Help! Has Anyone Taken An EC Online Course?

[marianne202]

I broke down and forked over $900 for an EC online course Friday and am awaiting my books to arrive later this week. The class started today and upon reviewing the syllabus, which I couldn't access prior to this morning, I find I have to read the entire 352 page text, plus 22 pages of another text and review a text website (different from the 2 required texts) entire module including all quizzes, course material and discussions by next Monday! I have never heard of reading an entire text in a week, much less the few days I will have, if it arrives on time! I'm not expecting it to arrive until Friday! I teach online classes and would never expect my students to read the entire course text within the first week. I thought it was bad enough that I had to buy 2 texts and a dvd for an 8 week course, but this is a little excessive. I feel for the students who register this week during late registration, there is no way they will even have their books until next week! Oh, I also have to post discussion topics! Does this seem a little excessive to anyone else? Isn't this supposed to be for students taking multiple classes, working, with a family etc? I was going to sign up next week for 2 more online classes at a local University, but now I'm wondering if this is what I should expect. Does anyone have any experience with EC online courses? Should I expect this pace at all other online programs? I have taught online for a community college for 5 years and have never expected this much in 1 week. I don't know of any of our instructors that would expect this much in one week. At least at a B&M school you can walk into the bookstore and buy your books same day, hello it takes time to get books shipped! Do they not realize this? I tried my local (little town library) and they don't have either book. I also tried my college library, no such luck either! Does anyone have any suggestions!

Thanks!

[dshlvrsn]

I've only taken the Business Policy course but it was very liberal in regards to what needs to be done when. Something sounds off. Have you contacted the professor?

[marianne202]

I just got a response to my email to the instructor. I have to read the 106 page text by next Monday and I have until the following Monday to have the 352 page text read! The syllabus just has a note under the 2 texts info that it must be read by next Monday. The good news is he gave me a website where I can view the first 40 pages of the initial text and my copy was mailed on Saturday, so I should get that text first. I still think this is a huge amount of reading for the first few weeks of a course. I thought it would be like most courses, you read a few chapters and comment on the content, discuss ethical theories presented etc. But I guess we have to read all the text material in the first few weeks then spend the remainder of the course discussing it. Just a little overload in the beginning. I guess I will be spending my next two weeks with my nose in a book. I have my Foundations of Education exam scheduled for next Friday, but I may have to postpone it if I don't get all this reading done! I'm glad I'm a fast reader! Those high school speed reading classes are going to pay off! Thanks!

[rlane8223]

I have not taken an 8 week version, but have done a few 15 week courses at EC, they have varied greatly in the time and reading requirments. I can imagine that a couple of them would be about as intense as what you are in now if they had been condensed into an 8 week session.

For the most part, I have found if I am making good progress, and I run into a time issue, or some unforseen problem, my instructors have been accomodating as long as I communicated with them, and if I set up a plan.

I know some weeks are very painful, but nothing feels better than when you submit that last assignment for the course.

[MISin08]

8-week courses at Chadron State are intense, but not as grueling as you describe. The worst week was 4 chapters -- that was in Database Management, which is of course a technical topic, can't just skim.

Which course and instructor is it? I'm planning to take a couple from them later this year.

Phillip

[marianne202]

Thanks! This is Health Care Issues in Culturally Diverse Populations. I expected more discussion topics and theory application than intense reading. Now I just hope the books are not too dry and boring or I will have a terrible time trying to get all the reading done in 2 weeks. This course also doesn't have any exams, just discussion topics, assignments and a final paper. I use all these methods in my classes, but I do give chapter and final exams. Have you found most online courses don't give exams. I know the few EC courses I looked up neither listed exams as part of the grade. I would rather do an exam than right a paper any day!
Thanks again!

[MISin08]

Have you found most online courses don't give exams.

I have always had some exams. Lower-level is exam happy. Upper level, there's always at least one, though they aren't proctored and aren't very hard.

[brain122]

I have taken online classes that seemed to suggest something similar. However, you will find that if you are discussing a section of the book (or so many chapters that week) it is better to read it as you are "discussing" it. If you read the entire book at once, you will likely have to re read it in sections to discuss it anyway.

Just a thought.