Online Education. A lot of military folks get online degrees. What are the good and bad experiences you've had with online classes?

SPC Joshua Heath — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:43:40 -0400

Full Disclosure: I work for an online education technology company. I want to understand what drives our military students to help make the work we do better.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Jul 27 at 2015 9:51 AM

MSG Brad Sand — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:51:23 -0400

Getting an on-line degree allowed me the freedom to study and attend 'class' as it fit my schedule. Additionally, it did not matter where I was as long as I had a connection to the inter-net. I was able to PCS and not have to find a new school. TA paid for the majority of the degree...a win/win in my book.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jul 27 at 2015 9:56 AM

SCPO David Lockwood — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:56:59 -0400

I thought they were quite easy.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 10:42 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 10:42:05 -0400

I participated in the original Annenberg/CPB Project through the University of Wisconsin extension in the late 80s. I finished my MBA in 2011 and it was all conducted completely online. Since then I have been taking online classes through MIT OpenCourseWare and now through edX. Also, on my last tour on active duty I was the Training and Readiness Officer with oversight of more than 3,000 sailors with multiple schoolhouses. One of the projects I oversaw was the conversion of conventional training to the Navy’s education portal, Navy Knowledge Online (NKO).

In answer to your question I think what drives military students to the web based training is the flexibility that type of training provides in our ambiguous schedule. With potential deployments and uncertain world events we are not always able to commit to a formal classroom setting.

For example when Katrina hit the gulf coast over the Memorial Day weekend in 2005 the Admiral had put down liberty that Thursday because our Optempo had been so high that year with two wars going on and the various other emergencies that crop up. I was in the process of getting my PhD in Coastal and Marine System Science (CMSS) at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, right out the back gate at NAS. I then spent the next two weeks running the Navy operations at sea for the response and follow on occupation of New Orleans. Tried to get back up to speed in my classes then Rita showed up. Obviously since I am not referred to as “Dr. Wright” my bid to complete “traditional” classes failed.

Response by CH (MAJ) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 12:34 PM

CH (MAJ) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 12:34:51 -0400

The Chaplain Corps, when we needed numbers, starting taking Chaplains with online Master's degrees (Particularly from Liberty University) As we draw down, the lack of classroom interaction and face to face mentorship seems to be boiling to the top. This may not translate to the technology field and may not be helpful. I do know that I don't want an MD, a Lawyer or a Chaplain who studied online.

Response by SFC Christopher Perry made Jul 27 at 2015 12:44 PM

SFC Christopher Perry — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 12:44:39 -0400

Upside, it can work with the most insane of schedules.
Downside, (for some at least) nobody there to push / motivate you but you. It worked fantastic for me.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 1:09 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 13:09:58 -0400

Honestly, convenience is the key. Regardless of the MOS, time is critical and if we are committing too much time to something such as school after work then it dissuades us to another school. We MUST be able to accomplish multiple missions at the same time (work, family, school) just like everyone else, however add in CQ/Staff Duty, field time etc. We become experts in juggling. The school must work with us in order to interest/keep our interest.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 3:22 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 15:22:12 -0400

I completed my first Master's Degree through an online program while working full time. I loved the program. There were regularly scheduled "lectures" in all the classes where the professor would present the material and be open for questions from any of the students who were able to be online during that particular time slot. These were recorded so anyone could go back and listen/watch the presentations at a later time. The professors were all actually working in the field and served as adjunct professors for the program (Information Technology Management).

The one drawback I found was that the admin folks didn't pay a whole lot of attention to detail. I got a call once when I was about 3/4 done with the program. The "counselor" said "We've noticed that you haven't been logging in to the online lectures and were wondering if you were having trouble with the coursework. We offer additional tutoring to help students understand the material. Are you having an trouble with understanding what's being presented?" My reply, "Umm, I've been working in the field for 10 years and I have a 4.0 in the program to this point" Her reply, "Ohh, OK. (click)." Maybe check a little more into the records before contacting a student to see if they are having problems.

