Reflection on MDE Experience
The video below speaks highly about my own experience as a gradute student in the masters of distance education (MDE) program. As a distance education (DE) learner, this experience has changed my life both personally and professionally. I have been exposed to a diverse group of individuals in and out of the classroom and in my everyday role as an admissions counselor, working diligently in building rapport with my students. Every professor I've encountered during my journey within this program has brought a wide range of knowledge and experience to the classroom and encourages a community of learning. I was never left to feel alone because of my instructors' efficiency, attention to detail, feedback and response to emails was always prompt. The classroom resources and supporting tools such as the in-class writing coaches, library services and the effective writing center served as helpful tools and provided me with an opportunity to successfully learn and to obtain this regionally accredited degree from this well-renown institution while meeting my educational needs. I've been given an greater chance and opportunity to meet my career goals of one day becoming a director or head of an administrative department for a DE institution.
University of Maryland University College. (2013). The University of Maryland University College Experience. (Video file). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/2KNXd3Uo8cI
MDE Reflection/ Experience
Why I chose University of Maryland University College (UMUC)?
I never took an online course prior to enrolling into this MDE and E-Learning program in summer 2013. But since I worked for the university and one of the employee benefits of working for this institution is the option to obtain tuition remission. Employees with regular status have the option of taking up to 8 credits per semester at any University System of Maryland institution free of tuition charges. However, at the time I decided to continue my educational journey and to become a graduate student, I was an employee with a contingent II status and was limited to only taking advantage of classes only at UMUC.
UMUC was an institution that best fit my needs at the time because of the free tuition and because the graduate programs did offer many degree options for a working professional like myself in areas specifically related to business, information technology and education. With the convenience of online classes that was designed for being a busy professional, I had the flexibility of pursuing my degree while maintaining my day job. Despite the many personal challenges I faced, the professors were always understanding and willing to extend assistance when needed.
As previously stated in my homepage of my e-portfolio, education and working in the educational field has always been my passion. I began pursuing an Elementary Education degree on the undergraduate level but eventually graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology on December 2011 from the University of the District of Columbia where I sustained academic merits and honors on the dean’s list and graduated with Cum Laude status.
After reviewing the programs offered at UMUC, the MDE and E-Learning program with a specialization in policy and management allowed me to complete my degree entirely online. Although the program was designed to be completed in as little as two years with a total of 36 credits over six consecutive terms, it took me approximately 3 years to complete my degree because of a few minor professional and personal hiccups that I experienced during my time as a graduate student.
The program was comprised of coursework or topics related to leadership, practitioner research, globalization, development, management, business, technology, learner support, intellectual property and teaching and learning issues in distance direction and e-learning. For more information regarding this program, including and list of degree requirements, please visit www.umuc.edu/grad/gradprograms/mde-policy-mgmt.cfm
I have developed both personally and professionally as a MDE student because my experience in the program has changed my entire taught-process. My critical thinking skills have increased and I look at every aspect of my life on a broader spectrum. I do not look and or accept life situations by only looking at the face value or on the surface. I tend to dig deeper and be very analytic. The quality of my thinking has increased and has enhanced the effectiveness of my professional life. For example, my capstone project focused on the best practices to improve employee retention at XY University through the use of online learning, training and career development opportunities. As a MDE student, it helped me to become very observing of my surroundings and my working environment. It made me realize that there was an issue with employee retention at my place of employment. The head of the department including my assistant director and director, both were excited to hear about my research, its findings and the employee survey, feedback and responses. Personally, I’ve learnt that by thinking critically, it has helped me to make better life decisions and how to maintain positive energy when dealing with issues related to my family and my friends.
The MDE curriculum has positively affected my evolution in the field, beginning with the first course OMDE 601- Foundations of Distance Education and E-Learning. In this course, as a newbie who was obtaining a graduate level education and is currently working in the field, I learnt more about the history and how DE has evolved. It was interesting to learn more about the social and political factors, technology and theories that has shaped the growth and made DE what it is today. DE has become the most preferred way to learn and provides DE learners with the flexibility to learn and to obtain a degree.
