marist College

In the course of working toward the mission of making the program more cohesive and interactive, a team of current online graduate students have recognized problematic areas within online programs and what can be done to fix them. The top three major concerns with online graduate programs is lack of accreditation, limited face-to-face interaction, and reliance on self-discipline. There are several ways the program can evolve to meet the needs of students and stand out from competitors.

History of online education

The idea of distance learning is not something new; it is an idea that is over 125 years old that started off as a correspondence degree. The concept of a correspondence degree is that the instructor and student were separated, materials were mailed, and the students worked on their own time. In 1960 the University of Illinois created intranet system for students to access lectures and course material. Online programs have evolved tremendously since then but fail to keep up with everything technology has to offer.

Online learning has been on a steady incline, more students are choosing to take online courses or enroll in online based programs. In a fast paced society online programs are convenient, affordable, and a requirement for certain career paths. As society continues to advance around technology, more areas of study will require experience with online platforms.

Where Marist stands today

Marist College currently offers six online graduate degrees and two graduate certificate programs. Each program is flexible offering the option to complete the degree at your own pace as a part-time or full-time student. The curriculum for each program is pre-constructed with a timeline for when the courses will be completed. The institution offers students small class-sizes to provide individualized attention and make it easier to build relationships. The courses are offered through iLearn which is the classroom for all online graduate students; it is a place where they can access lesson plans, assignments, study materials, and interact with their classmates and instructor.

Addressing concerns

Solutions

The End is Near

I cannot believe it is so close to the end of this class already.. it has been a fun and nerve-racking experience all at the same time!

Where are all my Friends fans? Is anyone else feeling like this right now?

Business Letter

Hi everyone! I would like to welcome you to make comments and suggestions on my very rough draft of the business letter. Thank you in advance.

"May 6, 2016

Greg Cannon

Chief Public Affairs Officer

Marist College

3399 North Road

Poughkeepsie, New York 12601-1387

Dear Mr. Cannon,

WHJAKL Communications is elated to have the opportunity to be considered to support the implementation of Marist College Strategic Plan.

The supplementary strategic communication plan details how we pledge to assist with the improvement of the quality of the online graduate education experience at Marist. Our focus is to provide support by focusing on initiatives 21, 22, and 26.

Each member of our team has hands on experience as an online graduate student and an understanding of the needs to improve the program. Based on personal experience as graduate students and an extensive amount of research, our team has outlined what the majority of online graduate student’s desire in an online setting. Our plan features how the entire curriculum can be more interactive and supportive on a twenty four hour basis. All of our ideas keep one task in mind and that is to make students feel like they are part of a cohort.

By making the enhancements suggested in our strategic communication plan we foresee that current online graduate students at Marist will be even more satisfied with their curriculum than they already are. These progressions will also attract new students to the program by providing features that other online graduate programs lack. We believe that our ideas are consistent with the Marist College Strategic plan and have the best interest of current and potential online graduate students.

Thank you for taking the time to read the enclosures. Our team looks forward to take on the initiative to make these aspirations a reality.

Sincerely,

WHJAKL Communications

WHJAKL Communications" (Not sure if we need to sign our name as a group or individual?)

Tips for online graduates

                                Here are some tips so you don't feel like the girl in the picture!

If you could give a future online graduate student a word of advice to help them in the program what would it be? In an article written by Ryan Lytle for U.S News in 2013 the five tips he provided to succeed in an online course are "confirm technical requirements, connect with instructors early, create a schedule, stay organized, and have a consistent workspace". You can click here to read the article in full.

I completely agree that you should confirm technical requirements prior to the course so you are not scrambling to worry about it later instead of focusing on your work. Similar to a campus course prior to the course there is a check list of items that you should have prepared before class; such as a notebook, pen, textbook, and any other course materials required (for online having the proper technology and internet access falls under this list). Most professors provide this information weeks prior to class or the materials can be found on the schools bookstore website therefore there is really no excuse for being unprepared. You should also always have a back up and never leave an assignment for last minute since there are instances out of your control, such as a server being down or your internet crashing.

I would love to hear a professors input on the idea of connecting with instructors early as well as other online graduate students. I know personally I do not usually reach out to the professor prior to class unless I have any questions or concerns after going over the syllabus. Do you think this is actually preferred and beneficial to get to know your professor prior to class even if you do not have a specific question?

Creating a schedule and staying organized has definitely been crucial to my success in the program. If I do not set aside specific days and times to work on my assignments I notice myself starting to slack off. One tip I have that falls under this category is to keep a calendar of all your assignments and when they are due to stay on track. I keep the calendar at my desk at work since that is where I spend most of my time and it is always right in front of me. Everyone has different preferences so find what works best for you and your program.

