Am I expecting too much from my Uni

Donaldhump on 31/05/2017 - 19:29
Last edited 31/05/2017 - 20:19 by 1 other user

So i go to USQ, and do an online degree.

The lecturers to date (except one), have been garbage. The online classes are just power point slides uploaded once a week, but lagging three weeks, and the assignment requirements are so vague its beyond belief, that I do not know what they even want/expect. There are no examples and the wording is poor

I thought university online would be videos of the classes or at least lecturers explaining a few things? what am i actually paying for, i just get my help of youtube / stackoverflow etc. I think this current lecturers power points are from 8 years ago, as he had 2005 as the date down the bottom in one them.

he could literally could write a cron job to post them once a week, and go overseas.

Poll Options

  • 94
    I should expect more
  • 4
    stop complaining
  • 20
    this is the way it is
  • 3
    go down stairs and watch SOO
Education & Work

Comments

  • rambutann on 31/05/2017 - 19:52
    +2

    I've studied a number of units via open universities.

    Sometimes you get weekly videos, sometimes you go into weekly live video chats with your fellow classmates & lecturer, sometimes you get some crappy weekly slides, sometimes you receive next to nothing.

    I generally studied part time on campus and part time online so that I could easily work full time.

  • oscargamer on 31/05/2017 - 19:56
    -2

    Please learn the difference between too and to - or is that for Uni to sort out?

    Capitals, are important. Learn to use them.

    Also apostrophes, they still exist.

    • Donaldhump on 31/05/2017 - 20:12
      +25

      Your comma after Capitals is incorrectly placed.

      • [Deactivated] on 31/05/2017 - 20:14
        +16

        Not if he wants a dramatic pause.

        • Donaldhump on 31/05/2017 - 20:25
          +3

          @oscargamer: i checked with Microsoft Word, as my English is not good.

        • kywst on 31/05/2017 - 20:32
          +7

          @oscargamer: It's neither tonal or necessary, but who am I to judge?

        • berry580 on 02/06/2017 - 17:34

          @unclesnake: Microsoft Word is a joke.

        • kywst on 02/06/2017 - 18:22

          @berry580: No, Microsoft Works is a joke. Word is a decent processor but far from perfect.

    • Pacify on 02/06/2017 - 20:40
      +1

      Its an online forum for talking about cheap deals, who gives a shit?

  • serpserpserp on 31/05/2017 - 20:10
    +1

    TL:DR but yes, if you expect anything from a Uni these days it is too much.

  • [Deactivated] on 31/05/2017 - 20:17
    +1

    What do you expect from a Uni like that though? Unless it's in the Go8 why even bother?

    • Pacify on 02/06/2017 - 20:41
      +2

      Ha.

      Suggesting Go8 are the only worthwhile universities in Aus is laughable

      • [Deactivated] on 02/06/2017 - 20:45

        Nope.

      • echelon6 on 02/06/2017 - 21:56

        Go8 are the only worthwhile universities in Aus

        • tajid on 03/06/2017 - 20:27

          hey hey hey there are still decent unis out of of Go8 ok? I'd put Macquarie there and I am biased.

  • IceCreamBandit on 31/05/2017 - 20:21
    +14

    I think this current lecturers power points are from 8 years ago, as he had 2005 as the date down the bottom in one them.

    Your math is a bit off

    • oscargamer on 31/05/2017 - 20:23
      +3

      Mathematics and English.

      • Donaldhump on 31/05/2017 - 20:24
        +8

        well English is my third language so go easy, how many can you speak?

        • iforgotmysocks on 01/06/2017 - 09:01
          +12

          As long as there are no follow up questions, four.

    • Donaldhump on 31/05/2017 - 20:24
      +3

      very true, i meant 2009

  • Cheapo333 on 31/05/2017 - 20:40
    +1

    Unclesnake, may I ask what course you are studying?

    • Donaldhump on 31/05/2017 - 21:02

      masters in science

      • Banana on 31/05/2017 - 23:19
        -1

        Why?

        • Donaldhump on 01/06/2017 - 02:32

          a hobbie to be honest.