Response by CSM Michael Poll made Jul 27 at 2015 3:30 PM

CSM Michael Poll — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 15:30:48 -0400

While online classes are defiantly user friendly and convenient, I found that I learn better in a classroom, specifically a small one where there is interaction between classmates. I wonder if all this online and lack of interaction between people is becoming detrimental to society. We are becoming more and more detached from interaction. Just my take on it.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 5:54 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 17:54:04 -0400

For military students I think its a matter of convenience mostly. With our hectic schedules and personal lives and commitments its hard to go to a university after working a full day. Taking courses online can be challenging or not depending on the university and degree program you follow. As far as interaction with classmates and professors, its what you make of it. I am in a course now that is centered on group interaction and projects and we are all over the world but still manage to communicate effectively to get assignment completed. Plus TA is there for our use and I am constantly reminding my soldiers that it will not be available forever so take advantage. Some listen and other will be kicking themselves down the line when they realize the time they wasted.

Response by MAJ Raúl Rovira made Jul 27 at 2015 5:58 PM

MAJ Raúl Rovira — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 17:58:26 -0400

The good thing about on-line college education is the flexibility. You can take the class almost anywhere and you are not restricted to a time or place.

Some classes have required collaborative chat sessions. Sometimes that can be a pain. I was in Egypt for two classes and then in Alaska for another two. Most instructors offer make up and they record the chat sessions.

Overall, I save time and I can take the class and do the when I want it and where I want it.

The drawback is that you lose the face to face interaction from a traditional classroom. However, nothing restricts us from linking with classmates on social media and having phone or Skype conversations.

Good luck!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 7:57 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 19:57:06 -0400

As a graduate I have to say that online schooling can be much harder than traditional. When you attend a traditional school and sit in class you feel obligated to do the work. When you are at home it takes much more discipline because you have so many other distractions such as children, TV, pets, etc...

Response by SGT Pyong Song made Jul 27 at 2015 9:25 PM

SGT Pyong Song — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 21:25:18 -0400

online degree is wonderful opportunity for Active duties. However course is not easy for processing course due to assignment complete and relationship or communication with Prof.

Response by PO1 Jerry McGuffee made Jul 28 at 2015 12:53 PM

PO1 Jerry McGuffee — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 12:53:31 -0400

I retired from the Navy and went to school full time online and completed my BS degree completely online and loved every minute of it. I then went on to complete my MA in Teaching in a hybrid online program where we went to classes one Saturday a month for 18 months and everything else was either online or student teaching in the classroom. The program was great though I heard about other schools in Oregon with similar programs that do not work as well as Western Oregon University. I am glad I took the path I did as it helped me land a great teaching position in Idaho.

Response by SFC Gary Fox made Jul 28 at 2015 1:23 PM

SFC Gary Fox — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:23:21 -0400

I retired in 2010 and am currently working on my MBA online. I find it very convenient as I can participate in the discussion at my own schedule. I find the online discussions to be more active than those I experienced in a classroom while working on my BBA as time in the classroom was limited. Another convenience is all lectures are provided on a Word document preventing the need to take notes. I actually feel I am learning a lot more in this program than I did during my BBA program.

Response by PO2 John Crutchfield made Jul 28 at 2015 2:08 PM

PO2 John Crutchfield — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:08:48 -0400

It's important to distinguish online learning into two categories, application centric and degree centric. I've taken both. To me, application-centric is learning an application with all the test labs and virtual labs available. Degree-centric is a different animal. Yes, virtual labs can be used in the degree program, but greater importance needs to be class participation on a programs message boards where discussions can be had in real time with an instructor.

Response by MSG Curtis Hollis made Jul 28 at 2015 2:33 PM

MSG Curtis Hollis — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:33:24 -0400

One major concern you may have is to ensure the school is accredited. If not you are getting nowhere.

Response by Cpl Glynis Sakowicz made Jul 28 at 2015 2:37 PM

Cpl Glynis Sakowicz — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:37:46 -0400

What drives us? What doesn't drive us? Most I know, who were pushing to attend college classes while in uniform, had a future of providing well for their families, and a life outside the military in mind. Some, like my husband, took classes thru the Marines, on just about anything that meshed with his career, but keep in mind that he is seriously OCD and even to this day, at the top of his field, gets a nervous tic if something new comes out that he doesn't know about.
Some, like myself never made time for it while in uniform, and only fulfilled that degree plan afterwards, when the kids were full time in school, and we'd put down roots with plans of staying put for several years.
When it comes down to the singular idea of higher education or not, I think most of us just want to get a leg up on a civilian career, because we find ourselves a little out of touch with what works and what doesn't out of uniform.

