In-Person vs. Online vs. Virtual Courses

[MrPanda]

I have been teaching this term using:

Google Meets + Moodle
Zoom + Canvas
Blackboard Ultra
Only Zoom with no virtual classroom

Every institution has their own system that you had to get used, and I like the Google Meets software for the lecture (3 or 4 hours per week), but not the weird chat + additional environments it has. But they used Moodle for the course contents, so I was happy with that, Moodle is easy to use, but sure, it looks dated in comparison to Blackboard Ultra.

Blackboard Ultra seems very powerful, however, in that case, it was only an opening lecture, and then it was just interaction through messages and forums, and the lectures were pre-recorded.

Canvas seems to be integrated with Zoom, since I created my Zoom links from the Canvas website. In this case it was a course with pre-recorded lectures + live lectures once per week (3 hours).

Only Zoom for a PG Diploma. I only send the slides through email.

Depending on the course, in live lectures, whenever I find something that I could link with my work experience, I would talk about that, since some young guys could be interested about that. With older folks, I tend to talk about my trading experience, and they usually pay attention. Others are interested in world news/world economics, so we could watch a DW/ or BBC video, and then talk about that, maybe student will talk for around 6-8 minutes and then I´ll explain about the video.

I interrupt my slides all the time in order to show them some way of create and spreadsheet that could be useful for them, and the I upload the excel to moodle. It´s funny since students usually ask "Are you going to send the file?", obviously yes, I´m going to send the file.

Other times I stop showing the slides if there´s a related paper that I could show them, or some yahoo finance graph, or some specific recent government document that could be related.

Whatever it takes to keep it relevant, updated, and make students see the relation of our theoretical topics and the applications in real life.

[ss20ts]

Damn, I wanted to go to university in Maine. Or Vermont. 
For privacy reasons, I won't tell, but I know my university doesn't have a CBE program.

UMPI's program is online. No need to go to Maine for it.   Most schools don't have a CBE program.

[Stacie]

Damn, I wanted to go to university in Maine. Or Vermont. 
For privacy reasons, I won't tell, but I know my university doesn't have a CBE program.

UMPI's program is online. No need to go to Maine for it.   Most schools don't have a CBE program.

I wish mine did. 

[rachel83az]

UMPI's program is online. No need to go to Maine for it.   Most schools don't have a CBE program.

I wish mine did. 

No shame in transferring if you're unhappy with your current school.

[Stacie]

UMPI's program is online. No need to go to Maine for it.   Most schools don't have a CBE program.

I wish mine did. 

No shame in transferring if you're unhappy with your current school.

I'm already halfway through. I'll be done in a few years, so it's no big deal. ? Just gotta work on hobbies and such.

[ss20ts]

UMPI's program is online. No need to go to Maine for it.   Most schools don't have a CBE program.

I wish mine did. 

No shame in transferring if you're unhappy with your current school.

I'm already halfway through. I'll be done in a few years, so it's no big deal. ? Just gotta work on hobbies and such.

A few years? What are you studying that will take you years? Really it's not too late to transfer. Most degrees can be completed in a year online. You don't even have to go into a CBE program. I see people complete TESU and Excelsior degrees in a year or less all the time.

[bjcheung77]

@Stacie, which school and degree program are you referring to? You may want to see if they can take alternative credits and challenge exams to get the credits you need. If you want, create a thread with your details by following the template and addendum here, we can provide any advice that may get you there cheaper, easier, and faster: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Area-works

[Stacie]

@bjcheung77 and @ss20ts, for privacy reasons I won't disclose where I am, but I'm getting a Bachelor's degree in English. 

Looking through these threads, I really wish online colleges were advertised more in high school. Everyone always talks about the Ivy League, but I genuinely didn't know about TESU until now. Most of the online colleges/universities primarily online-based I saw were scams, hence my apprehension towards them. 

[bluebooger]

some courses just need video lectures -- live or recorded

I took a "proofs" class last semester
no lecture notes, no videos
just one required book, and one recommended book
spent the entire term searching youtube for lectures to supplement the book -- and even if I found a good video it seemed to only be good for that week's material
the same channel either did not cover the next week's material or did it in a way that I just did not understand so I had to look for a new channel to cover it
it would have been impossible for me to pass the class without youtube

[ss20ts]

@bjcheung77 and @ss20ts, for privacy reasons I won't disclose where I am, but I'm getting a Bachelor's degree in English. 

Looking through these threads, I really wish online colleges were advertised more in high school. Everyone always talks about the Ivy League, but I genuinely didn't know about TESU until now. Most of the online colleges/universities primarily online-based I saw were scams, hence my apprehension towards them. 

It's not too late to transfer!