DEPM 604- Leadership in Distance Education and E-learning, DETT 611- Library and Intellectual Property Issues in Distance Education and E-learning, DEPM 622- The Business of Distance Education and E-learning, DETT 621- Online Learning and Development in the Workplace and OMDE 670 Portfolio and Project were the classes I enjoyed the most throughout the entire program.
DEPM 604 taught by Donald Olcott Jr was one of my favorite courses and I obtained an A in this class. I learnt about organization, leadership and management in DE. The topics we discussed were organizational behavior and change, leadership roles and effective planning and policies. This professor is exceptional and what he has taught us in this class has made me become more receptive to the changes that are constantly taking place at my place of employment. The knowledge I’ve gained has allowed me to share with my peers whenever these types of changes occur.
DETT 611 taught by Ilene Frank, in her class the assignments consisted of a copyright article review, an ownership policy critique, information literacy article review and a case study. We learnt the proper usage of digital resources and how to avoid issues related to copy-writing. Her attention to detail and constructive criticism and feedback on each paper increased my critical thinking skills and taught me how to avoid plagiarism by giving authors credit for their work. I also learnt that it was necessary to cite videos and pictures used in our e-portfolios.
DEPM 622, the Business of Distance Education and E-learning examined the global business environment for DE. The topics included, existing markets and competition among these types of organizations. I learnt how to develop a business proposal and gain the necessary knowledge on how I can do one on my own for my job.
I took DETT 621 with Professor Wayne Slabon. I absolutely loved this class and enjoyed learning from this instructor. The online classroom was very interactive and the professor challenged my thinking. I was taking this class alongside my final capstone class. However due to the sudden death of both my aunt and uncle that semester; I had to drop my capstone. While I was struggling throughout the course, I was faced with the challenges of being able to cope and to overcome this hurdle. This professor worked with me and provided me with extensions when needed and I was able to successfully complete the course with a grade A. I learnt to be more disciplined and patient and to also be diligent and dedicated. I adopted new learning skills and the ability to manage my time and the role as newlywed and a wife. This class and other MDE courses has thought me how to better manage my time and to become flexible. I learnt how to be successful while overcoming obstacles. The curriculum in this course focused on problems and solutions related to DE and professional development in the workplace. This class was not a requirement for my program but was a substitute/ elective towards my degree. I am very glad I took this class because it helped me think about my research topic for my capstone. The topics we covered in the class were also related to knowledge management, performance improvement and learning and development. I learnt how to become a better mentor and to provide feedback and performance coaching to other in my department.
OMDE 670 was instructed by Linda Smith. This professor was very compassionate. She understood the value of effectively communicating with the learner on a personal level and she promoted Holmberg’s teaching and learning concept/theory in the classroom. Research was made to seem very easy in this class because it was done in stages. And because we had the opportunity to choose our own topics of interest. I learnt how to develop a research proposal and topic and how to get employees in my department involved in my project. I learnt how to utilize resources when working on projects such as these and the traits/abilities I adopted can be used in the workplace when working with peers on job related projects/ assignments.
Although I've listed some of the classes I've enjoyed the most, there were some classes I struggled in. I did learn new things and it has helped me to evolve in the MDE field despite of the challenges I either had with the professor or the assignments provided in the class. Whenever I took classes which had two instructors, at times I felt like there was a conflict in interest and each teacher had different teaching styles and perceptive which made me sometimes feel discouraged.
However, OMDE 603 I learnt the terminology of technology and the guidelines to selection technologies for DE. OMDE 606 has taught me about the study of economics and learning and how to effectively budget and work in groups. OMDE 610 I learnt about philosophical frameworks such as social and cognitive presence and its importance and how I can use these to encourage community and engagement if I chose to one day become and online instructor. OMDE 608 consisted of leaner support and I understood it is beneficial to lend these types of support to my students, especially since I work predominantly with new students. Offering my own experience as an adult learner and providing my students with the necessary tools they need to be successful has proven to bring a sense joy and happiness to life. This MDE program has taught me to treat others as I will like to be treated and I always try to go above and beyond than necessary for my students and colleagues.