I struggle with the idea of a consistent work space, while I think it would be nice I do not think it is always realistic for online graduate students. Online graduate students lead busy lifestyles and I am sure many of you would agree that you fit work in where you can wherever, whenever. Sometimes I do some reading or work on assignments at work on my lunch break, in my room, or at the airport when traveling. I might have a set time to work on these items, but the actual place and work space depends where I am at that moment. Sometimes it is not possible to find a quiet area when traveling, so the best thing to do is put in some headphones and do your best to zone out. Therefore if you are a busy online graduate student my tip would be to find your best practice to focus and drown out the background noise.

What are your tips or thoughts you would like to share?

Courses abroad

Wouldn't it be fun to have the opportunity to study abroad in your online graduate program? Many people choose an online graduate program because of the convenience to work wherever, whenever. Yet to create more of a community I think it would be great to offer courses abroad at different times throughout the program. Marist could take a survey and ask students when entering the program if they would be interested in studying abroad, where they feel would be the most beneficial, and when in the program it would fit into their lifestyle. The graduate courses are eight weeks long which most likely would not be realistic for the average graduate student. The majority have careers, children, and other responsibilities that they could not take that much time away from. However I think offering a trip for a week or two weeks and incorporate it into the course would not only be fun but also extremely beneficial. Many employers appreciate travel related to ones education or career because it makes them stand out more as a candidate. There are many articles out there explaining why studying abroad is such a wonderful opportunity. The following article points out five reasons as to why one should consider studying abroad.

A downfall to studying abroad is that some students may not find it affordable, yet I think there could be ways around that. For example, how Marist offers academic scholarships for those maintaining a certain GPA they could do something similar with opportunities to study abroad. They could also offer students to participate in events to help raise money for their trip. By doing so students would be more motivated to succeed in their courses and become more involved as a team to earn an amazing opportunity. Even though it can be more expensive to study abroad than the typical graduate course, generally it is usually cheaper than traveling to these places on your own for pleasure.

What do you think about studying abroad? Is this something you would be interested in? If so what places would you enjoy traveling to? How long would you want the trip to be?

Online experience required

Below is a video of Sara Ronis from Yale University discussing the future of the importance of online education. It is an interesting perspective on the online teaching platform that I was not aware of. I used to think that online education was frowned upon and that employers prefer prospective employees who completed on campus programs. At first it made me skeptical of an online program and whether or not my degree would be taken seriously. Yet it does make sense in certain fields to require online experience with the way technology is shaping our world. As Sara Ronis discussed it is important for those interested in becoming a teacher since many courses are now offered online. Some majors may be questionable, such as those studying to become a doctor, where hands on experience is extremely vital. Although health care is also becoming more involved with online platforms where patients can view all of their records and doctors notes through an online portal. Maybe a healthy balance of both would be beneficial to all areas of study?

Yale University. (2013, December 11). "The Perspective of the Graduate Student in Online Education with Sara Ronis". [Video file] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7UdHxJr-z4

What do you think? Are there any majors that you feel would or would not benefit from an online education?

The pros and cons of online graduate programs

As with anything in life there are pros and cons to every situation. We make lists, sometimes physical or solely in our mind, comparing the positives and negatives before making a decision. I am sure many of you did this when deciding to go back to school and whether or not you were going to join campus or online courses. What is your favorite part of being an online graduate student? What is your least? I know there are some days where I long to be in a classroom environment but then I remember why I chose an online program in the first place.

I love the idea that I can attend class and get my work done anywhere at any time, so I guess it is safe to say convenience was my major deciding factor. Working a full time and part time job does not leave me much free time to begin with so I knew a campus program would have been unrealistic. I also like to do a great deal of traveling in my free time since my closest friends live all over the country and my boyfriend is in the Navy stationed in California. Much of my class work is done on my work breaks, late at night, or at an airport and I would not have it any other way.

The part I miss about courses on campus is the face to face interaction, and as wonderful as technology is to provide this feature it is not the same. Personally an online skype call with someone I have never met face to face is honestly quite intimidating. I remember when I was in school for my undergraduate degree I interviewed for a position as a Victoria's Secret Campus Representative through Skype. Sure interviews can be nerve racking to begin with but for some reason the fact that it was not in person actually made me more nervous. I also always receive emails regarding events going on at Marist or internship opportunities that I hate missing out on because I am not physically there. As an undergraduate I was always involved on campus and I feel like the opportunities for online graduates is limited.