College Fall 2020 - Virtual or In-Person? What do you think?

[Kassia]

8 hours ago, Hoggirl said:

 I fear there is much hopeful optimism that may not work in application/execution.  Honestly, my biggest concern is that students return to campus only to have a resurgence of cases in the fall that necessitates sending them home again. 😞

 

I am concerned about this too.  I wish our university would just call it now as fully remote/online.  Seems like the safest thing to do, but I understand why they won't.  We are OOS and I'd feel better about my daughter being home.  But then there is the uncertainty about spring semester as well...

[Matryoshka]

3 hours ago, Kassia said:

I am concerned about this too.  I wish our university would just call it now as fully remote/online.  Seems like the safest thing to do, but I understand why they won't.  We are OOS and I'd feel better about my daughter being home.  But then there is the uncertainty about spring semester as well...

I feel sad about it, but I agree.  Dd19's university has said they'll have the option for online for kids who can't come back to campus.  She's going to try to get that option and stay close to home.  We've been thinking if they do that, they're going to need to give the same option for the spring, as she can't really get an apartment with a year lease in Jan when she'll be graduating in May.  And she does not want to go back to the dorms.

A shame, she's only going to have had a semester and a bit of a regular college experience... she did DE and transferred as a junior, so that first semester last year will end up being it.  But she doesn't feel like it's going to be 'normal' anyway, so she might as well be hunkered at or close to home.  Ah, well, it is what it is...

[Roadrunner]

All those deferments... what is this going to do with college admissions next year? 

[lewelma]

52 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

All those deferments... what is this going to do with college admissions next year? 

I've heard that Princeton is going to make any upcoming Freshman who defers reapply.  This is from my sister whose boy just graduated from there. 

[RootAnn]

2 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

All those deferments... what is this going to do with college admissions next year? 

Have you seen any data on deferments or how admissions ended up?

[Roadrunner]

8 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

Have you seen any data on deferments or how admissions ended up?

no. But I am hearing rumors waitlists are moving. 
My friend’s DD is applying next year. We are worried over what if will be like.

[RootAnn]

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2020/06/06/Amid-virus-US-students-look-to-colleges-closer-to-home/stories/202006060027

Looks like so far, it is a mixed bag -- some uptick in local enrollments for regional schools, much lower international enrollment, loss in OOS.

Among 20 public colleges that provided preliminary data to The Associated Press, roughly half reported increases in total freshman confirmations, reaching as high as 30%. The other half saw decreases of up to 15%. Some saw ebbing interest from students in other states, while others held even.

Offsetting some increases in in-state students are plunging numbers for international students. 

[Mom0012]

On 6/6/2020 at 6:45 PM, lewelma said:

I've heard that Princeton is going to make any upcoming Freshman who defers reapply.  This is from my sister whose boy just graduated from there. 

That’s not really a deferment then, though. Hopefully, they are upfront about that to those they are granting a deferment to.

[Mom0012]

My dd’s school announced yesterday that they will have all students back on campus by August 24th. They will have live classes, but practice social distancing, which should be interesting. They will also offer online options for students and faculty with health issues. They are eliminating fall break and moving to online instruction for the final week or two after Thanksgiving break.

[Mom0012]

On 6/6/2020 at 8:41 PM, RootAnn said:

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2020/06/06/Amid-virus-US-students-look-to-colleges-closer-to-home/stories/202006060027

Looks like so far, it is a mixed bag -- some uptick in local enrollments for regional schools, much lower international enrollment, loss in OOS.

 

 

So maybe it won’t have too much of an overall impact on most schools’ enrollment? I’m kind of surprised about that.  My sister told me last night that VA Tech is short housing for 1,900 incoming freshman again this year, which also surprised me.

Edited June 12, 2020 by Mom0012

[RootAnn]

Is VA Tech trying to give more kids single rooms? Or do they have triple rooms that they are trying to have as only doubles this year? I wonder if part of the shortage is setting aside quarantine facilities for students who test positive?

I know DD's U is always short on campus housing and having to designate housing for students who need to quarantine will make that even tougher. 

