AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Going back to graduate school while holding down a job is a big commitment. We evaluated online schools according seven factors. Read on to see our top picks on online grad schools for working adults.

We sought out the best schools that offer flexible, online graduate degrees. To compile our list of top schools, we evaluated colleges according to seven factors: brand awareness, program diversity, learning environment, flexibility, academics, student support, and career services.

In this section, we'll describe why we chose these factors, but if you want to jump straight to our list of top schools, just scroll down!

Choose a school with an established, well-respected brand in online education. These schools have long experience in delivering quality education and specifically understand the needs of online students as well as the challenges faced by working adults who are going back to school.

We looked for schools that offer programs in both a wide variety of fields as well as at different levels. Even if you know your major before enrolling, having access to a wide variety of fields means that you explore different subjects and enroll in a wide array of electives. Choosing a school with programs at multiple levels means that you can stick with the school for throughout your graduate education. If you know you want to pursue both a master's and doctoral degree, look for schools that offer both levels in your field.

Our top schools have designed learning environments that remove barriers to learning. As a working adult, you want a learning environment that is asynchronous, which means that there are no set meeting times, and that is easy to access from a variety of devices. For example, schools with mobile apps allow you to access your coursework when you're on the go or on a break at work.

Flexibility is key when you're balancing school with work, and online programs offer the maximum flexibility. Look for schools that allow you adjust your course load each semester or that have flexible start dates. We also prized schools that give students the opportunity to design part of their program based on their goals and prior work experience.

All of the schools on our list are accredited, which is the first thing you want to ensure when choosing a program. An accredited program has been vetted by an accreditation agency, which ensures that the school teaches a solid curriculum. Our top schools also hire professors who have actual work experience in their field. This is important because many grad programs for working adults are designed to help you advance your career. By learning from professors who have walked your path, you can get relevant instruction not found in a textbook.

As an online student, you're learning from home and don't have access to traditional school support services. Therefore, it's important to look for schools that offer extensive online support services, such as 24/7 tech support or email and phone access to academic and financial advisors.

Even if you plan to stay with your current employer, a university career services office can be a valuable asset in an uncertain economy. Job referrals and resume polishing are some benefits to look for in an online school's offerings.

So, what are our top five graduate schools? Our top picks do well in all of our factors and have a lot of services specifically geared at students who are balancing a job as well as family responsibilities.

Kaplan University puts faculty front and center so that you can learn from instructors who have recent real-world experience and familiarity with current marketplace knowledge and on-the-job skills. Students can access full support services, including technical support that is available by phone, email, or live chat. Kaplan makes it easy for students to access class on their own schedule. In addition to asynchronous learning, you can access class materials, discussions, and grades on your mobile device. The university offers a wide variety of master's degree programs, all of which are online. Its emphasis on online education means that it has mastered flexible education designed for busy students.

Northcentral University is an entirely online university that offers four master's programs and seven doctoral degrees, in addition to several graduate certificates. The university's one-to-one instructional model enables online students to get direct attention from their instructors, creating a personalized learning experience. Additionally, Northcentral is fully accredited and provides students with many convenient online resources to ease the student online experience, such as accessible academic advising and an 'Ask a Researcher' feature. When it comes to establishing a personalized student experience, Northcentral stood out in terms of accessibility between its students and faculty.

Saint Joseph's University jumps out because its graduate business program was ranked 18th on U.S. News & World Report's list of top online graduate programs in 2013. In addition to business, the school offers graduate degrees in criminal justice, education, healthcare and finance. Unique offerings at Saint Joseph's include an online master's degree in business intelligence and a master's program in organization development and leadership. You'll also find a variety of graduate certificates at this university.

We chose Colorado State University's Global Campus for its focus on working adults. Online classes at this university feature instructors trained specifically in distance education for adults. Courses start every four weeks, so you can choose to earn your degree when it fits your schedule. The university has a tuition guarantee program for online students, so that you won't need to worry about your tuition increasing as long as you're actively enrolled in classes and earning a degree. The university features an innovative online platform with a virtual library, virtual instructor office hours and an online help desk.

