Excelsior CD-ROM course rant

[Scholar Interrupted]

Excelsior College has been phenomenal overall. They accepted all my old credits, and they granted me 57 credits for CLEPs and another 9 (so far) for DSSTs. The one ECE I've taken so far was a great experience. The one online course I've taken so far was great (the discussion board was way too time consuming, but I understand the rationale for it). The liberal arts advisors have been prompt, encouraging, and unfailingly helpful.

CD-ROM courses have been a horse of a different color. The concept is great -- get a syllabus, complete the assignments, take 2 essay exams. Work completely independently with a professor available by e-mail to clarify things.

But they just don't work that smoothly in reality. At least not the history courses.

CD-ROM course-takers appear to be the redheaded stepchildren of Excelsior College. I've already written here about my experience with Contemporary Middle East History. I had assumed the frustration I experienced with that was the exception. But I now have experience with Colonial America (last term) and, currently, Revolutionary America, and I can safely say that frustration is the norm -- at least in history courses.

My instructor for Colonial America seemed like a nice enough guy. But at the very last, he flaked out completely. The final exam questions were not released until Wednesday after they should have arrived Monday. This wouldn't have been a big deal if I'd been notified of a schedule change, but I took that Monday as a vacation day from work specifically to complete the final exam so it wouldn't become a week-long ordeal of late nights. I ended up sitting in front of my computer all day doing nothing in particular. When the professor didn't respond to my e-mail inquiry, I contacted the backup e-mail for history courses. Also no response. When the instructor finally circulated the questions on Wednesday -- and charitably gave us a few extra days to turn in our answers -- there was neither explanation nor apology.

Revolutionary America is shaping up similarly. The instructor seems very nice. But last week, I received an e-mail from the department head that the instructor is in the hospital. I again e-mailed the history course general e-mail address to inquire whether the timing of the midterm exam -- the questions are due out today -- would change. No response. And, once again, I have taken time off from work to complete the exam. At least this time, I have several days off instead of just one.

Three different instructors, three different sets of headaches. It occurs to me that professors in general tend to have all sorts of flaky eccentricities, and maybe I just didn't spend enough time in a brick-and-mortar college to fully appreciate this. Maybe because I'm over 40, I'm approaching education with too much of a consumer mindset, and I need an attitude adjustment. Maybe I'm too Type-A and too obsessed with planning my life in general, and I just need to chill.

But I am so very, VERY annoyed right now.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. And for giving me something to do while I wait.

[TMW2010]

I experienced something similiar with the CDROM course I took last term. In fact, the CDROM didn't have any of the documents on it (the .pdfs for the readings, and the additional readings .pdfs, which one wasn't available through the Virtual Library.) The course also had 'exam_review_questions.htm' & 'Exam Review Questions.htm' One was for the older version of the course (and the book apparently experienced major content changes between the first and second editions.) Of course, the professor sent out the midterms and (initially til I pointed out the discrepencies) the final questions from the old version of the file. While I was able to do the required number of questions for the midterm (it was after the midterm that I actually discovered this discrepency) it basically locked you into doing the 5 questions that actually applied to the version of the book you had out of the 8 that were offered for the choice.

In the two CDROM courses I've taken, my prof's pulled the selection of the questions directly from the Exam Review questions file, so you might be able to find the questions there, well ahead of when they're sent to you by your teachers for this one (unfortunately it doesn't help for the last one with the delay).

But yeah, I've placed my complaints about the course material directly with the department head. We'll see if that improves things at all... (Actually, I won't, most likely, I'm done with my courses and hope to get confered in Dec... AHAHAHAHAHAHA whew...)
Good luck!
-T

[Scholar Interrupted]

In the two CDROM courses I've taken, my prof's pulled the selection of the questions directly from the Exam Review questions file, so you might be able to find the questions there, well ahead of when they're sent to you by your teachers for this one (unfortunately it doesn't help for the last one with the delay).

That's been my experience, too. I have been over the applicable review questions and feel pretty secure about them, though since there are about 40 questions, I stopped short of actually writing essays.

But yeah, I've placed my complaints about the course material directly with the department head. We'll see if that improves things at all... (Actually, I won't, most likely, I'm done with my courses and hope to get confered in Dec... AHAHAHAHAHAHA whew...)
Good luck!
-T

Thanks, and congratulations! (I'm aiming for this spring.)