        • ihbh on 01/06/2017 - 09:08

          @unclesnake: If you want quality lectures for a modest cost, check out The Great Courses, who were known as The Teaching Company before. Bill Gates thinks very highly of their lectures.

        • Sensiekatie on 01/06/2017 - 09:13

          @unclesnake: in that case, give up. I think it would be too late for this semester, but do not enrol for the next one,

          You are wasting your money and the OZ Bargain way.

        • Pacify on 02/06/2017 - 20:43

          Are you questioning the point of doing a masters?

    • [Deactivated] on 31/05/2017 - 21:03
      +1

      Stackoverflow probably means programming.

  • Cheapo333 on 31/05/2017 - 21:22

    Most campus based universities allow students to download videos of the lecture.

    Something like this should be a minimum for an online course.

    If you are just getting pdf files with a 3 week lead time, I would regard that as piss poor education frankly.

  • altomic on 31/05/2017 - 21:27
    +4

    I did a grad dip in psych online with Charles Darwin Uni.

    lectures were from the on-campus lectures from that week.
    notes were updated from the previous year (some year old dates).
    the online discussion boards were well organised and active.

    I was pretty happy with my experience.

    though doing stats by distance ed was pretty traumatising.

    • Cheapo333 on 31/05/2017 - 21:40
      +1

      Even people who like maths don't like stats.
      Statistics is probably one of the best skill to have at the moment since the world is increasingly data driven, and there aren't many people out there doing it.

  • mskeggs on 31/05/2017 - 21:38
    +5

    Online ed is real lowest common denominator stuff.
    I know a couple of uni lecturers pretty well, and they both started their online courses with enthusiasm, but it was lost very fast.
    Almost nobody participates, and of those that do, a majority are anal and overbearing. There are none of the civility mores that you get in a face to face tutorial keeping people in check from their worst influences.

    I think in a generation or two the majority of participants will have learnt how to learn online. But at the moment I think it is a very pale substitute for a legitimate education.

    All that said, my lecturer friends are responsive to online participants who want to engage them and get the most out of the course, they are just used to the bulk of participants being switched off and going through the motions. So perhaps try and engage with the lecturer and build up a rapport?

    • Cheapo333 on 31/05/2017 - 21:43
      +4

      It's also a low cost and quick way for universities to make money.

      • Wallyt99 on 02/06/2017 - 19:06

        Thats a bit of a misnomer actually - generally online courses have far lower enrolment numbers, far greater attrition, and far greater development costs. The low cost and quick way is (still) to get 300 undergrad students into a lecture hall for 2 hours then give them a one hour 'tut' with a PhD candidate. They make over $300,000 for the subject - and only need to pay the lecturer $150 per hour x 24 hours = $3600 - (12 weeks x 2 hours) And the tuts cost $50 per hour x 120 hours (12 x 1 x 10) = $6000. There are of course university overheads but trust me…. Face to face courses achieve a far better margin than online. Universities then have the gall to cry poor. It's laughable frankly.

    • Diji1 on 31/05/2017 - 22:19

      Remember 5 years ago when the ancients thought no one would be going to University because it was all free on the internet and computers and magic stuff?

      Man computers are amazing at deluding us :p

      • [Deactivated] on 01/06/2017 - 08:17

        There are lots of free uni courses out there. I have done a few. Some I found through this site.
        Uni's are definitely old school and being left way behind.
        However, they are nowhere near as bad as Tafe Colleges, but that's a while different story!

    • Sensiekatie on 01/06/2017 - 09:16
      +1

      As having been a lecturer, tutor and unit administrator at the OP universities … but a while ago, you are spot on.

  • [Deactivated] on 31/05/2017 - 22:09

    All I know is that uni Assignments can be quite hard, because they are designed to make you think hard for a creative answer, where you refer to your text for a relative theory. Thats was my experience. I did a few subjects in TAFE and found the work to be more practical in case of "read question, look for answer in book, paste answer on assignment. I did Comp Science.

    • Diji1 on 31/05/2017 - 22:21

      Depends very much on what course you're doing.

      For while there are definitive answers in the sciences getting ahead in the arts can depend more on how you align yourself ideologically with the people marking you than anything else.