It will be interesting to see how enrollment turns out. For all the complaining about online classes,  I think there was an uptick in the number of students taking classes this summer (all online at my DD's U) because so many had internships, travel, and jobs fall through. 

They haven't come out and said it,  but it sounds like most classes will be hybrid at best with as many labs and hands-on classes in person as they can manage. Majors will get preference for in person labs, for example. I don't know how that will work because they've been registered for months already unless they just say only the chemistry & chemical engineering majors are allowed to show up for chem lab & the non-majors watch videos??

[melmichigan]

Our local CC has nursing classes on campus per special permission from the governor.  They are planning for in-person in the fall, but instructors are already moving their classes online (by contract they can offer online if they choose to).  We are planning for online with a minimal course load so we know what to expect right from the beginning and are working with the counselors to adjust the schedules.

Edited June 13, 2020 by melmichigan

[lewelma]

MIT announced yesterday that they will go partially in-person -- they will invite half the students back each term next year. They have not yet decided how to split the students for spring and fall.

My son's dorm hall has already started talking about renting a house in a cheaper location than Boston for their online semester. 

 

[EmilyGF]

On 6/6/2020 at 5:45 PM, lewelma said:

I've heard that Princeton is going to make any upcoming Freshman who defers reapply.  This is from my sister whose boy just graduated from there. 

https://admission.princeton.edu/statement-newly-enrolled-students-about-deferral-requests

They are letting admissions offers stand, but not guaranteeing them a certain matriculation year.

[Acadie]

Bowdoin just announced their plan. This fall, first year students will be on campus, along with a few seniors doing research projects. All classes will be online except for first year writing seminars, and students on campus will have single rooms. No fall athletic competition, although coaches will be able to work with athletes in certain ways, partly dependent on conference guidelines which haven't been announced yet. Students will be tested for coronavirus before they come to campus and twice a week on campus, with kits supplied by the college. 

First years will go home at Thanksgiving, take final exams at home, and take classes online from home in the spring when seniors, juniors and sophomores will return to campus. Priority will be given to seniors if not everyone can come back at once, and they will announce details in December, depending how the fall goes and where we are with the pandemic. 

Dd17 is very excited that she'll be on campus, and says she's surprisingly ok with no XC meets this fall. My head is spinning--my baby's going to college, during a pandemic! The plan for testing 2x week is both reassuring and freaking me out.

 

Edited June 22, 2020 by Acadie

[regentrude]

1 hour ago, Acadie said:

Bowdoin just announced their plan. This fall, first year students will be on campus, along with a few seniors doing research projects. All classes will be online except for first year writing seminars, and students on campus will have single rooms. No fall athletic competition, although coaches will be able to work with athletes in certain ways, partly dependent on conference guidelines which haven't been announced yet. Students will be tested for coronavirus before they come to campus and twice a week on campus, with kits supplied by the college. 

First years will go home at Thanksgiving, take final exams at home, and take classes online from home in the spring when seniors, juniors and sophomores will return to campus. Priority will be given to seniors if not everyone can come back at once, and they will announce details in December, depending how the fall goes and where we are with the pandemic. 

So are they charging full tuition for the students who are not permitted to take any in person classes?
Also, what's the point of bringing students to live on campus if all classes are online except for one? They might as well save room and board and stay home.

As faculty, I see how much more work online classes are, and how the university does not save any money.
As a parent of a student, however, I find online classes not worth the tens of thousands of dollars I have to pay, because they do not deliver the same educational value.

It's a catch-22 for institutions. With the budget cuts, they need every dime from every student. I wonder how other schools are solving this. But I can see students and families revolt if they are made to pay room and board for a semester of online classes.

Edited June 22, 2020 by regentrude

[Roadrunner]

11 minutes ago, regentrude said:

As a parent of a student, however, I find online classes not worth the tens of thousands of dollars I have to pay, because they do not deliver the same educational value.

 

Neither do we 😞

And a local CC teacher was telling me after all the work she put into developing the online class, all she has to do now is put it on autopilot and enjoy her life (roughly speaking). Apparently lots of other teachers are also thinking of never bringing those classes back in person. 
 

