REVISED: 12/09/98REVISED: 12/09/98
NOTE: Items pertaining to on-campus students (OCS) taking Micro 102/105L are in BOLD GREEN.
Q: Who takes Distant Learning Courses?
A: DLCs are taken for a wide variety of reasons including:
Q: How do I tell if DLCs are for me?
A: Distant learning is not for everyone. Before you spend the time and money carefully consider how you learn and what kind of a student you are. Successful distant learners are:
If you are not a "self starter", if you start a lot of "projects" but rarely finish them, if you have to be pushed to study, if you consider learning a "drag' and find it "boring" or if you are conservative and don't like to try "new things" you probably will not be a successful distant learning student. However, in a classical classroom structured setting you may be a great student. A good book to read about distant learning is "The Distance Learner's Guide", Prentice Hall; the URL contains many reference sites on distant learning.
Q: Who should take Micro 102?
A: Micro 102 was developed for individuals who, for one reason or another, are unable to travel to a college campus for the set time period required to complete a course. In the majority of cases these are individuals who wish to change or advance their careers by furthering their education at home. The most common candidate for Micro 102 are individuals who can not afford to come to a campus because of job and/or family obligations.
Q: Why should one take Micro 102?
A: Most colleges and universities require that all students take a basic biological lecture/laboratory course for graduation. At WSU this is called a General Educational Requirement (GER). On-campus WSU students can meet this GER requirement by taking Micro 101, a 4 credit course (3 credit hours of lecture and one credit hour of laboratory per week). In addition, a number of degree programs, including Nursing, Sanitary Engineering, Food Science, Physician's Assistant, Surgery Assistant and Physical Therapy, require a basic microbiology course (Micro 101 or equivalent). Micro 102 consists of the lecture portion of Micro 101 and was developed to allow both distant learning students (and on-campus students) the opportunity of taking the lecture portion without having to attend the on-campus lectures. Off-campus or Distant Learning Students (DLS) are thus able to obtain the lecture portion of Micro 101 without having to come to a campus. However, DLS will usually have to take an on-campus microbiological laboratory course to meet most requirements.
On-campus students (OCS) who require Micro 101, but who are unable to sign up for it because of scheduling conflicts can take Micro 102 and Micro 105L (the one credit Micro 101 laboratory), thus allowing them to meet their degree requirements as expeditiously as possible. This is referred to as "DOUBLE TIMING". This arrangement also allows OCS to take a course that meets during the time that the Micro 101 lecture would be given, thus providing an additional level of felxibility. This flexibility enhances the students chances of finishing their college degree work in as short a time as possible, thus saving time and money.
Q: Is a laboratory required for those who take Micro 102?
A: Most degree programs that require a microbiology course at the level of Micro 102 also require one-credit of laboratory experience. However, some programs do not, so anyone considering taking Micro 102 should determine the requirements of the degree they seek before signing up for Micro 102.
Q: Is the laboratory taught over the Internet?
A: No. Because a microbiology lab is a wet lab that requires expensive equipment, dangerous chemicals and involves working with potential bacterial pathogens. Therefore, for reasons of safety it is not possible to give the laboratory anywhere other than in a properly supervised and equipped laboratory.
Q: How can I obtain the necessary laboratory experience? Do I have to come to WSU to take the laboratory?
A: You do not have to come to WSU, but, if a lab is obligatory for your degree, you will have to take a microbiology laboratory on a campus. This situation requires some creative action on the part of the student. One common solution, which has been used by Micro 102 students, is to contact the microbiology instructor at a local Community College (most CC teach a basic microbiology course) and obtain their permission to take just the laboratory. However, in such cases it will be necessary to:
1. Arrange for the Community College to give you official credit for the lab. They may have to create a new one-credit course, and you will have to pay a registration fee. This is new to many schools and you may have to do some selling to convinced people that this is a win-win situation for everyone; i.e., the college gets a student and money they wouldn't otherwise get and you advance your educational goals.
2. Verify that the program whose requirements you are meeting will accept any arrangement you make. If, for example, are seeking a nursing degree, then that program must accept both Micro 102 and the Community College laboratory.
Q: Is Micro 102 equivalent to the on-campus course?
A: Yes. I use exactly the same lecture material to teach Micro 101. In fact, I lecture on-campus with the NetText101/102 displayed on a screen and all the exam questions for both Micro 101 and 102 come from this material. The exams for both courses are interchangeable except that the 102 exams contain no questions directly relating to the laboratory exercises.
Q: What is "Asynchronous" education?