    • [Deactivated] on 02/06/2017 - 19:52
      +1

      I hate it when you get a lecturer who will say they will accept any answer as long as the reasoning is there and then tell you they disagree with your conclusion so they fail you.

      I hate to say it but 90% of the time lecturers just want you to tell them what they already think. Especially if they dont think they do.

  • minniethemoocher on 31/05/2017 - 22:21
    +3

    I study online at UNE. They are great, the weekly online lectures are filmed and uploaded to moodle. The lecture slides are also uploaded. The lecturers are engaging and they provide examples of assignments. The lecturers are happy to provide advice via email or phone. You should definitely expect more.

  • tsunamisurfer on 31/05/2017 - 23:07
    +3

    One of the most critical skills you learn from University is how to take initiative and solve problems by yourself.

    By being so inept, your University has excelled in driving you towards self solution sources like Stack Overflow.

    • Donaldhump on 01/06/2017 - 02:31

      spending 1 minute to find a quick answer on stack overflow, or 2 hours sifting through a manual.

      bad use of time

  • Kangal on 31/05/2017 - 23:08

    Umm, 2017 - 5 = 2012 =/= 2005.
    You don't need University, Stackoverflow, or a Masters for that arithmetics.

    • Donaldhump on 01/06/2017 - 02:30
      +1

      i actually wrote 8 years not 5 (you don't need a masters for that either), and I am human….as already stated i was meant to write 2009.

  • Fiximol on 31/05/2017 - 23:22

    I think you need to be clear with what are you dissatisfied with. The content? The delivery? The interaction?

    If it is content not suited for your level then it is definitely the unit's fault. If there is missing material or they aren't relevant or too simple etc then you ought to complain to the faculty.

    If it is delivery but content is good then perhaps it is the lecturers' problem. Leave that feedback at the end of the unit.

    If it is the lack of interaction then it may be that distance learning is not for you. From experience, voluntary online discussions means very few questions and compulsory online discussion means very superficial discussion. A lot of people who do online units don't care for interaction. There are students who I have never communicated with outside of reading and returning assignments.

    If you are a tactile learner distance education can be very tough.

  • Nugs on 01/06/2017 - 06:40

    what research did you do before enrolling?

    • Donaldhump on 01/06/2017 - 16:24

      a phd in Gaussian kernels

  • ggrant on 01/06/2017 - 07:35
    +1

    It's a business. Aimed at training functional slaves to perform their prefabricated roles for the upperclass/soon nwo. Psuedo-beneficial dictatorship. If you want more, you'll have to opt for a free 'life'.

  • furys12 on 01/06/2017 - 09:11

    went to uni, physically, in '11, sounds about right for the Bach in computing course i attended, i was rather disappointed in the whole thing until the final year where we (if you were lucky) worked with real world professionals, networking and its not what you know but who you know and all that before that it was and under budgeted under staffed shit show aimed to get as many international students through the door so the higher ups could keep their jags and mercs

  • Sensiekatie on 01/06/2017 - 09:55
    +1

    My son would say, what do you expect from a university of that standard. He is a snob and judged by standings overall!

    Myself, having studied and worked at that university, my course and lecturers were great - most of the time. However, at that time, my department had top-knotch staff in specialty areas with Masters available. The heads of those were world class and people came from around the world to study their courses. Both were literally gurus of their field. I was lucky enough to have one of them as my supervisor for post-grad. I would get contacted by post-grads from all over the world because they wanted to get in touch with her, but of course she was so popular, she would ignore email approaches. It was unhelpful for me sometimes, but it gave me a network of peers at other universities. I also met in person people who came to visit her and the other gurus.

    However, I did come across lecturers and tutors who were useless and uncontactable.i found studying distance in S 3 was the worst ever. No one would respond to questions, the worst units were always ones from outside my department, I studied a combination of internal and external. I did the statistics all internally, which was certainly a clever move,

    When I was tutoring, lecturing and administrating, I would interact with distance students and make duscussions and opportunities available and others did as well. There were also forums for students to interact with each other, however, we would oversee and make sure that students were not steered in wroNg directions for assignments, in other words we made sure all advice was correct. If it wasn't, we would say so.