[regentrude]

6 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

nd a local CC teacher was telling me after all the work she put into developing the online class, all she has to do now is put it on autopilot and enjoy her life (roughly speaking). Apparently lots of other teachers are also thinking of never bringing those classes back in person. 
 

I don't think this is going to fly, because the pandemic should have made one thing clear to the college administrators: despite what they thought, students overwhelmingly hate online classes and are not doing as well. The most important learning resources cannot be replicated in an online format. No, I am not a luddite- but there is no substitute for students working live in groups with tutors and faculty accessible in person. Most students do not have the technological capabilities to replicate writing equations on a blackboard with a group.
Nope, live classes are here to stay, because they give a superior outcome.

(I have years of data for my hybrid class where only the lectures are online and the problem solving sessions face-to-face: still, the students in the online lecture section perform lower on every single exam and in their final grade.)

Edited June 22, 2020 by regentrude

[Roadrunner]

3 minutes ago, regentrude said:

I don't think this is going to fly, because the pandemic should have made one thing clear to the college administrators: despite what they thought, students overwhelmingly hate online classes and are not doing as well. The most important learning resources cannot be replicated in an online format. No, I am not a luddite- but there is no substitute for students working live in groups with tutors and faculty accessible in person. Most students do not have the technological capabilities to replicate writing equations on a blackboard with a group.
Nope, live classes are here to stay, because they give a superior outcome.

(I have years of data for my hybrid class where only the lectures are online and the problem solving sessions face-to-face: still, the students in the online lecture section perform lower on every single exam and in their final grade.)

I hope you are right. Our CC went completely online this Fall even though k-12 schools are planning on opening. They don’t even want to be bothered to attempt anything in person. Not even science labs. And infectious rates here are minimal. All I can think about is nobody cares about students and/or their students only care about earning credit. They are going online because teachers don’t want to be bothered. 

[regentrude]

1 minute ago, Roadrunner said:

I hope you are right. Our CC went completely online this Fall even though k-12 schools are planning on opening. They don’t even want to be bothered to attempt anything in person. Not even science labs. And infectious rates here are minimal. All I can think about is nobody cares about students and/or their students only care about earning credit. They are going online because teachers don’t want to be bothered. 

Are you sure? Are you sure there isn't a ton of pressure on the college to play it safe? Fear of a breakout on campus and the consequences? 
You overestimate how much agency teachers have. Faculty don't get to choose what to teach; they are assigned. And, if not tenured, very happy to still have jobs. 

[Roadrunner]

19 minutes ago, regentrude said:

Are you sure? Are you sure there isn't a ton of pressure on the college to play it safe? Fear of a breakout on campus and the consequences? 
You overestimate how much agency teachers have. Faculty don't get to choose what to teach; they are assigned. And, if not tenured, very happy to still have jobs. 

they were given the choice. One of them told me she put too much work into online so she is going to take advantage of it and hopes to keep it online forever so she can travel and do other things while getting paid. 😞 Apparently a lot of faculty felt it was an opportunity to seize. 
This is a CC, so kids aren’t paying $$$ and therefore have little voice. At a “real” college, I am sure it’s very different. 

[Arcadia]

19 minutes ago, regentrude said:

Are you sure? Are you sure there isn't a ton of pressure on the college to play it safe? Fear of a breakout on campus and the consequences? 

There is also a push for more online asynchronous options at community colleges so that working students could still attend class. The dual enrollment high school students also benefit from that option.

 

Having taken quite a few online classes, there are some where the instructors give feedback on assignments and answer discussion questions on Canvas as soon as they could, and some where the instructors are basically having the course on autopilot and rarely check the discussions and most assignments are auto graded quizzes. 

[Roadrunner]

17 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

There is also a push for more online asynchronous options at community colleges so that working students could still attend class. The dual enrollment high school students also benefit from that option.

 

Having taken quite a few online classes, there are some where the instructors give feedback on assignments and answer discussion questions on Canvas as soon as they could, and some where the instructors are basically having the course on autopilot and rarely check the discussions and most assignments are auto graded quizzes. 