A: This refers to education that is not constrained by time or place. Basically it means that a student may take a course over any reasonable period of time and any place in the world. An asynchronous course is not confined by a campus or by a semester or other typical time constraint. Frequently this is referred to as "any time/any place" education.
Q: Can a student learn the material as well off campus as sitting in a classroom where they interact with the instructor and fellow students?
A: This will depend upon the student. Asynchronous education is not for everyone. Some students are unable to learn in the absence of a physical instructor and a defined time schedule. Students who are "self-motivated" (self-starters) will have little problem learning on their own and may even find that the self-pacing situation stimulating. There is a long history of "Correspondence Courses" in the US with many successful people obtaining a large portion of their education outside of a classroom environment. The number of online, asynchronous courses given by colleges and universities are growing at a prodigious rate.
Q: How long do I have to finish Micro 102?
A: The situation for the DLS and OCS is different because of the exam issue.
Administrative constrains require that a reasonable time limit be set for the DLS to complete a course. Currently, if a DLS has not completed the course within 6 months after signing up they receive an "X", which means that the students is continuing to work on the course. If the student has not finished the course after one year, they receive an Incomplete (Inc). University rules allow students a year to clear an Incomplete, after which it becomes an "F". This means that a DLS has 24 months to complete the course.
The situation for the OCS is different. Since OCSs usually take Micro 102 rather than Micro 101 because they wish to take another class at the scheduled time for Micro 101, it is expected that OCS complete Micro 102 in the normal 15 week semester. This allows OCS to stay on the semester track and avoids conflict with financial and class load regulations. Because of exam problems it is currently necessary to schedule Micro 102 exams during the same week that Micro 101 students are taking their exams. This not only saves the instructor the necessity of preparing individual exams for each OCS, but it keeps the OCS student focused on the course.
Q: How do OCS Micro 102 students take exams?
A: Exams for OCS will be given during the same week in the semester as the Micro 101 exams at a time when all the OCS can meet. The time (probably in the evening) and place will be decided in consultation with Dr. Hurlbert. The exam will be a different version from that given to the Micro 101 students, but it will be the same format.
Q: Do OCS have to take the Micro 105L laboratory the same semester they take Micro 102?
A: No. The laboratory may be taken concurrently with Micro 102 or after Micro 102 has been completed. It is recommended that, if at all possible, OCS take both Micro 102 and 105L the same semester.
Q: How do 102 students communicate with the instructor?
A: E-mail seems to be the preferred method as most of us read our E-mail at least once/day. Official DLS may use an 800-number to contact me. Students are encouraged to discuss the course with the Instructor; they may even contact me at home in the evening or on the weekends if that is the only times they have free. OCS can either use e-mail or visit me in my office.
Q: What are the PROBLEMS with Micro 102?
A: The biggest problems appear to be time, energy, organization and motivation. As discussed above, DLS usually work full time, often have families (frequently including young children) and they are living full, rich, complex adult lives. The limitations of time and energy often relegate study to a low priority. The fact that exams are taken only when a student "feels they are ready" can promote procrastination. Time can pass quickly, prior knowledge fades making understanding of later material more difficult, and procrastination can quickly become habit-forming. This is discouraging to both the student and the Instructor. Guilt and anger with one's failures can cause further delays. DLS have a high drop-out rate. This is expensive and discouraging as it costs time and lost money and can affect one self-esteem.
Q: What can I do to solve or avoid the above problems?
A. An honest assessment of ones goals, available time, self discipline, organizational skills and drive is recommended before you sign up for a DL course. You should have a clear goal firmly in mind before beginning this process. If the DLS's effort impacts one's family, the support and approval of the adult members of your family are invaluable in assuring that the course can be completed. Clear and reasonable goals should be set for completing the various course requirements in a timely fashion; breaking the learning progress down into reasonable stages is useful (e.g. marking dates on a calendar). Taking on too much too fast or not setting any goals set one up for failure. For example, both the student and their family should agree that the DLS be allowed scheduled "study time" around which the family's schedule will be built. Even though the distant learning process frees one of time and place constraints (classroom and lecture schedule), the DLS must provide their own structured learning environment.
When a goal is met (e.g. an exam is taken) the DLS should reward themselves and their loyal supporters; e.g. by going out for dinner and a movie. Failure to meet a goal should call for a calm assessment as to why (illness, increased job demands, lazyness etc.) and a new commitment made. Repeated failures to meet the goals must be honestly faced (easy to say but hard to do--I speak from experience) and a decision to "fish or cut bait" made so one can get on with one's life.