Response by SGT(P) Jennifer Brande made Jul 28 at 2015 3:04 PM

SGT(P) Jennifer Brande — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:04:48 -0400

Jonathan,

Thanks for asking this question. There are a lot of comments to be made about online degrees, from the absurd such as "I only needed to go to school for 1 year to get my advanced degree" to the traditional problems that arise from "Online For-Profit" schools. Having attended 2 different online colleges as well as worked on promotion packets, OCS packets and general questions about education for years I have seen the major flaws (as well as rare successes) that come from these "institutes of higher education".

The biggest issue with online education is accreditation. I have personally seen people walking in their "degrees" from notorious diploma mills such as University of Phoenix (by far the worst ever), thinking that their degree will get them promoted or was the missing piece of their OCS packets and being told that their degree does not qualify since the accreditation is in question. It is a major issue when it comes to transferring to "legitimate" brick and mortar schools as well.

There is also the predatory enrollment process which these "online" schools attend job hiring fairs trying to lure service members into their programs, when I have personally told these predators that they have no business being at a veteran's job hiring fair if they are not there to hire a person for a job. They regularly use cheap pick up lines such as "do you think you are not getting the job you want because you are lacking a degree? Well here we are and we will take all of your military training credits towards your degree and you can get your program completed in a year or two" I have also personally told these people, so what happens when I get your "degree" and bring it into my resume and/or job application and I do not get hired because your programs are not accredited? I have literally stopped "recruiters" dead in their tracks with that comment.

I do agree that education is important and in very certain circumstances online education can be the missing link to a person getting their degree and potentially a better job or lifestyle, but the reality is this, if you fall into the predatory or for-profit online education arena, there is very little that you as a person can do when it comes to making the online education "business" work.

After being in both the online and brick and mortar school system, I'll gladly take my accredited Associates Degree from my brick and mortar school any day over an online degree with questionable accreditation.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2015 5:12 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 17:12:11 -0400

I completed both my B.S and MBA online and will complete my doctorate online as well. It's what works for me. I would much rather come home after a long day at work and do my assignments at home in my sweats than go sit in a classroom. The only set back for me was never actually having met any of my classmates. Employers don't discriminate and I have a great civilian job. I got accepted to OCS with my online degree as well so no complaints other than what I mentioned.

Response by SSG Stephen Kimball made Jul 28 at 2015 5:19 PM

SSG Stephen Kimball — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 17:19:52 -0400

As a graduate of an online program, I would first say be there to help us. Office hours that are convenient or email addresses that go directly to you. You are my instructor not the academic relations office or Registrar.
Second, work on being regionally accredited. When I tried to pursue a graduate degree, I had much difficulty in getting the university where I worked at accepting my coursework because it was not regionally accredited. It cost me a lot of energy to track the difference between nationally and regionally credentials.
Last, make the assignments relevant to the course and explain why you want this assignment completed.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2015 5:26 PM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 17:26:26 -0400

The pros far out way the cons. If it weren't for online degrees I would not have been able to get my advanced degree, which opened up many job opportunities and higher salaries after I retired from the service. I received mine from the University of Maryland University College.

Pros:
(1) I was able to complete my course assignments on my time. Actually started my first class while deployed to South Korea on a month long exercise.
(2) Had the same syllabus, books and schedule as the in-class option.
(3) Within a month of getting my MS diploma, I received a $20,000 raise.
(4) Most of the contract jobs that I had after I retired, required an advanced degree. Without it, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Cons:
(1) I was up until midnight completing my assignments most nights.
(2) Group projects were frustrating. If you wanted an "A", you did all the work yourself. The favorite excuse for a group member for not turning in their portion of the group project was that a family member had died. Usually, just before the assignment was due. This was used by at least one group member in over half my courses. Also, there were those group members who would just comment on other group members work and feel their job was done. Basically, professors did not hold these people accountable. I totally despised group projects.
(3) Online courses have a tendency of being harder than in-class since everything is self-study with very little assistance from a professor. This can be trying in some of the finance and statistics courses.

