Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion
"New and Improved" HES PIA - Printable Version

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"New and Improved" HES PIA - SuZQ2 - 09-03-2019

Hi All,
 
PIA Mayflower-Emerson still doesn't begin until one minute after midnight tonight, but I've gathered quite a bit of info regarding the "New and Improved" $1000 course and thought I'd share...
 
The new course appears much more rigorous - the Discussion grade is now subdivided into two parts - 20% participation and 20% content.
 
Discussion Requirements -
One 250-400+ word paragraph per week in response to the Weekly Prompt (like a mini-annotation essay).
One 100-150+ word response to another post using new evidence, claims, etc. (like a micro-mini annotation essay).
(They provide a handout with in-depth samples.)
 
Here's the breakdown -
Assignments are weighted by group:
Yellowdig Participation Score
20%
Yellowdig Content Score
20%
Final Essay
30%
Yellowdig #2 (Non-credit)
10%
Weekly Quizzes
20%
Completion-based Grades
10%
Assignments
0%
Total
110%

It's interesting to note that the school week now officially begins and ends on Friday's at 7:59 PM as opposed to the 2018 Wed. - Wed. schedule. Personally, I preferred the Wed. due dates as the weekend occurred toward the end of the school week (when I, like most working adults, have more free time).

Do they sell gallon-sized jugs of Tums? Tongue


RE: "New and Improved" HES PIA - ReyMysterioso - 09-07-2019

Yup. I'm not very happy about this, as I'm stuck in a group with the one TA that shredded my paper and gave me the lowest grade I've ever gotten last semester. (That on the heels of a different TA giving me effusive praise and telling me I had a gift in all-caps the semester before. And I've always gotten the best scores on English courses throughout my academic career. So I don't think there was some shortcoming on my part.) Not happy that this person now also has the power to shred my Discussion Board score. Not happy that I have to post some long, argumentative expository mini-essay EVERY SINGLE WEEK. Not happy that I'm paying four times as much for the privilege either.


RE: "New and Improved" HES PIA - SuZQ2 - 09-07-2019

(09-07-2019, 02:53 PM)elbebopkid Wrote: Yup.  I'm not very happy about this, as I'm stuck in a group with the one TA that shredded my paper and gave me the lowest grade I've ever gotten last semester. (That on the heels of a different TA giving me effusive praise and telling me I had a gift in all-caps the semester before. And I've always gotten the best scores on English courses throughout my academic career. So I don't think there was some shortcoming on my part.) Not happy that this person now also has the power to shred my Discussion Board score. Not happy that I have to post some long, argumentative expository mini-essay EVERY SINGLE WEEK. Not happy that I'm paying four times as much for the privilege either.

I FEEL YOUR PAIN! I've been in class four days and am very seriously thinking of bailing while I'm still able to get the full refund. The increased price seems to have opened the door to a massive increase in the course's workload...YIKES! Do you know what the "Diagnostic Essay" is all about? Mine is due Sept. 27th, and they have yet to enlighten anyone as to what the heck it is...They're also late in posting the topic for the first "mini essay"...

It hasn't helped that the increase in price evidently weeded out everyone but highly-experienced teachers with Master's Degrees. Twenty people in my group, yet only eight showed up to introduce themselves on the Discussion Board. Yup, that's my entire class..uhhhh, except for the very, very stressed-out me... Blush

Yup...Feeling kind of Sick .


RE: "New and Improved" HES PIA - ReyMysterioso - 09-08-2019

That "Diagnostic Essay" is a new one on me. They used to just assign you to write the thesis paragraph of your eventual essay for feedback, and you got a completion grade. Not graded for content. I have no idea what a "diagnostic" essay is. Maybe they diagnose what's wrong with it so you can fix it when you turn in the final version.
I also very seriously considered dropping the course while I could still get the full refund in the hopes that it might repeat, I might be able to get the waiver to get it down to $250, and I might be able to avoid this harsh TA.
Adding to my anxiety is that at my previous job, I could work on this stuff during my work day. But I started a new job and can't touch anything outside of work while I'm there, so the workload is much heavier while at the same time I have far less time to dedicate to it. (And by the way, I live in a rural area and have no internet available except tethering off my phone, which only works well enough to play videos SOME of the time.) So this is quite a fix I find myself in. So far I'm leaning toward staying in it. The money's already spent. I'm already this far...I don't know if it will ever repeat... in for a penny, in for a pound. And I'm sort of a complainer by nature anyway. I'm never 100% happy in any situation!
I guess I'll read everyone's discussion board posts to get a feel for what they're looking for. See how well I do on the first quiz, and decide by tonight whether to drop it.