Strayer University offers students a quality graduate education that's affordable, convenient, and supportive. The university's flexible programs make it possible for you to earn a competitive graduate degree on your schedule, without interrupting your personal or professional life. Students can attend classes at times that fit their schedule, on campus or online and learn from qualified faculty who bring relevant theoretical and practical knowledge to the classroom. The university also provides comprehensive career information, job referrals, and resume assistance to help students reach their educational and career goals.

Disclosure: Some or all of the schools listed may be partners of Education Portal.

Show me popular schools

View the original article here

• 0 comments »

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
We've reviewed the best time and money-saving deals offered by the largest online graduate schools. Opportunities you can take advantage of include full-tuition scholarships, shortened program length, credit for experience and dual-credit options.

Earning a graduate degree can be helpful in advancing your career. But graduate schools are expensive, right? Not always. Several of the largest online graduate schools understand that the cost of earning an advanced degree shouldn't undermine the benefits. This is why they offer innovative programs to minimize your out-of-pocket expense and still allow you the flexibility of a quality online education. We've reviewed these programs and highlighted some of the best deals available that you can take advantage of for your graduate degree.

Your time is just as valuable as your money. Of course, earning a graduate degree online gives you the flexibility to schedule your courses to best fit around your busy home and work life. However, some schools take time-saving opportunities a little further by reducing the length and eliminating the rigid structure of courses so that you can better manage the time you spend juggling family, career and education.

You can get financial assistance through scholarships and grants offered by graduate schools. And the best part about these types of financial aid is that they don't have to be paid back. In some cases, these awards are tied to specific programs, while others are geared toward teachers, employees of certain companies, or students who started but couldn't finish a graduate degree program.

Some of the largest online graduate schools let you save time and money by accepting qualifying work and life experience as credit towards a graduate degree program. Several schools also give college credit for professional certifications or credit-by-exam options. Additionally, many of these graduate schools award college credit and tuition reduction for military and law enforcement training. Whether you write an essay or create a portfolio of your experiences, take a test or earn a certification, you'll have the chance to transform that knowledge into real college credit, reducing the number of credits you'll need for your degree program.

Undergraduate students have the chance to begin working toward a graduate degree before earning a bachelor's degree. This translates into fewer courses you'll need to take to earn a graduate degree and less money you'll have to spend in tuition costs. You'll be able to apply the credit earned for one class to two different programs.

Show me popular schools

View the original article here

• 0 comments »

By: Gloria P. Craig, EdD in Online Education

The discussion forum is an essential part of online courses. It’s where students interact, reflect, exchange ideas, and expand their knowledge base. The quality of the discussion forum depends on the ability to develop a sense of community, the clarity of the discussion questions, and the use of a grading rubric that includes standards of performance.

Cobb (2011) found that relationships, comfort, and community are important factors in undergraduate student success. She recommends establishing forums for student introductions, instructor involvement in the forums, and acknowledging students’ points of view.

Mayne and Wu (2011) found that the following strategies increase student satisfaction with an online course and positively influence perceptions regarding social presence and group interaction: personal emails and biographical and personal information from the instructor, an introduction with specific course instructions, an inclusive syllabus with student and instructor expectations clearly outlined, assignment rubrics, links to helpful tutorials or resources, and an informal place for students to chat.

Another way to promote community is to provide a question-and-answer forum. This facilitates student exchange of information that does not require instructor input, enabling students to mentor one another.

Small group sizes (with no more than 10 students per discussion forum group) also can promote social presence and community. According to Schellens and Valcke (2006), small discussion groups have higher levels of knowledge construction than larger groups do. They also found that students want specific discussion forum guidelines and want the forums to be graded to enhance the level of responsibility.

To be meaningful, discussion questions need to be correlated with the course readings and learning outcomes for each module. Students are more likely to understand learning outcomes that are directly connected with an assignment (forum, quiz, or paper).

