Adult Programs Online

You can run, but you can’t hide—in online.

If you have never taken an online course, or have free floating anxiety about logging into a classroom, please read on. Some of the potential students I meet in information sessions, graduate school fairs, or speak with on the phone, have a huge block of fear when it comes to learning this way. At Granite State College (GSC), we offer two master’s degree programs: an M.S. in Leadership and M.S. in Project Management. We do offer a few graduate courses in Concord, Portsmouth, and Manchester - however, the majority of the Master of Science classes are often online.

Laura was an adult Granite State College student for several years, furiously working towards completing her baccalaureate degree while taking part time classes. She was a professional HR director, and GSC helped her get to where she wanted to be. She loved taking courses at GSC, and had taken them in all delivery methods - hybrid, weekend, evening, and online courses. I was delighted to meet Laura at a conference recently - her enthusiasm for lifelong learning was infectious. I thought she would be a great master's candidate for either the Project Management or Leadership program.

As she was nearing the end of her undergraduate career, the last course she needed to complete was Interpersonal Communication. It was a course offered online and she had every intention of taking it, even with its ironic online delivery. While telling me her story, I flashed back to my undergraduate days. I took Interpersonal Communication in a decade when online learning was not available. I quickly assumed it could only be a classroom course, learning the art and science of successful communication. I paused in my thoughts and was preparing for the worst. How could a college create this online? I prepared for a sympathetic reply.

As she continued her enthusiasm for (what I thought) was a pedagogical mish mash of course delivery gone wrong, I started to listen closer. Her family and friends thought she was making an error in judgment.  "Don’t do it," they said. "You’re crazy." She took the course successfully and told me it was the best course she ever took. The posts were lively, deep, and thoughtful. She made friends with a number of people in the virtual classroom. “You can’t hide in an online learning platform. Students who are shy in a classroom can’t hide in online learning. You can also think about your posts, edit, and get your point across clearly.” Her sales pitch was right on queue. And, I know she is correct.

This brief encounter with Laura gives me more fuel and intelligence for the GSC graduate programs. I have chatted with potential students who feel the same way Laura’s friends and family did. The anxiety about getting a graduate degree online can be eradicated when you listen to Laura's story. She preferred her online courses. It was her time. She’d get up at 5:00 a.m. and start her coursework before the day got away from her. Laura is now applying to Master of Science in Leadership, and is very excited about the incredibly flexible, affordable, and relevant program. “It’s time to do it. And, I love that I can take it online.”

 

It's Christmastime, the decorations are out, the carolers are warming up, the shopping season is in full swing, and it's time to reflect on the challenges and accomplishments of the past year.  If I were making a list, the first item in both the Challenges column and the Accomplishments column would be the pursuit of a Masters Degree in Project Management.  

The challenge lies in the fact that I haven't been a college student in, oh, let's just say, a very long time.  Not only am I enrolled in the very first graduate degree program offered at Granite State College, I am in the very first cohort scheduled to graduate in 2013.  I am so proud and excited to be part of such an illustrious group of bright, dedicated and funny people...I really like this thing called adult higher education!  

In the accomplishment column I proudly include the completion of the first of ten terms in the project management masters program.  This term was made up of two six-week classes - PM 804 Project Management Seminar and PM 804 Leading Teams; both were excellent courses.  My preferred delivery method for instruction is face to face, on the ground at our Manchester NH campus.  Of course, for those of you who would rather operate completely in the digital world, you always have the option of taking any of our adult college courses online. 

It is interesting now that I am immersed in the world of project management...all that we do in life is a project in one way or another.  I see it all around me.  The applications, tools and techniques of project management can be applied to everything from planning a holiday party to putting a man on the moon. 

Now there's a thought...how might I apply what I've learned so far in my project management classes to make my holiday season just a little less stressful and a bit more organized? 

Project Scope:  Just what do I want to accomplish this holiday season?  I certainly don't want to bite off more than I can chew so I had better define exactly what I will and can commit to this year.

Project Team:  My family...who is responsible for what and can we accomplish everything we have identified in our project scope?

Project Planning:  Creating a task list (work breakdown structure in project management speak) that includes all of the typical activities (cards, gifts, parties, decorations, food, etc.) around the holiday would be helpful.

