For several years now I have railed against the use of ed2go courses when they are affiliated with a college or university. During my time on the Minnesota Online Council I was especially adamant against the listing of the ed2go courses at the MnOnline website as though they were endorsed courses from a member institution. There is no way that I think the brand should be diluted by including courses like this in our offerings. Why not? Glad you asked.
NOTE: most of this post was written after I discovered that my own school had recently signed on with ed2go. This saddens me to no end since I spent the past five years railing against the use of ed2go in Minnesota Online and our colleges. Our VP in that division assures me that they will do what they can to not harm our reputation for quality online offerings - and I believe that, I'm just not sure how much of that we can actually control. I waited a couple of weeks before posting this to see whether my opinion would be changed by other people around here - and now I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen.
ed2go courses are what they are. They aren't what they aren't. They aren't college courses. They aren't OUR courses. They aren't taught by our faculty. They aren't developed and vetted by us. Their web services aren't supported by us. The assessments aren't created and evaluated by us. Student successes (and failures) aren't determined by us. (etc., etc.!!)
So why the heck do we brand these as OUR courses? Why are we saying that we have this online instruction center (below) when it isn't true? We do have an e-Campus at Lake Superior College, where students and faculty can come for help, but it has nothing to do with these ed2go courses. We have worked very hard over the past 11 years to build a stellar reputation for our online offerings at LSC. Now our reputation also depends on a profit-seeking company that has no connection to us whatsoever and over whom we have no control.
And why would Minnesota Online want courses like the one shown below listed on the MnOnline website?
That's an ed2go course, and it's probably not the only one that is being called a MnOnline course.
And now for the best part(s). Don't you just love testimonials? How about when the same testimonial is used for each of the first five schools (all in MnSCU) that I looked at on the ed2go website. Laura really gets around since it appears as though she takes classes from almost all of the schools.
Final point. Notice how the graphic above mentions accreditation? Take a look at this next one, it's even better.
Doesn't this strike you as more than just a little bit odd? It definitely strikes me that way. Schools are touting their accreditation status while promoting courses that they have absolutely nothing to do with (except collecting a little bit of revenue). Their faculty don't teach the courses or develop the curriculum, their employees most often are oblivious that these courses are even being offered, and yet somehow this seems to be the time to hype up the school's accreditation. Seems to me that this type of offering completely flies in the face of accreditation. Isn't it ed2go that needs to be accredited to do this stuff? I'm just asking.
Of course I can already hear the excuses for this. "Well, our accreditation doesn't cover continuing education and non-credit offerings, just our degree programs and such." Point #1: then why are schools hyping their accreditation status on a page that deals with continuing education? Point #2: Maybe our accreditation isn't affected, but our reputation is.
I don’t care whether 1,500 other schools are using Ed2Go and telling the world that people are taking courses from “their schools.” That only tells me that administrators at 1,500 schools are making very poor decisions and are willing to stake their reputations on something over which they have no control.
Okay, one more that I just couldn't resist. I have (should I say "had?") lots of friends at North Hennepin CC. But it's just downright embarrassing when their ed2go site says the following: "North Hennepin Community College is accredited by MnSCU." (Ummh, NO, they're not!) In fact, I think this whole scam is a major embarrassment, but apparently I'm the only who's embarrassed by it.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Ed2Go is NOT Higher Education
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17 comments:
I am curious about this company, as I was on the verge of signing up for an Access 2007 course. However, I forgot to save a link to the course, googled the instructor and discovered he taught the same course at several community colleges with similar Ed2Go programs. Furthermore, the same course was offered in different places with fees ranging from $55 to $109. I attempted to register, but was led to a link that asked me to call, pay in person, or fax my payment information. I was surpised to learn that there was no online payment method, and that the mailing address was a P.O. box number.
After having read your position, I will steer clear of the course altogether. Thanks for giving me pause to think. You probably saved me from an bad experience.
Excuse me, but I have taken courses from Ed2go and have a number of comments to make in response to the initial comment and the "anonymous said" comment.
1. To "anonymous said" payment online is the preferred method. You locate a school you wish to take the course from (usually by putting in the name of the institution, or a zip code) then you go to the institutions site. Each institution handles receiving the payment, and signing you up for courses. Not only do they have specific phone numbers and people to talk to,at most schools,but the e-mails to those contacts.
I have taken two courses so far and had no difficulty at all.
2. Most of the courses are NOT listed as giving college credit. There are a few that give certificates, and Continuing Education Credit.
A certificate is just that, not a degree. And their continuing education credits ARE approved by a national approval agency, that is accepted by most states.
EACH area such as social work, nursing, and so on has it's own requirements for continuing education credit, and requirements of an approval agency. MY state lists the approving agency provided by Ed2go, as one that IS accepted.