Most discussion questions focus on the basic levels of thinking of Bloom’s Taxonomy to evaluate students’ understanding of the content in each module and their ability to explain ideas or concepts. Some questions may direct students toward higher levels of thinking, requiring them either to apply the information from the module to a workplace situation or to compare and contrast particular issues (analyzing). To promote higher levels of thinking, ask students to critique one another’s posts (evaluating) and direct them to pose a question related to the topic of discussion (creating) to further stimulate discussion in the forum (Overbaugh and Schultz, n.d.).

In undergraduate courses, have students respond to the initial prompt and include rationale and references. Then have them reply to fellow students with substantial constructive feedback (remembering and understanding). Encourage students to respectfully consider the opinions of others, agree or disagree with those opinions, and provide rationale based on references or workplace experience (applying, analyzing). After all the students have posted and replied, post a closing post for the forum that acknowledges students’ points of view, addresses any areas that need further clarification, and adds new content to augment understanding of the topic of discussion.

Hold graduate students to the same criteria as undergraduate students, but also have them include questions with their posts to further stimulate discussion. This leads to a higher level of thinking. Also consider requiring graduate students to handle their posts that include questions as individual forums. Have them take on the role of instructor, replying to other students and posting summaries for their forums (evaluating). The instructor would then read all the posts, including questions and summaries, and post a closing message as described above for undergraduate students.

Use analytic grading rubrics for online discussions. Analytic grading rubrics have two major components: levels of performance and a set of criteria. Levels of performance can include terms such as exemplary, proficient, basic, or below expectations or can include numbers. Points can be attached to the levels of performance and distributed based on the total number of points allowed for a post in the discussion forum. Criteria depend on the learning outcomes for the course, but may include the following:

Demonstration of an understanding of the topic of discussion through critical thinking, higher-order thinking, and uniqueness of contributionCommunity building through collaboration and connection with other studentsProper netiquette and mechanics of writingTimeliness and participation with posts/replies

See my analytic discussion forum grading rubric for undergraduate students here and my graduate rubrics here.

Hold undergraduate and graduate students to the same standard in regard to netiquette, including language, spelling, and grammar, but modify the type and number of required references to suit the educational level. For example, undergraduate students may be required to include supporting references from their reading assignments, but Truemper (2004) suggested that the expectation for graduate students should be to include references from research journals.

The number of replies may need to be adjusted to suit the size of each discussion group. Typically, eight to 10 in a group is sufficient for a discussion that demonstrates interaction, reflection, exchange of ideas, and expansion of the knowledge base related to the topic of discussion. The number of points assigned to a discussion forum will also depend on the amount of responsibility assumed by the students. If students are required both to include a question to further stimulate discussion and to facilitate their forums by providing a summary, then additional points may be assigned to the discussion forum grading rubric. Last, the timeliness of the posts and replies can be negotiated with students, as many adult learners have busy schedules.

References
Cobb, S. (2011). “Social presence, satisfaction, and perceived learning of RN-BSN students in Web-based nursing courses.” Nursing Education Perspectives, 32(2), 115-119.

Mayne, L., and Wu, Q. (2011). “Creating and measuring social presence in online graduate nursing courses.” Nursing Education Perspectives, 32(2), 110-114.

Overbaugh, R., and Schultz, L. (n.d.). Bloom’s Taxonomy. Retrieved from http://ww2.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm.

Schellens, T., and Valcke, M. (2006). “Fostering knowledge construction in university students through asynchronous discussion groups.” Computers & Education, 46(4), 349-370.

Truemper, C. (2004). “Using scoring rubrics to facilitate assessment and evaluation of graduate-level nursing students.” Journal of Nursing Education, 43(12), 562-564.

Gloria P. Craig is a professor in the College of Nursing at South Dakota State University.

Reprinted from Online Classroom, 13.12 (2013): 5,8. ? Magna Publications. All rights reserved.

Tags: asynchronous discussions, discussion board assignments, discussion board rubrics, online discussions

View the original article here

• 0 comments »