It’s all about credits. When I listen to parents around here, nobody cares about quality. The discussion is all about getting a college credit even if the learning is subpar. I will say a lot of CC courses (not most, but a lot) here are a step down from even high school alternatives. It’s sad.

[Arcadia]

17 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

they were given the choice. One of them told me she put too much work into online so she is going to take advantage of it and hopes to keep it online forever so she can travel and do other things while getting paid. 😞 Apparently a lot of faculty felt it was an opportunity to seize. 

It is also a way to earn more income. Someone I know teach online at three community colleges. Easier when no commuting is required to campus. More people can apply to teach online courses since their residential location isn’t important. 

[Arcadia]

2 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

. I will say a lot of CC courses (not most, but a lot) here are a step down from even high school alternatives. It’s sad.

Even CC has honors college program. We didn’t opt for that as that’s a lot more writing and more restrictive on subject choices.

[Roadrunner]

1 minute ago, Arcadia said:

It is also a way to earn more income. Someone I know teach online at three community colleges. Easier when no commuting is required to campus. More people can apply to teach online courses since their residential location isn’t important. 

which is why I am afraid the move online won’t be temporary in many cases. 
 

CA should just call CC what it is - an alternative high school. 

[Arcadia]

1 minute ago, Roadrunner said:

which is why I am afraid the move online won’t be temporary in many cases. 
 

CA should just call CC what it is - an alternative high school. 

CSU too is encouraging online even pre-COVID

e.g.

SJSU

“A growing number of academic departments offer extensive online course selections or completely online degree programs.”

[Roadrunner]

6 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

Even CC has honors college program. We didn’t opt for that as that’s a lot more writing and more restrictive on subject choices.

not here. 😞

Online learning is simply not the same as in person. I agree with Regentrude. It’s just not the same quality. More and more I am convinced ÇA public Us are just not going to work for us. 

[Arcadia]

6 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

not here. 😞

Our nearest CC by driving is not in the list in the link of CC with honors program, though our problem was no public bus there rather than lack of an honors program.

We attend the CC at another city which we can use public transport to get from home to campus and vice versa. That CC has honors program.

http://www.admission.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_tr/ADM_CCO/tap.htm

[chiguirre]

3 hours ago, Arcadia said:

Even CC has honors college program. We didn’t opt for that as that’s a lot more writing and more restrictive on subject choices.

Dd is in the Honors College at our TX CC. It makes a huge difference in the level of class discussion. But, it does require a 10-20 page research paper and presentation for each honors class in addition to all the normal course requirements so a student can't realistically take more than two at a time. 

At our CC, they're planning to use taped lectures and Zoom Q&As at the course's scheduled time for the honors courses. Regular courses will be asynchronous. Most were already offered in an online version and some were only online (most computer science classes, for example).

Given our current Covid numbers, I don't think students will be able to return to in person classes in October as originally planned. It's looking like the entire semester will have to be online.

[Bootsie]

8 hours ago, regentrude said:

I don't think this is going to fly, because the pandemic should have made one thing clear to the college administrators: despite what they thought, students overwhelmingly hate online classes and are not doing as well. The most important learning resources cannot be replicated in an online format. No, I am not a luddite- but there is no substitute for students working live in groups with tutors and faculty accessible in person. Most students do not have the technological capabilities to replicate writing equations on a blackboard with a group.
Nope, live classes are here to stay, because they give a superior outcome.

(I have years of data for my hybrid class where only the lectures are online and the problem solving sessions face-to-face: still, the students in the online lecture section perform lower on every single exam and in their final grade.)

I was on a online seminar done by Harvard and the presenters said when they teach online, they begin by cutting at least 20% of the course material.  If you have well-prepared, motivated students and at the outset you know you will be able to cover, at most, 80% of what you cover in face-to-face settings (which doesn't even begin to address how well the remaining 80% is being covered) then, for the average students in the average college class across the country, I can't imagine that on-line is anywhere equivalent to face-to-face.

