katakat.com bytes from a participant observer

Well, the rigors of the quarter have passed, and I've survived yet another class for the doctorate. It’s been slow going, as I’m only taking one course per quarter; however, it’s a lot easier to focus on one class at a time. I’ve arranged my work schedule to have off at least one week per month, and I’m able to keep up with the coursework that way. So far I’ve taken a course on social change (required), a writing course, an instructional design course, and a learning theory course. All of these courses are completed online only. How do I do this, you ask? I log into the course web site, download the activities for the week, complete the assignments and upload them. I also participate in discussion boards, which really makes up all the interaction between students in the class. Unfortunately, it is very regulated, and any posts have to be documented with citations, meaning, in effect, you are writing a short paper every time you post to a discussion board. That really flattens out any spontaneity, humor, or real-world interaction that you would find in a face-to-face environment, and I miss that stuff. The convenience factor of being able to do the work from home and not worry about commuting, parking, etc., however, is great. And if the assignment is due at 3:00, I can still post it at 2:59. Providing of course, that all technological aspects of the connection are working properly (my computer, the school server, my ISP, etc.). I’ve been to one of the three “colloquia” that Capella requires its learners to attend: this is a one-week set of seminars on various topics, and it is held in various locations nationwide. I flew to Chicago in May for my first one. My “Track One” seminars included topics like plagiarism, freewriting, the scholar-practitioner model, creating a poster for a poster session, topics related to my specialization, etc. The best part was being assigned a mentor and a cohort of learners at the same stage; and we met every morning of the week, and then exchanged contact information at the end to stay in touch. Needless to say, I’ve been very lax in that respect. So what are the courses like? Well, lots of reading, for one thing. The student has to be self-directed to get through the activities developed by the instructor. Time management is key, and some people are really good about this, like developing schedules to wake up every morning at 4:30 before the rest of the family and write posts and assignments. I’m not that person, and am lucky enough to drag myself out of bed to go to work. I’m getting better, but it really does take a lot to knuckle down and read a lot of dry theory that makes no sense until you have to apply it in a paper. And usually the examples have to be taken from your workplace, so I’ve got lots of things to say!