    Here is an example which illustrates assignment difficulties. I was tutoring a statistics subject in my first year of my PhD.. However one of the other PhD students was another tutor and she had been doing it for ages. The assignment was not written by the lecturer as he was new that year. It had been written by the other student's supervisor, questions were asked about the assignment in our tutorials. I gave one answer and she gave another. The students were confused and did not know which answer was correct. I expected to be wrong as I was new and she wasn't and she knew her supervisor so well. She sought clarification and found that she was wrong. At least in statistucs there is only one correct answer. We had to make sure the confusion was cleared up fast. At Least by the students coming to us and telling us that the two groups had been told conflicting information, we were able to clear it up for them.

    This is what tutors are there for and paid to do. Lecturers should also answer questions about assignments. So if confused about assignment tasks, then ask questions. I have seen a student bit ask questions and go off the wrong track totally and get a mark of 0. She was brought into the lecturers office and exlained fully why. she could not see her errors at all. She bombed the whole course for the whole semester as she just kept on repeating that scenario. That lecturer spent so much time with her too.

    Many did nothing. However, they are required to have consultation times and if you have questions, you should contact them within those times and ask your questions. However, an academic has many responsibilities and have to do their own research, supervise people, attend meetings, and plan their courses for the future. Additionally, they should keep abreast of their specialties, SO DO NOT CONTACT OUTSIDE CONSULTATION TIMES. ADDITIONALLY USE THE METHOD OF CONTACT THEY HAVE ASKED YOU TO USE, THEY WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BE IN THEIR OFFICE AND THEY WILL CERTAINLY NOT RESPOND TO A MESSAGE.

  • 2ndeffort on 01/06/2017 - 15:49
    +1

    As long as the uni has a safe-space and a well crafted inclusiveness policy anything else is a bonus!

  • wallet72 on 02/06/2017 - 17:45

    I've done two degrees online - one from Edith Cowan Uni and the other through University of the Sunshine Coast. I have nothing bad to say about them at all, the materials and the lecturers and the support was more than expected.

  • AddNinja on 02/06/2017 - 18:02

    I know students sometimes expect their course to be rewritten each year, but often, it is simply not required.

    • Donaldhump on 02/06/2017 - 22:47

      id like the teachers use examples and post a video at least of them explaining things. i could do this myself online, its basically paying for a piece of paper

  • Fobsessive on 02/06/2017 - 19:02

    Sounds like normal uni to me

  • qwertyaz on 02/06/2017 - 19:31

    you are paying for the certificate, thats it, don't expect to learn anything

  • ruddiger7 on 02/06/2017 - 19:59

    This is university in general, online would be even more watered down I would imagine.

    I did business and IT at QUT, it was a joke.

    • mrham on 02/06/2017 - 20:23

      Queensland University of Tafe?

      • ruddiger7 on 02/06/2017 - 20:23

        Queensland University

        • mrham on 02/06/2017 - 20:28

          I know. I'm saying they're basically a tafe institute

    • Donaldhump on 02/06/2017 - 22:46

      i did IT at QUT. i got wasted my first day at the campus club, went to class and spewed in front of 400 people in itb410 on level 3 in the huge lecture room.

  • prinsenhof on 02/06/2017 - 22:19

    Im confused. The main point of uni is the unibar. Do these online courses just send you a six pack in the mail ? If not, id definitely expect more.

  • magikz on 03/06/2017 - 06:42

    Did uni once, got my degree, great marks and a year of work experience but still struggled to find something in my sector. 2 years into a desk job, I decided to teach myself how to code and haven't looked back since. Such a rich landscape to learn from and the demand is high despite what some people lead you to believe in terms of oversaturation of devs/coders.

    • Donaldhump on 03/06/2017 - 07:19
      +1

      yes

      • magikz on 03/06/2017 - 07:53

        I'm into Javascript at the moment. How about yourself?

  • tajid on 03/06/2017 - 20:25

    Isn't 2005, 12 years ago?

    Ok I see some others have pointed this out. Maybe edit your original thread to fix that.

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