cd rom courses at excelsior ?

[originalbigjim]

anyone here taken a cd rom course at excelsior? How is it compared to online courses? thanks!

[cinderly]

CD Rom courses at EC differ from web-based courses in a couple of key ways, the two most important (IMO) being that you can begin work as soon as you receive the CD and you don't have to wait for an instructor to post material before you can begin a unit.

The CD for my current course (HIS 240) auto-opens my default browser when I insert the CD the tray. The page that comes up is an overview of CD courses in general with links to course material at the bottom of the page.

These links include required texts, syllabus, suggested weekly schedule, course map, and other, more general information (system requirements, etc.)

The course itself looks to be about as much work as previous EC course I've taken; maybe more, as there are 3 required texts.

Hope that helps.

[pearl4sucess]

Cinderly

For the cd-rom courses, how are you required to do the quiz and final exam ?

Also, since in cd-rom discussions will be eliminated, are you required to write more essay format assignments or projects.

thank you for sharing this info.

pearl.

[cinderly]

Hi, Pearl!

The CD Rom course requires 2 projects and 2 essay-tests. Project 1 is a 500 to 750 word essay discussing how effectively one of the course texts makes its arguments. It is due by the end of the course, but the recommended due date is the mid-point.

Project 2 is a second 500 to 750 word essay on the politics of education, in light of the issues raised by a second course text. Recommended due date is the end of the course.

The midterm and final will each consist of five essay questions. There are no quizzes. There are weekly reading assignments, but no formal checking-in to ensure they're done.

There is an option to turn in two additional Projects (both essays) if the student wishes to spread the grading over more items instead of having the entire grade determined by four entries.

Hope that helps!

[pearl4sucess]

Thanks Cinderly !

It seems, in online courses, you are pushed more into writing by joining discussions and in cd rom courses, by giving more material to read and incorporating that into writing essays...

I will be so glad when I will be done with Art courses, they are just too much of a work !

pearl

[cinderly]

Pearl,

The online courses seem a lot more structured and schedule-based than CD Rom courses. The online courses I've taken have required essays, as well, so they actually required more writing and of more types than the CD Rom course seems to. Which option is best really depends on your learning style and ability to stay on task.

Do you have to take arts classes as courses? A lot of people here have had very good success in testing out of those requirements.

I can respect a preference for learning different material in different ways - it's one I have!

[pearl4sucess]

Cinderly

In fact, I did tried to test out via CLEP in the beginning, I am not a good test taker. I started with History 1 and ended up scoring 49 but I didn’t include IC in my study material.

So, decided to go the long route taking courses and In fact It would increase my GPA. Also, since I am from Canada I rather do course so in case I plain to pursue my career further, there be will no problem accepting my credentials, apparently Canadian Universities have high nose, that’s what I feel. Let’s see.

Pearl