[Bootsie]

8 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

I hope you are right. Our CC went completely online this Fall even though k-12 schools are planning on opening. They don’t even want to be bothered to attempt anything in person. Not even science labs. And infectious rates here are minimal. All I can think about is nobody cares about students and/or their students only care about earning credit. They are going online because teachers don’t want to be bothered. 

Of my colleagues, no one wants to teach online and no one thinks that the experience is equivalent.  What they don't want to be bothered with is trying to teach in a classroom, wearing a mask, with students spread six feet apart, all masked, but some students are being ZOOMED in from foreign countries, only to find out a few weeks into the semester that someone has tested positive and everyone is quarantined.

[teachermom2834]

The university my ds will attend for de is announcing right now that they will be on campus on fall. Masks may be required but they don't think so. All classes will be hybrid and students with a health concern may take classes remotely. Classes will be spread out more with more time in between for cleaning. Also holding graduation for both May and summer graduates last weekend in July- just broken up into three smaller ceremonies. 

They are assuring that student life will go on mostly as normal but with a few adjustments.  

[Lori D.]

Slight revision to DS's university policies:
- hybrid classes -- same as the May announcement 
- in person classes ending before Thanksgiving break, remaining classes and finals will be online -- new announcement
- masks -- current city policy requires masks, and the university is in our city; the mask policy could change by semester start, though

[teachermom2834]

Out state flagship and its satellite campuses just announced they will require the flu shot and Covid if/when available. I haven’t studied the details but this is going to be unpopular. We always get our flu shots but honestly we don’t really mention it because people here are pretty judgy about them. 

[Kassia]

20 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

Out state flagship and its satellite campuses just announced they will require the flu shot and Covid if/when available. I haven’t studied the details but this is going to be unpopular. We always get our flu shots but honestly we don’t really mention it because people here are pretty judgy about them. 

 

Wow.  That is interesting.  What state is this if you don't mind sharing?

 

[8filltheheart]

27 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

Out state flagship and its satellite campuses just announced they will require the flu shot and Covid if/when available. I haven’t studied the details but this is going to be unpopular. We always get our flu shots but honestly we don’t really mention it because people here are pretty judgy about them. 

 

6 minutes ago, Kassia said:

 

Wow.  That is interesting.  What state is this if you don't mind sharing?

 

Yes, please share.  I don't mind the flu shot, but I sure as heck do the Covid.  I am not anti-vax by any stretch, but I don't want anyone telling my child that they have to have a brand new vaccince that was pushed through quickly without any long-term studies.  That is a no-go here.

[HollyDay]

I just wish dd's college would say something at least somewhat definative.  They keep moving the "let you know date" further and further out.  It was July 1, then July 15, now we are hearing by the end of July. Her move in day is Aug 15.  2 of her classes are already online.  The others are supposedly in classroom but they haven't finalized that yet.  They still could change.  In fact, they said her entire schedule could change without notice at any time. 

They have said: (1). all classes might be online.  (2). might have half the class come on M and have on W.  (3). might have 1/3 of class come Tues, 1/3 come Thurs and 1/3 come Saturday (!) 

Masks will be required in all buildings unless they are not.  Face shields should meet criteria but they probably won't. 

Labs and libraries and dining facilities will be open but not sure the capacity or hours.

If sick at all with anything, out of classrooms and public facilities (ie dining hall, library) for 10 days (how do you manage that?)

Oh and deadlines for not moving into the dorms without financial penalty started June 1.  If all online and support facilities closed or limitations are too great, then she will stay home.  At this point, I just want to know what we are facing so we can make some financial decisions.  Also, what if they move her classes to times that conflict with other obligations? 

I get it that all this is in flux.  That situations are changing rapidly.  I would not want to be the person making decisions for entire universities.  This is a whole new situation for them.  However, time is ticking away. 

 

 

[teachermom2834]

15 minutes ago, Kassia said:

 

Wow.  That is interesting.  What state is this if you don't mind sharing?