Response by SGT John Galbraith made Jul 28 at 2015 5:33 PM

SGT John Galbraith — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 17:33:44 -0400

I have 4 children, a wife, a dog(a very time demanding Pit Bull that likes to make messes), a full time job, classes that are mandatory that the company is paying for, and I would love to see one of my hobbies once in a while but my guitars have an impressive layer of dust on them. Online school is hell on earth for me, but a necessary evil. It changes your entry point for the step you are on in your career. You can progress through one company or through many. But most hit road blocks and have to move up to support themselves. So, having a degree from wherever is needed to change that entry point in the next company. I went to night classes at a brick and mortar school but my family can't wait hungry for me to finish my graduate degree while I am in school so, off to online university virtual land I go.. it takes a lot of discipline, but, in the end.. a degree is only a piece of paper that gets you past the HR rep that has no idea what you actually do. It is your work performance, willing to learn, willing to take on projects, your active and positive engagement, and strive for better processes that get you a head in your career, not the piece of paper that hangs on your wall. That is, of course, if you aren't a doctor. Then that piece of paper is everything.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2015 5:53 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 17:53:50 -0400

I just finished my MBA with MBA@UNC and their platform - operated by 2U - was fantastic. Some of the best features were the ability to save lectures to view while offline, utilization of adobe connect for classes and group meetings (seeing people face to face enhanced learning), and use of boards for discussions. Honestly the only downside was the incredible amount of bandwidth needed to run the adobe connect class sessions, which could make it hard when traveling since hotel connections usually suck and if you're in the field that week it's impossible to run it off your phone's wifi. I pretty much had agreements with my command to allow me to retreat to civilization for class time, which not every command team will allow. What you really need to consider is that Soldiers find themselves in austere environments even when in garrison for field training. The ability to access content offline is critical with automatic uploading when connected again (so you don't lose work).

Response by PO1 Aaron Baltosser made Jul 28 at 2015 8:25 PM

PO1 Aaron Baltosser — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 20:25:32 -0400

In my last command several of the GS workers and I had degrees from traditional schools encouraging him to go for it and enroll in college courses working toward his ultimate goal of a degree. One of the ladies in the shop that was always stirring the pot opened her mouth and actually badmouthed the Bachelor's of Arts Degree I earned in one year dropping 33 credit hours on top of full time military committment. At the time she was working with what we considered a diploma mill Phoenix University. During my time earning the defree I did try a blended course with some online components. The connection was always suspect, and the professor was just in it to get paid. Hands down the worst one I ever had to deal with. As far as I'm concerned after seeing that troublesome ladies 'work' the online experience is not for me. If she can get a degree with what she was turning in, I am ashamed for what is considered a higher education system.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2015 9:25 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 21:25:16 -0400

The graduation rate is the key. The University of Phoenix's graduation rate is about 20%, which basically means they are recruiting military students for the cash, not to help them get a degree. UofP should be banned from receiving government funding.

What military people need is a way to get an education that fits within their time schedule. It helps if it is self-paced, although some people do need an occasional nudge or they drop out (and if they do, at least that's on them, it's not that the course schedule was deliberately impossible so the school gets the cash and the serviceman gets the shaft.)

Starting out, military people need to be told the truth. College courses, at least those not from degree mills, require 2 hours of self-study for every hour of classroom or online study. Servicemen need to understand that it takes a serious commitment. This isn't like posting on RallyPoint.

Response by SSG Lloyd Becker BSBA-HCM, MBA made Jul 29 at 2015 3:08 AM

SSG Lloyd Becker BSBA-HCM, MBA — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 03:08:35 -0400

After reading a few responses, for me, I preferred on line classes. While it is impersonal, I did not deal with certain types of instructors who have an agenda to push instead of academics.

School work was scripted and compliance was necessary to achieve a passing score. I stayed with the same school through my BSBA to my MBA. My only trouble point was economics and accounting and finance. Although, finance was a little easier, or so it seems.

Online lectures were optional, but if you need to listen to these, they were recorded. I attended very few of these and even less during my masters. The odd thing about that is I graduated with a higher GPA with the Masters, than I did with the BSBA.

Each course was 5.5 weeks long with two classes per quarter. When I hit my doctorate studies; I had four classes in when I completed my Masters. I was scoring high enough to finish with doctorate classes. If I was still active, I would have not had the time to finish even one course. And, during the time I was in service, there were no such thing as an online school. It was either in the classroom, or distant learning; no computers for school work, except for typing papers.

