There is definitely a need to understand the operation of a CMS before launching it. Instructors should have a thorough knowledge and high level of expertise in the system before using it to deliver a course. In a case where a school is transitioning to online learning from on campus instruction it should not be deployed until the CMS is totally developed, instructors are trained and familiar with it, and the content is reviewed and approved by the subject matter experts and/or instructors. Simultaneously launching such a program while training of the faculty is ongoing can cause serious uncertainty and… >>>

Most online universities and colleges have developed specialized curriculum that is designed to function in an online format. The students who enroll in these schools have decided for a multitude of reasons, that this is the best scenario for their education. On the other hand, some skills can not be fully understood without a considerable amount of hands-on in-person education and training. With the current social seperation and distance learning being the new normal, many students who did not choose or agree to online learning are being directed to accept it. This is causing, understandably, quite a bit of silent push back.… >>>

Many of today's young students have not had the personal relationship that most previous generations took for granted in the home or even in many cases at their schools.  Most having been brought up in homes where both parents have to work outside the home or single parent situations that required most of their time was spent at child care facilities or home alone, they didn't get the personal attention and guidance that would be provided by a parent or family member. I feel that, because of that, it becomes more difficult for many of them to trust and connect with other people particularly those… >>>

Hi John,

I'm with you. After years of "teach to specific learning styles" training I have concluded that you should just always use all methods of teaching and everyone seems to learn more thoroughly. Next, I wonder if anybody is thinking of debunking the theory of "generational learning'.

In some of our courses,we would lecture on the subject sometimes for hours then go to the lab and actively perform the activities we had lectured on. This works to an extent. One course I teach in particular, has made a big move toward the active learning style and I, personally, have been able to see a much improved outcome from it. Much of the lecture material has been converted to operating and testing instructions that the students use as they are physically able to experience the outcome of their actions in real time. This method seems to dramatically strengthen… >>>

In a period of economic decline, such as the one we are experiencing now, levels of stress can be very high for many students. Employers are cutting their workforces making it even more difficult for those facing the loss of their job to find another one. After having lost a job, a student will begin to worry about how he will pay his rent and buy food. Faced with the possibility of losing his living quarters and going hungry, he may not sleep well, finds it difficult to focus on his schoolwork, and his grades begin to slip. These are… >>>

I was told I would become an astronaut and that by the time I finished these courses I would have built my own personal spacecraft that I could keep! This is a statement similar to what I have heard from some students. The subject matter has been changed to protect the innocent. When you hear something like this though, you have to wonder, did somebody really tell them something like this or did they concoct a perception in their own mind of where this training would take them? I know that admissions reps are charged with the responsibility of recruiting… >>>