Lastly, as part of the requirement for my OMDE 670- Portfolio and Research Project in Distance Education & E-Learning I had to complete a Capstone Research Project. My research paper can be found below:
Please ENJOY!!
I never took an online course prior to enrolling into this MDE and E-Learning program in summer 2013. But since I worked for the university and one of the employee benefits of working for this institution is the option to obtain tuition remission. Employees with regular status have the option of taking up to 8 credits per semester at any University System of Maryland institution free of tuition charges. However, at the time I decided to continue my educational journey and to become a graduate student, I was an employee with a contingent II status and was limited to only taking advantage of classes only at UMUC.
UMUC was an institution that best fit my needs at the time because of the free tuition and because the graduate programs did offer many degree options for a working professional like myself in areas specifically related to business, information technology and education. With the convenience of online classes that was designed for being a busy professional, I had the flexibility of pursuing my degree while maintaining my day job. Despite the many personal challenges I faced, the professors were always understanding and willing to extend assistance when needed.
As previously stated in my homepage of my e-portfolio, education and working in the educational field has always been my passion. I began pursuing an Elementary Education degree on the undergraduate level but eventually graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology on December 2011 from the University of the District of Columbia where I sustained academic merits and honors on the dean’s list and graduated with Cum Laude status.
After reviewing the programs offered at UMUC, the MDE and E-Learning program with a specialization in policy and management allowed me to complete my degree entirely online. Although the program was designed to be completed in as little as two years with a total of 36 credits over six consecutive terms, it took me approximately 3 years to complete my degree because of a few minor professional and personal hiccups that I experienced during my time as a graduate student.
The program was comprised of coursework or topics related to leadership, practitioner research, globalization, development, management, business, technology, learner support, intellectual property and teaching and learning issues in distance direction and e-learning. For more information regarding this program, including and list of degree requirements, please visit www.umuc.edu/grad/gradprograms/mde-policy-mgmt.cfm
- How I have developed both personally and professionally as a MDE student?
I have developed both personally and professionally as a MDE student because my experience in the program has changed my entire taught-process. My critical thinking skills have increased and I look at every aspect of my life on a broader spectrum. I do not look and or accept life situations by only looking at the face value or on the surface. I tend to dig deeper and be very analytic. The quality of my thinking has increased and has enhanced the effectiveness of my professional life. For example, my capstone project focused on the best practices to improve employee retention at XY University through the use of online learning, training and career development opportunities. As a MDE student, it helped me to become very observing of my surroundings and my working environment. It made me realize that there was an issue with employee retention at my place of employment. The head of the department including my assistant director and director, both were excited to hear about my research, its findings and the employee survey, feedback and responses. Personally, I’ve learnt that by thinking critically, it has helped me to make better life decisions and how to maintain positive energy when dealing with issues related to my family and my friends.
- How the MDE curriculum has affected my evolution in the field?
The MDE curriculum has positively affected my evolution in the field, beginning with the first course OMDE 601- Foundations of Distance Education and E-Learning. In this course, as a newbie who was obtaining a graduate level education and is currently working in the field, I learnt more about the history and how DE has evolved. It was interesting to learn more about the social and political factors, technology and theories that has shaped the growth and made DE what it is today. DE has become the most preferred way to learn and provides DE learners with the flexibility to learn and to obtain a degree.
DEPM 604- Leadership in Distance Education and E-learning, DETT 611- Library and Intellectual Property Issues in Distance Education and E-learning, DEPM 622- The Business of Distance Education and E-learning, DETT 621- Online Learning and Development in the Workplace and OMDE 670 Portfolio and Project were the classes I enjoyed the most throughout the entire program.