Project Risk:  Have you ever had your heart set on a particular gift for someone only to find the gift is not available, or that the cost exceeds your budget?  Contingency plans are always a good idea.

Project Close:  The holidays are over; now is the time to assess what worked and what didn't...lessons learned are a very valuable tool at the close of any project, but only if you use them.

So as you think about everything you have to do for the holidays, remember these four easy steps to help you along:  plan, execute, manage and close.  Wishing you a very merry and stress free holiday season!


GSC Factoid:  Granite State College offers the most affordable continuing education in the state and is the University System's leading online provider.

Learning online at Granite State College is practical and functional for many adult learners taking adult college courses.  It lends itself well to how adult learners learn best, under the unique conditions they often find themselves.  Online learning is appealing from a practical lifestyle perspective but also from a theoretical and neuro-scientific perspective.   Here are the top ten reasons to take online classes for college:

Easy to get started - You can get started learning online with a computer and Internet access.   Computers are becoming more powerful, less expensive and more user-friendly.  Internet service is widely available in many places.  If owning your own computer or accessing the Internet from home is a problem, many public libraries offer free computer and Internet access.  Be sure to check your school’s technical requirements for your computer before taking an online class. 

Economical - No travel costs, no commuting, and no dormitory fees - just tuition and occasionally materials fees.

Accessible – As long as you have an Internet connection, you can access your online course.  This is particularly appealing to parents of young children or students who travel often for their work.

Flexible –Unable to make a 9:00 AM Economics lecture on a college campus?  Online classes are available 24 hours a day.  You can learn online from your own home at a time that is convenient for you. 

Effective – When you take online classes for adults, you can expect to learn important career building skills and abilities equal to, or better than, a traditional classroom setting.  According to a 2010 evaluation of online learning conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, “Students in online conditions performed modestly better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction.” 

It gets better - Thanks to advances in technology, learning online continues to improve at an unprecedented rate.  New technologies facilitate active engagement that allow adult learners to apply, integrate, implement, differentiate, and formulate new learning into experience generating activities.   Technological advances also enhance learner connectedness, interaction and mutual support.  Immersive learning environments and serious games are no longer distant concepts but rapidly becoming more common in online learning. 

Challenging – Though there are deadlines and due dates, there are no class meeting times (although some online classes may require mandatory synchronous session), you are constantly working on your own resourcefulness and initiative to complete the coursework. 

Time for Reflection – Unlike a face-to-face class where immediate responses are often required in class discussions, online discussion boards allow time for thoughtful reflection and critical thinking when interacting and responding on an online discussion board.   This reflection time can facilitate metacognition – thinking about one’s own thinking or “the ability to monitor one’s current level of understanding and decide when it is not adequate” (How People Learn, 2000).   

Your experience counts – Online learning facilitates the connection to past experience (cognitive activation) critical to the adult learning process.  Raymond Wlodkowski author of “Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn” explains it this way; “adults have had more time and seen the benefits and outcomes of a greater variety of experiences.  Neurologically, their brains are more developed and capable of judging, planning, and making decisions about their experiences in a manner that is more integrated, stable, reflective, and future oriented.”  Online learning interactive activities such as discussion boards, blogs and journals provide the opportunities to employ an adult’s “rich mosaic of experience” at deeper levels of learning as part of the learning experience. 

Meaningful - You determine the meaning of the learning.  “Most experts who have studied or participated in online learning communities share an approach to adult learners described as ‘constructivism.’ It is based on the premise that knowledge is constructed by adult learners as they filter new information through the prism of their own experience. It is quite different from the more traditional ‘objectivist’ idea of knowledge as a preexisting reality that teachers simply transmit by means of effective communication, and reinforce through practice and repetition. Constructivists expect adult learners to be active, reflective, and creative: managing their own learning process and often collaborating with each other to test new ideas and information by applying them to real problems and circumstances. Therefore, constructivists often describe their approach as student-centered rather than teacher-centered. Instructors facilitate learners’ progress rather than operating primarily as podium-based sages.” – Dr. Burgess Smith, Granite State College. 

Like any other endeavor, learning online is what you make of it.  Organization, discipline and hard work are all successful components to a positive online learning experience.    As Judy Willis, MD, M.Ed. puts it: “The person who does the work LEARNS.”