Response by SFC Donald Neal made Jul 29 at 2015 3:39 AM

SFC Donald Neal — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 03:39:30 -0400

I took a combination of online and in person classes to complete my bachelors at a local state university. If a person is smart and hungry for the knowledge they can do very well in many online subjects. I found it helped to do brick and mortar classes for the subjects I had forgotten about in 20 years. For me math and accounting were tough and I needed the personal interaction. Other classes such as ethics, business writing, and organizational management were perfect for an online class.

Another aspect I got out of the traditional schooling was the opportunity to network with civilians. Before finishing my degree, the only thing missing from my connections and LinkedIn profile was a guidon.

Response by CPO Jon Campbell made Jul 29 at 2015 8:41 AM

CPO Jon Campbell — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 08:41:47 -0400

I earned my BS in a traditional university, but I have taken many continuing education classes on-line and several classes that were intended to be for degree programs. I am currently taking a course through the University of North Dakota because they are they only university that offers a very specific online course that relates directly to my job. Several years ago, it would have been impossible to attend a course like this because traveling to North Dakota would not have been practical. I don't know if I have learned more or learned better with on-line courses, but I have been able to fill in gaps in my core knowledge base through on-line courses. For instance, as a criminal investigator, I never had to learn much medical terminology. I found that I needed to understand much more in order to do my job well, so I took an online course in medical terminology. It has been very helpful and something that was just not feasible to take as a traditional class while working full time.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 29 at 2015 12:41 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 12:41:30 -0400

I completed 5 degrees online including an MBA; from both tradional schools and purely online schools. Like everyone else the best thing for me was the ability to take classes while I was moblie field, NCOES school, deployment etc. I have a wife and 4 kids and sitting in a class room was just not feasible. The drawback was the lack on interaction with my teachers the majority of my classes I had little to no communication with my teachers.

Response by LTC Nancy Bodyk (Retired) made Jul 29 at 2015 1:23 PM

LTC Nancy Bodyk (Retired) — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 13:23:09 -0400

I liked the flexibility of the on-line degree programs. I worked on my degree from 2002-2005. In that time I was in a Recruiting Battalion, in Iraq, and working on the Division Staff. There was no way I could fit in a classroom style program with fixed meeting hours. My schedule on any given day was unpredictable. I would have ended up dropping out of the program. The only problem I had was taking a math class and it was difficult to understand what I wasn't doing right in the class through emails and phone conversations. It was the only class in the degree that I struggled with. Granted on-line classes require the discipline to sit down and get the work done. The incentive for me was I was paying for a portion of the degree even using Tuition Assistance and the VA's Top Off program (associated with the Montgomery GI Bill). There were nights I was up until 11:30 pm working on homework even though I had to be up at 5:00 am to make it to work for PT. I do prefer the on-line classes to the classroom instruction.

Response by SPC Brian Stephens made Jul 29 at 2015 2:13 PM

SPC Brian Stephens — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 14:13:14 -0400

Convenience is a pro to online education. Your classroom is open 24/7 and your reading materials are all online. I did my Masters mostly online. But for most of my classes, we did a Flexnet format which means students meet physically in a classroom at the end of the first week for four hours of lecture and to form teams and then we meet again at the end of the last week to present a team project. in this way, not only did we hone our writing skills, but we practiced presentation and public speaking skills too while mastering Powerpoint. The bad parts are how online education is being treated by traditional brick and mortar universities and by the media. But these are more defensive actions in terms of where technology is taking and remodeling the education industry as traditional players feel the squeeze.

Response by MAJ Patrick Hairston CISSP, AWS Certified Cloud Architect made Jul 29 at 2015 4:01 PM

MAJ Patrick Hairston CISSP, AWS Certified Cloud Architect — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 16:01:13 -0400

First, before I comment, I have been to online schools and to traditional.
Now, I would say, take into account the accreditation of the school. It MUST be regionally accredited before you should even look at it. I would prefer a mix between traditional and online, preferably one that's on post and still offers some of the class on-line. My master's degree is from Webster. I did two classes from Kandahar and a couple of them on post at Bragg. It's a very reputable school and not a diploma mill. You have to be very careful of diploma mills. You might get their "degree" but wonder why you are losing out on jobs to people with more recognized schools....