DEPM 604 taught by Donald Olcott Jr was one of my favorite courses and I obtained an A in this class. I learnt about organization, leadership and management in DE. The topics we discussed were organizational behavior and change, leadership roles and effective planning and policies. This professor is exceptional and what he has taught us in this class has made me become more receptive to the changes that are constantly taking place at my place of employment. The knowledge I’ve gained has allowed me to share with my peers whenever these types of changes occur.
DETT 611 taught by Ilene Frank, in her class the assignments consisted of a copyright article review, an ownership policy critique, information literacy article review and a case study. We learnt the proper usage of digital resources and how to avoid issues related to copy-writing. Her attention to detail and constructive criticism and feedback on each paper increased my critical thinking skills and taught me how to avoid plagiarism by giving authors credit for their work. I also learnt that it was necessary to cite videos and pictures used in our e-portfolios.
DEPM 622, the Business of Distance Education and E-learning examined the global business environment for DE. The topics included, existing markets and competition among these types of organizations. I learnt how to develop a business proposal and gain the necessary knowledge on how I can do one on my own for my job.
I took DETT 621 with Professor Wayne Slabon. I absolutely loved this class and enjoyed learning from this instructor. The online classroom was very interactive and the professor challenged my thinking. I was taking this class alongside my final capstone class. However due to the sudden death of both my aunt and uncle that semester; I had to drop my capstone. While I was struggling throughout the course, I was faced with the challenges of being able to cope and to overcome this hurdle. This professor worked with me and provided me with extensions when needed and I was able to successfully complete the course with a grade A. I learnt to be more disciplined and patient and to also be diligent and dedicated. I adopted new learning skills and the ability to manage my time and the role as newlywed and a wife. This class and other MDE courses has thought me how to better manage my time and to become flexible. I learnt how to be successful while overcoming obstacles. The curriculum in this course focused on problems and solutions related to DE and professional development in the workplace. This class was not a requirement for my program but was a substitute/ elective towards my degree. I am very glad I took this class because it helped me think about my research topic for my capstone. The topics we covered in the class were also related to knowledge management, performance improvement and learning and development. I learnt how to become a better mentor and to provide feedback and performance coaching to other in my department.
OMDE 670 was instructed by Linda Smith. This professor was very compassionate. She understood the value of effectively communicating with the learner on a personal level and she promoted Holmberg’s teaching and learning concept/theory in the classroom. Research was made to seem very easy in this class because it was done in stages. And because we had the opportunity to choose our own topics of interest. I learnt how to develop a research proposal and topic and how to get employees in my department involved in my project. I learnt how to utilize resources when working on projects such as these and the traits/abilities I adopted can be used in the workplace when working with peers on job related projects/ assignments.
Although I've listed some of the classes I've enjoyed the most, there were some classes I struggled in. I did learn new things and it has helped me to evolve in the MDE field despite of the challenges I either had with the professor or the assignments provided in the class. Whenever I took classes which had two instructors, at times I felt like there was a conflict in interest and each teacher had different teaching styles and perceptive which made me sometimes feel discouraged.
However, OMDE 603 I learnt the terminology of technology and the guidelines to selection technologies for DE. OMDE 606 has taught me about the study of economics and learning and how to effectively budget and work in groups. OMDE 610 I learnt about philosophical frameworks such as social and cognitive presence and its importance and how I can use these to encourage community and engagement if I chose to one day become and online instructor. OMDE 608 consisted of leaner support and I understood it is beneficial to lend these types of support to my students, especially since I work predominantly with new students. Offering my own experience as an adult learner and providing my students with the necessary tools they need to be successful has proven to bring a sense joy and happiness to life. This MDE program has taught me to treat others as I will like to be treated and I always try to go above and beyond than necessary for my students and colleagues.
- My future goals
- How I intend to pursue my goals?
Lastly, as part of the requirement for my OMDE 670- Portfolio and Research Project in Distance Education & E-Learning I had to complete a Capstone Research Project. My research paper can be found below:
Please ENJOY!!