 

It is Tennessee - but I haven’t had time to read the details yet so maybe I’m not understanding. I just read the headlines and it surprised me. But I’ll definitely be digging into it when I get a chance. The first headline I saw had the article behind a paywall so I am waiting for another source to report on it. This will impact us when ds goes in fall 2021. Crazy to announce mandating a vaccine that doesn’t even exist yet. ?!?!?!

Edited June 26, 2020 by teachermom2834

[Bootsie]

33 minutes ago, HollyDay said:

I just wish dd's college would say something at least somewhat definative.  They keep moving the "let you know date" further and further out.  It was July 1, then July 15, now we are hearing by the end of July. Her move in day is Aug 15.  2 of her classes are already online.  The others are supposedly in classroom but they haven't finalized that yet.  They still could change.  In fact, they said her entire schedule could change without notice at any time. 

I get it that all this is in flux.  That situations are changing rapidly.  I would not want to be the person making decisions for entire universities.  This is a whole new situation for them.  However, time is ticking away. 

 

As a parent of a college student, I understand your frustration.  As a college professor, I know your frustration.  We were told we had to prepare for four scenarios and be able to move seamlessly between the four.  That was a disaster, so it was changed to two--sort of.  So, as things stand now, we will teach somewhere--perhaps in the football stadium, perhaps in a ballroom, perhaps in a classroom, perhaps in an outdoor tent with students present and students are are attending via technology either because they are international students, choose not to return to campus, are sick, or are quarantined.  So, the plan is for students to enter the classroom single file and masked and gather cleaning supplies to clean their workspace which is at least 6 feet from another student.  After that the faculty member is supposed to walk into a protected area of the classroom and teach while everyone remains masked.  Oh, but with 10 minutes between classes, there isn't time for one class of students to leave single file and another students to enter in the proscribed manner--especially if faculty and students must get from the football stadium to the classroom on the other side of campus (when they originally had classes scheduled next door to each other).  So, will every class be pushed back during the day?  What will that mean for evening classes?  So a faculty member with small children who usually teaches in the afternoon now being teaching in the early evening?  And we will have all of this figured out in 7 weeks?

[regentrude]

1 hour ago, HollyDay said:

I just wish dd's college would say something at least somewhat definative.  They keep moving the "let you know date" further and further out.  It was July 1, then July 15, now we are hearing by the end of July. Her move in day is Aug 15.  2 of her classes are already online.  The others are supposedly in classroom but they haven't finalized that yet.  They still could change.  In fact, they said her entire schedule could change without notice at any time. 

Am there, doing that. At this point, no college can say with certainty how this is going to go. If it's frustrating for the students and their families, its much more frustrating for the faculty who are supposed to prepare classes for all these different scenarios.

And seeing the newest numbers, I am resigned to the fact that quite possibly they will tell us two days before the semester to scrap all in person plans and go entirely online. Thus I am not inclined to ruin my summer by worrying about crazy schemes now that, in all likelihood, will be thrown out anyway. 

[Roadrunner]

And given the recent surge in CA, it’s looking less likely that large universities will return to in person.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/05/12/us/california-universities-fall-online/index.html
 

 

 

[RootAnn]

On 6/22/2020 at 8:39 PM, Bootsie said:

I was on a online seminar done by Harvard and the presenters said when they teach online, they begin by cutting at least 20% of the course material.  If you have well-prepared, motivated students and at the outset you know you will be able to cover, at most, 80% of what you cover in face-to-face settings (which doesn't even begin to address how well the remaining 80% is being covered) then, for the average students in the average college class across the country, I can't imagine that on-line is anywhere equivalent to face-to-face.

Interesting. In my experience, the designed-to-be-online classes cover just as much as the in person classes if not more. In the fall, Dd#2 is taking the online version of a class where there is an in person version. They cover the same amount of material in both but the online one does it twice as quickly and with no live or recorded teaching.

