Face Online Bachelor's Programs That Don't Make the Grade

Students looking to drop out of a class should move fast so that they can get at least some of their money back, experts say.

 

Online bachelor's degree programs can certainly leadtheir perks: They let students study when they want, where they want and help them balance school, family and career.

 

 

But touronline programs are designed to make it easier to get an education, enrolling in the vilifyprogram can make you question your investment.

"I've heard very(prenominal)concerning stories about well-known universities that are rushing to get online programs out there and quality is not what it should be generally," says Jonathan Hill, associatedoyenat Pace University's Seidenberg School of Computer Science and nurtureSystems. "It's a really exciting time out there, moreoverit's also buyer beware."

[Discover the basics of an online course.]

Students often aromaqueerwhen an online degree curriculumisn't living up to their expectations,solelythey shouldn't feel helpless, experts say. If students are proactive about changing their circumstances, they have a chance of receiving the instructionthey deserve.

Nonresponsive instructors are the No. 1 electric chargestudents have about their online programs, says Vicky Phillips, founder of GetEducated.com, a website that ranks online degree programsestablishon student reviews, affordability and public perception. Phillips surveyed 1,000 students in verified online education programs between April 2009 and June 2012 and asked them about their experiences.

The others, in order, are poor nodeservice and advising; a dislike of group work; bad overallquality control; and subpar course design.

Too often, Phillips says, online students who try to voice their concerns about their courses predominatetheir institutions are poorly equipped to handle the complaints.

"The culture of many an(prenominal)colleges is not very customer-oriented," she says. "Students are now older anduntraditionaland they have more of a consumer approach. That expectation is coming up against a culture where traditionally there is not a lot of accountability."

Most students were happy with their online programs, according to the survey, but those who reported concerns tended to viewthe same problems.

Students who find themselves frustrated with various aspects of a architectural planshould take initiative and advocate for themselves, experts say.

The first of allstep in that process would be to reach out to a charitablebeing – an assigned mentor, a teacher's assistant or a faculty member.

[Learn about mistakes online ed students make.]

If students are having issues with a extracourse, experts suggest they first contact the instructor directly and clearlystate their concern.

"My first response would not be to electronic mailthe department chair," says Carlos Campo, president of Regent University in Virginia. "Any faculty partwould take umbrage at that as a first step. Let the faculty portionknow you would like to get a response by a certain time, and then(prenominal)if you don't then you may talk to the program head."

If the faculty member is not responsive, Campo suggests continuing to move up the chain of wantuntil you find someone who is.

Students seeking academic assistance but not getting feedback from an instructor should turn to other resources, Campo recommends.

"Lookbeyondthe faculty member to the writing center, to the library," he says. "And always mannerfor peers. I am stunned to see how much peer-to-peer trainingis happening in the classroom."

Of course, experts suggest that students investigate the quality of their online bachelor's program before enrolling. Those who missed the warning signs and find themselves in lacklustreprograms should take quick action, they say.

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Materials taken from US News