This assignment could not have come at a better time in my life so I am pretty excited to express my recent dilemma with my online math course. Taking a course online is nothing new for me, I have taken on average one per term since my sophmore year of college, so obviously I enjoy being able to take classes online and I know how they work. This term I had several time conflicts with a few courses so I had to register for this course online as well as a math course, which I thought would not be a big deal. I enjoy self paced learning environments and in the past of taking online courses I have done very well, I also need to mention that I have taken a previous math course online and did very well in it too. Once this term started and a week went by that I had not received any type of email or contact information I began to worry. As the week wore on students within the course were sending back and forth information on the discussion board, we finally found out that our teacher had recently lost a family member that was the reason for his absence. This made sense to me so during week 2 we finally got a course schedule, the following week I wrote the professor an email regarding our homework and was wondering how and when we would know how we did (grade wise). He did not respond for 6 days! The response was go to the math tutoring center, and that was it. The next week I emailed him about our midterm that was approaching, regarding which chapters it would be over, and again about grades from previous assignments. A week and a day later (after the midterm) I received an email from the professor, saying sorry for the delayed response that he had been ill and his internet had been acting up. At this point I was fed up, all the responses I was getting back were excuses, and as an online professor not being in contact with your students for more than 24 hours is unacceptable. After this experience I went to the Ecampus office and filed a complaint, I have been in touch with the chair at the Ecampus office ever since. Although the professor has gotten better about responding to my emails and questions he only checks his email at most twice a week (or responds twice a week). Which to me as a student and for him as a professor of an online course this is not responsible. I have done my best to try and ask questions with at least a week's notice knowing he is not quick to respond but having this situation has given me so much unneeded stress and frustration. I think that this course has been such a problem because of the lack of attention from the professor, and it appears the lack of care for his students, and no one wants a teacher like that.
Had I been able to take this course in a classroom setting getting my questions answered would not be nearly as difficult because of the one on one interaction that the classroom offers. I also would be able to attend office hours if I had taken the class on campus.
Although this experience has been an awful one, I would still consider taking more courses online, because I hope that after all of the complaints about this professor he won't be teaching online classes anymore! The Ecampus office was more than willing to try and help me, and I think that this shows how much they care that we are really getting the quality education that we are paying extra for.
4 comments:
That is a very interesting and unfortunate situation. I would be very frustrated as well. I hope that the right actions take place regarding that professor. I agree, the responsibility for professor is to meet the student’s needs and respond. He should have reached for outside help if anything, instead of leaving his students hanging! In a classroom setting, you are correct; your questions would have most likely answered more timely. Although your situation broadcasts the potential negatives for an online class, I agree that overall, online classes are well taught.
Wow, that must have been terrible! I, myself enjoy taking online courses. Even though I live on campus, it feels good to just wake up and go on the internet and just do your work from the comfort of your own room. I really don't like waking up early and walking to class because I am not a morning person. It is also easy to fit it in my schedule because I am mostly busy during the day with athletics. I am currently taking a math course online and I love it. I personally don't like math but my professor is great and she really understands her students. I would also have to say that Dr. Trischa Goodnow is another great professor to take online (no, I'm not trying to be a teacher's pet...haha). Great post!
If you want the information for the math course I took online and the professors name, just reply back with a message. Thanks!
I thought your blog was really good also. It’s crazy to me how many professors there are that make so many excuses when students ask them a question. I can’t believe your professor made all those excuses and wouldn’t get back to you until 6 days later. If you are a professor you should respond quickly, especially if your teaching an on line class that requires you to talk to your students via email. That made no sense. I’m glad that you were able to get that straighten out with the Ecampus department and they took care of the problem. I think that emails are the best way to go especially when you are upset because you can just vent in the email and them not know that you really want to go off on them face-to-face. Great blog.
Hah... online math.
My experience with this was also a 'best of times, worst of times'.
Without too great of detail, I had one REALLY good experience taking Math 251, and one horrible experience taking Math 252. From ecampus. I got A's in both, but the first professor was wonderful, always on top of his email and technical problems. The second was a russian graduate student (now a friend actually), who had issues with english let alone teaching online.
In my experience with the University, online courses are really hit and miss. Most instructors are eager and very helpful. Some however, just like some students, need the day to day interaction and deadlines - the rigor not provided online, and their class tends to get sloppy.
I think that is what it boils down to. For online coursework to work, you need someone to dedicate a certain part of a day, a week or whether is appropriate to dealing with course issues. Since it is just an electronic box, it is easy top put off - not realizing that there are 30+ students sitting on the other end of that box.
That being said, OSU has a ton of great online classes. The Econ series is really fun. And PCC has some great stuff for pre-nursing. Chemeketa even has Anatomy with lab online.
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