Response by LTJG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 29 at 2015 4:54 PM

LTJG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 16:54:27 -0400

My husband took classes online while in Afghanistan and turned in all of the papers he could early because they were getting attacked almost daily. This class had the major papers posted in Blackboard and were set on a time limit. My husband was unable to make the final paper on time due to a firefight that killed several people and the internet was shut down for a few days so that family could be notified. After explaining all of this to his teacher, the teacher still failed him for not turning in the assignment on time. Needless to say at the time a failing grade was the least of his problems as the fighting increased around his area so by the time he got home he didn't want to report his teacher for failing him in the class. The professor was fully aware of my husbands status in the military and knew ahead of time that the possibility of being attacked and the internet getting shut off was high and did nothing to work around to help him get the paper in outside the timeline.

Response by SPC Joshua Heath made Aug 4 at 2015 11:32 AM

SPC Joshua Heath — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 11:32:45 -0400

Thank you for all the wonderful responses.

Response by LTC James Snyder made Aug 4 at 2015 6:43 PM

LTC James Snyder — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:43:25 -0400

Mine for the most part were all good. I chose my colleges carefully (Grad and Undergrad). I did a lot of research about the college, their reputation, the instructors, what was their reputation vs. what they said. Bottom line, you're in charge. Do your research.

Response by SPC Robby Robinson made Aug 5 at 2015 4:30 AM

SPC Robby Robinson — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 04:30:53 -0400

When I began my online degree program (disabled veteran/ Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation) I made the decision (a bad one at that) to attend The University of Phoenix. The beginning courses for my major (Management) were ridiculously easy. They got more in depth but the problem was the quality of my fellow students. Make NO mistake, I am no scholar! But I understood the importance of essential writing skills, proper grammar, learned real fast that Wikipedia is NOT a citable source. Under normal circumstances, my peers skill levels would be of no consequence. However with the University of Phoenix, half of your grade was based upon learning teams. Not so bad, and would seem to get away from the compartmentalization that seems to define Online education. Yet the quality of my education was being compromised by people who had no business being in the same course. I mean writing skills for the vast majority were bad, writing in APA, not a clue as to citing a source. I might add that I never met a bunch of people more apt to have family emergencies, computer viruses, car accidents, sick kids. Some folks were just all but vanish until the night before an assignment was due and ask at the last minute what could they do. If they were left out of the assignment we were penalized. Now I understand life has its issues and can draw us away from our schooling endeavors. But what would end up happening was if I wanted a grade better than a C, I along with a handful of fellow classmates would have to handle these "Group assignments" in their entirety.
After three years of this, I realized this was pointless and I went looking for a better opportunity. I found that opportunity at American Military University. I changed Majors and switched to Emergency Management / Counter-terrorism. It came at a cost, I left the UOP with 86 credit hours. Moving forward into a new Major meant starting with 42 credit hours, 46 credit hours vanished into thin air.
It was tough and the thought of losing essentially, one and a half years of work, sucked!! Yet I did it and at this point I am 6 courses away from my Bachelor's in Emergency management / Counter-Terrorism.
That is not to say that AMU is the be all end all for Online education. But I will say that I am amongst my peers, both Active duty and retired military and a healthy dose of active duty law enforcement personnel.
Graduates of AMU have some impressive credentials throughout the government and out in the private arena as well.
l have found that it is harder than a classroom education at a brick and mortar institution. Not better or worse education-wise but motivationally speaking. It is easier to handle the course load at a brick and mortar school. At home, it is harder to maintain motivation and requires more discipline, to not get taken askew from an assignment or reading

Response by CH (CPT) Heather Davis made Aug 7 at 2015 6:23 AM

CH (CPT) Heather Davis — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 06:23:01 -0400

I love online Education due to I can multi-task stay home and watch my kids, manage the house hold and still go to Army Reserves. I am presently going to Capella University for a Ph.D. in Advance Studies in Behavior.

I went to Liberty University and I was able to attend New Orleans Baptist Theology School and obtain my 90 hr. Masters in Divinity in two years. Know your strengths and do not put off today what you can do tomorrow.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2015 11:06 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 23:06:37 -0400

Different environments suits different learners, Online education is definitely a valuable tool to obtain your degree, I am working on my BA now. I am grateful I do not have to sit in a classroom 2-3 nights a week for 8-10weeks to finish one class. My time is valuable and while time management is crucial to your success, it is a great advantage when you have to juggle multiple responsibilities.