The University of Zambia carries out internal and external tutoring for degree's. A lot of the lecturers of the University found the distance learning (external) very time consuming compared to the internal tutoring. This was because "It requires that more assignments be set to make up for the lack of regular contact with students and this creates a very heavy marking load".
I found that this went quite well with our own new media cultures unit, alot of people think the unit is very time consuming, and although I agree it is more time consuming than others, we have to remember that it is only so time consuming because the tutors need to see that we are learning what we are meant to be, therfor set work for us. I think that the communication and persuasion unit is potentially nearlly as time consuming, as you have to do a lot of reading/notes on it each week, however because it isnt online - and isnt something that we are not used too, do you think that is why we havent picked up on that being more time consuming than a unit has been before?
I think that what Clark et al stated is quite true "that enjoyment of distance teaching/learning was related to effort and reflected the reward structure". I think that if you are doing well with the distance learning, i.e. you are doing what is expected of you each week etc, then you will actually enjoy it. I think that doing little bits each week is much better than doing TWO assignments at the end each worth 100%!
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Hi megan, i found your view on DL interesting. I think i work best when i am doing a big assignment under pressure rather than little bits each week. Perhaps I find the posts each week difficult as I have a lot of problems with headaches, so I prefer to do things in my own time or all in one go.
I think everyone is different and so DL will work for some people and not for others. Your very lucky you enjoy working this way, I wish i could say the same. All i can say is bring on the essay! lol. xx
I agree with you Megan. I think posting blogs each week is so much more beneficial than writing a couple of thousand word essays, due right at the end of the unit. I feel as though blogging encourages me to learn because of the freedom we have with it, whereas i think i just cram research for essays in a couple of weeks before the deadline, thus probably learning very little!!
I think it's a little odd that we have to write an essay at the end of this unit, and that it amounts to the same percentage of our overall mark as the blogging does. After doing so much work blogging, it doesn't even make up the majority of our end grade??!! It's a bit unfair i think!
The unit's 24 points, so technically the blogging aspect is worth a whole single unit (i.e 100%), and so is the essay. (As each unit usually is only 12 points!)
I think it will work out quite well, as if you are doing well at the blogging, then you will get a really good grade for a whole unit, then you just have to work your ass off for the remaining 3 units, and the essay for this unit (which I'm just looking at as a whole different unit - just on the same topic!)
I do see the postive points in this online unit; like learning to manage your own time, and learning little by little each week but constantly. However I also see the negative side, like how timeconsuming it is. Considering that I am working 40 hours a week and I have to do all the worlk either in the night time or on the week ends I finding it quite exaustive. Hoever once you ve got your rythim out its not that difficult anymore.
However I wouldnt really call it "fun". I much rather have f2f lectures and sit and talk then just write my thoughts all the time. I think it can get quite confusing, especially because the answers are not immediate. While I am already writing for next weeks task, someone comments on one from 2 weeks ago and I have to go all the way back and sometimes my thoghts get a bit tangled up.
Maybe there still has to be some work done on the comments and answers system?
I have to agree with your views on the postings, i think that posting each week does work well and it spreads out the work in a nice way. Unlike with an essay it seems that this way of learning does establish more variation and in this way do you think it keeps people's attention better? Or does the huge variation and constant stream mean that people get bored much quicker?
I agree with Sophia too, at times i think the commenting systen could be slightly re-vamped. There are some topics that people really want to discuss and then others that just seem monotonous and after commenting on one persons answers you can't be bothered with another one!
Helly Megan, I totally understand where your coming from with the blogging because like u said it's better then having a great amount of writing and work at the end of the unit. However, I personally find it reasonably difficult because there are in a sense no particular deadlines and unlike an essay where it's focused, this blogging is a lot more open-ranged and broad. I feel quite often that my blogs are irrelevant and un-necessary, or in the end I could just be lazy lol.
Hi, I think you deserve a good thread. Well done all of you!
Sophia - I agree that the whole going back to work you did a few weeks ago is pretty annoying sometimes!
Jess, I think this sort of learning keeps my attention better, but you do find yourself reading the same sort of thing over and over, which obviously becomes a bit tiring. I also found the week of CofP quite demanding for commenting, normally I always have something to say! But I couldnt think of what to say back to peoples posts to strike a debate etc in regards to stuff they did when they where younger.
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