I do not have any experience with live lecture online college classes, just the ones that are read this, fill out a worksheet, do a discussion board post and two replies, take a quiz, and maybe watch a short taped lecture once per week if you are lucky. I have two DDs taking a total of three designed-to-be-online classes this summer. No live meetings, no taped or live lectures, just a syllabus of tasks to complete by certain due dates & occasional announcements to the whole class. (Dd#2's prof did make two videos to explain the labs due the week before which were apparently very confusing to many of the students. Dd didn't watch them as she had already turned them in (on time) & was swamped with learning the current week's material.) Online classes in this format are really tough if you can't teach yourself from a textbook and schedule your time effectively.

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, regentrude said:

 

And seeing the newest numbers, I am resigned to the fact that quite possibly they will tell us two days before the semester to scrap all in person plans and go entirely online. 

 

This is what is making me a mess as I am packing/shopping for moving my dd 1200 miles away into a dorm soon.  I have to do it, but can't shake the feeling that it will be another year before she actually makes that move.  And we're planning on driving down there so I have to plan for a big trip, too.  To TX, which is doing terrible right now.

[regentrude]

4 minutes ago, Kassia said:

This is what is making me a mess as I am packing/shopping for moving my dd 1200 miles away into a dorm soon.  I have to do it, but can't shake the feeling that it will be another year before she actually makes that move.  And we're planning on driving down there so I have to plan for a big trip, too.  To TX, which is doing terrible right now.

plan on buying and packing way less than you think, and you can always get everything last minute. no need to do that now - this is the US, and there is amazon prime.

1200 miles is a tad much to drive through in one go. can you camp?

 

[regentrude]

40 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

Interesting. In my experience, the designed-to-be-online classes cover just as much as the in person classes if not more. In the fall, Dd#2 is taking the online version of a class where there is an in person version. They cover the same amount of material in both but the online one does it twice as quickly and with no live or recorded teaching.

I do not have any experience with live lecture online college classes, just the ones that are read this, fill out a worksheet, do a discussion board post and two replies, take a quiz, and maybe watch a short taped lecture once per week if you are lucky. I have two DDs taking a total of three designed-to-be-online classes this summer. No live meetings, no taped or live lectures, just a syllabus of tasks to complete by certain due dates & occasional announcements to the whole class.

if there is no teaching, that's not a "class".

[RootAnn]

12 minutes ago, regentrude said:

if there is no teaching, that's not a "class".

Well, it gives the exact same credit as the live class & is not listed any differently on the transcript, whatever you may call it. The teaching is all self-teaching via textbook or written explanation in the worksheets ("labs").

[regentrude]

4 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

Well, it gives the exact same credit as the live class & is not listed any differently on the transcript, whatever you may call it. The teaching is all self-teaching via textbook or written explanation in the worksheets ("labs").

That may be - but as a college instructor, I do not consider this a "class" as there is no teaching. Might as well self-study and test out without paying tuition - charging for this is a scam.
This kind of online "class" does not provide students with the equivalent education to an in-person class - even if the college chooses to award credit. I am appalled instructors get away with this at your institution.

Edited June 26, 2020 by regentrude

[Kassia]

2 hours ago, regentrude said:

plan on buying and packing way less than you think, and you can always get everything last minute. no need to do that now - this is the US, and there is amazon prime.

1200 miles is a tad much to drive through in one go. can you camp?

 

 

Things are selling out quickly, though.  And I need to find things like disinfectants, hand wipes, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, liquid soap, alcohol, etc. Many of those items are not available online.  

We will stop overnight so it will be a two day trip.  Not looking forward to it and neither is my poor bladder! 

ETA - and toilet paper!  Definitely bringing that.  Who ever thought that we wouldn't be able to buy toilet paper in the US?

Edited June 27, 2020 by Kassia

[RootAnn]

1 hour ago, regentrude said:

Might as well self-study and test out without paying tuition - charging for this is a scam.
This kind of online "class" does not provide students with the equivalent education to an in-person class - even if the college chooses to award credit. I am appalled instructors get away with this at your institution.

Two completely different institutions. Two different states. (I'm aware of at least one other that does these type of courses. There are likely many others.)

Some of these courses could be tested out of, but most can't. I think the blame lies with the college, not the instructors. But there is definitely a market for these courses.