Ultimately, I'm sure that you can do this. I'm sure I can too...but am only considering taking the strategic actions what will result in the best outcomes with the most efficiency.

I will finish this post with one thought.... nothing worth having ever comes easy!


RE: "New and Improved" HES PIA - ReyMysterioso - 09-08-2019

Update: After conferring with a friend for advice who both has an advanced degree and also worked in academia , I decided to drop the course for this semester. If it repeats with a waiver, I'll try again.


RE: "New and Improved" HES PIA - SuZQ2 - 09-09-2019

(09-08-2019, 05:45 PM)elbebopkid Wrote: Update: After conferring with a friend for advice who both has an advanced degree and also worked in academia , I decided to drop the course for this semester. If it repeats with a waiver, I'll try again.

I'm so sorry it didn't work out for you this time - hopefully by the time you try again, Evil TA will have moved on...

I'm still in and still on the fence about what to do... So far, there's been no mention of the weekly writing assignment (does that happen the week AFTER the Unit 1 test???), no mention of the Diagnostic Essay...Nothing...Just chatting on the introduction board for "points." I think I'll attempt Quiz 1 later today and see how that goes.

I have a pretty hectic home/work life, so finding time in between the chaos to work on this may prove impossible. I know if I stay in past today the next drop out date is Sept 16th (for a 50% refund). I might be spending $500 just to see what the future assignments are all about.

YIKES!


RE: "New and Improved" HES PIA - SuZQ2 - 09-13-2019

Another one bites the dust....I'm out. 
 
Is the "New" PiA do-able? Yes, with a bunch of caveats...
 
Be aware:
 
The set-up is very disorganized as it appears the school hasn't figured out how to implement their own new requirements. They seem to be running the old course and the new course simultaneously.
 
The Unit 0 Introduction Note + Response assignment was still utilizing the old point system. Were you supposed to keep responding to people to accrue points? Did the points even count? What points did you actually receive? Beats me.
 
On to Week 1. It was my understanding the week's Discussion Topic assignment was to be put up on the forum Friday at 8:00PM. Friday came and went...Sat...Sun...Mon...Tue...Wednesday afternoon the assignment magically appeared (coincidently, the weekly start date for the old course was...WEDNESDAY! Dodgy ) OK…technically, this meant you now only had TWO days to complete your mini-essay and response. (I will, however, throw the TA some love - this week's due date was extended to Monday.)
 
The class was supposed to be split into two groups – if your assigned topic was "A," you then responded to "B" and vice versa. However, this week was a free-for-all – pick whatever, respond to the other topic. If everyone chose topic "A"…uhhh…I have no idea…
 
A Discussion Essay was listed as being due Sept. 27th. What is it? What's the topic? Is it some on-the-spot extemporaneous "thing" or a research "thing" or a poetry "thing?" Beats me – as of today, not one word was mentioned regarding this assignment. Dodgy
 
I could state, once again, that while the course was "advertised" as being for anyone interested in poetry (even those without a formal degree in literature), experienced teachers - teaching poetry, no less, dominated this course. As such, their responses to the first assignment were fast and furious – in fact, while I was working on my chosen poetry passage, someone beat me to the punch within the first few hours.
 
I was intimidated – that's on me.
 
The course was disorganized – that's on them.


RE: "New and Improved" HES PIA - Ideas - 09-13-2019

I wish I'd had the time to do at least 1 more.

I haven't been in the new system, but from that posts above IMO it'd still be reasonably easy to get a B, but pretty hard to get an A.

The new pricing will definitely lead to more teachers.

I wonder if the TA I had was considered hard or not.