Citations

Means, B, Toyama, Y, Murphy, R, Bakia, M, & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of Evidence-based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies .  U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development Policy and Program Studies Service.

How People Learn. (2000). Washington, D.C.  National Research Council.

Wlodkowski , R. (2008). Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Smith, B. (2011, February). How We Learn Online [Web log message]. Retrieved from https://blackboard.granite.edu/  

Working with prospective adult students at Granite State College, three concerns about returning to college frequently surface and these personal barriers all involve ‘fit’.

Admittedly or not, adults who are in the discernment process about college are worried if they are fit (capable) of taking on the academic challenge that comes with higher ed.  “It’s been years since I’ve picked up a text book; am I really up to it?” is a concern that I often hear.

Prospective adult learners looking at colleges that tout adult college programs spend a fair amount of time considering the environment, learning formats and programs when narrowing down their choices of schools.  Most adults are uncomfortable thinking about sitting in a classroom with traditional-aged students or trying to figure out how they will be able to make it to classes only offered during the day. They want to pick a college that is a good fit for their life situation and needs.

Like entertainers on stage juggling multiple balls most adult learners have many life priorities. Work, family, home maintenance and leisure activities carve chunks of time out of people’s lives. Going to college is admittedly a big commitment and prospective students have legitimate concerns about their ability to fit it all in.

The good news in Granite State College in built around addressing these three concerns. Small classes populated mostly by adults with significant life experience, evening weekend and online course formats offering the ability to progress at our students’ own pace have made GSC the natural choice for those adults who quite naturally ask themselves the ‘fit’ questions.

If you're considering taking the leap feel free to give me a call.  (603-513-1379)

It’s that time of year again! It’s time to start thinking about filing the 2011-2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For many, this can be an overwhelming process, so here are a few tips to help make your FAFSA filing experience less stressful.

• Many traditional schools require the FAFSA to be filed no later than March 1^st. Granite State College, however, does not have a filing deadline since our institution provides Adult and Continuing Education classes with rolling admissions. This means that our students can apply for Financial Aid at any point during the year. We do strongly encourage our students to apply by May 1^st if possible so they will be considered for any State Grants available. However, if students file after the priority filing date, they will still be considered for the federal aid programs including the Federal Pell Grant and the Stafford Loan Programs.
• Students must be enrolled at least Part Time to be eligible to receive federal financial aid. Each school determines what they consider to be Part Time Classes and for Granite State College, students are required to take at least four credits to be eligible for aid. This means that our students who want to Take College Classes Online or in one of our centers, but can only do one class per term are still eligible to receive Federal Financial Aid.
• For those students who recently got married, please be very careful when filing your new FAFSA. If you have not received confirmation from Social Security that your name has been updated in their system, you do not want to file your FAFSA using your married name. This will cause the FAFSA to reject. Always file your FAFSA using your legal name; this means the name that is listed on your Social Security card. Do not use abbreviations or nicknames either as this will cause the FAFSA to reject as well.
• If at the time you filed your previous year’s tax return you were married, but you are now separated or divorced, still use the joint income listed on the tax return when filing your FAFSA. The Office of Financial Aid can separate out your income to reflect a more accurate financial picture, but will need additional documentation to do so. You will be required to complete a Special Circumstance form. Once your documents are received, the Office of Financial Aid will review them and make any adjustments possible to the information listed on the FAFSA. It is required that the Office of Financial Aid makes these adjustments since any change to a student’s income must be fully documented for audit purposes.
• To be considered a veteran, you must have served on Active duty and must have been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. If your service was only for training purposes such as the National Guard or Reserves, you are not considered a veteran for federal financial aid purposes.
• The number one mistake students make is leaving a field blank. All income questions must be completed. If the answer is zero or the questions do not apply to you, write in a zero. Do not use dashes or leave the question blank.
• If you have an unborn child who will be born before or during the award year (July 1 through June 30^th) and that child will receive more than half of his or her support from you, you can count that child as a member of your household when answering the household and dependents questions on the FAFSA.
• Always remember to electronically sing your FAFSA with your PIN. The FAFSA will not be considered valid until your signature is applied.

For more tips and instructions, check out this FAFSA Video.