3. The professors qualifications are clearly spelled out for each course. For the most part the professors ARE outstandingly qualified. UNLIKE many community colleges and universities.
4.I have TWO degrees from two different universities, and have attended 5 different colleges or universities. So I am very familiar with the quality of "in school" versus "online" instruction,and so far, both of my online courses with Ed2go have given me more bang for less buck and A GREAT DEAL more interaction with the professors.
5. The sylabus is available online for any student to review what the course will teach and see if it will meet their needs.
6. The testimonials. I have written a few, and one of mine has been used. It was ONLY used for the course I wrote it for, because it was specific to that course. However, if I wrote one that said, "hey this is an easy way to get up to speed on many topics for not much money" then I would expect that this testimonial could be used as a "general" testimonial for Ed2go appropriately.
7. I have looked at the pricing at different schools offering the classes. I have noticed a slight difference, and suppose you are paying for the "prestige" of the school. For instance Loyolla Marymount University in Los Angeles seems to charge more, BUT one tends to think of their prestige as superior to a community college ...though the SAME professors teach the same course. By the way, I have taken the same course, with the same book, at community colleges and universities, and the content is not different, the tests may be, the teachers are (though Ed2go's are superior)...but in the end, it is the ammount of work a student is willing to put in to learning something that determines what they will get out of ANY course.
Finnally, I noted a definite emotional content to the original message "Ed2Go is NOT Higher Education". ((by the way Ed2go does not pretend to be "higher" education, just an alternate method to assist people to learn, with perhaps a sheet of paper (IF you pass the post test, and complete the assignments)to demonstrate to others you have some familiarity with the subject.))So, if my ENTIRE response is NOT posted as a rebuttal, I will NOT be surprised; because an emotional attack does not appreciate an objective one. j
Ed2go is a great way to learn. I've taken classes from writing to html. After html 1 and 2 I put together a website using notepad. Then I took dreamweaver and update it easily. These classes have helped my career.
Ed2Go courses are a great alternative if you dont have the time to go back to college, are afraid, cant quite afford it or just need some brushing up. You are at home in a safe environment and the instructors are the best in their fields. Case and point, in the grant writing course offered on all Ed2Go courses, the instructor is non other than Ms. Beverly Browning. Not only is she the most sought after Grant writer in the NATION...she is the author of several grant writing books, including "Grant writing for Dummies." I have personally attended several of her seminars (that cost much more than these courses) and secured over $1 million in funding for several local municipalities and non-profits.
In addition, the computer classes are 2nd to none.
It may not be higher education, but it is an informative, hands on education...nontheless.
I took a couple of ed2go classes a couple of years ago with mixed results. The first was tech. writing, I didn't land a job but it helped me to build a part-time freelance writing career. Around the same time, I took the Magazine Writing class and I got more leads and resources from the library - and that was free!
The last class I took was earlier this year. The Admin. Asst. class is good if you want to run a small business that will interact with different types of clients (i.e. lawyers, logistics people and other occupations that are realistically boring). Otherwise, with the exception of the accounting module, the rest had little to do with lesson plan. There were these long-winded editorials that I once challenged because I felt it was incorrect and based on nothing. They took offense to that and so far I see they did not return to my local community college. I would not recommend ed2go for major career changes. Just to be fair.
Welcome to the future. It amazes me how people can call themsleves educators and want to keep us all in the dark ages. Distance learning is the here and now and will be the primary weapon in holding educational costs in check in the future. Ed2Go has been a pioneer in this area while many educators have bascially been complaining about having to learn new technology. This elite attitude that says only people with doctorate degrees who have never worked in the real world and call themselves educators are but another reason of the failing economy. Thank you ed2go and other companies like your for providing courses through a system that otherwise would not be available and shame on those of you who would hold the rest of us back so that you can stay in control.
I live in Brazil and I LOVE ED2GO courses! Your speech sounds like of a person who can not compete with ed2go (but whishes to)thus prefers to attack the company´s reputation. Pretty sad!
Don't know where you've been and I can't change your mind once it's made up but...
The thing is that I'm a lifelong learner and have taken classes at many accredited schools both in traditional "on-the-ground" classrooms and through online distance learning. The fact is, and some traditional "highbrows" won't approve but Ed2Go is good to go. Yes, I am taking them through local community colleges because they are actually cheaper than the online prices.
I've read a few comments about Ed2Go classes not meeting people's expectations. I can tell you that I have attended many reputable schools accredited by the U.S. Board of Education that genuinely stunk!
I agree that Ed2Go is not higher education. It isn't. It is broader education. I've taken two courses, one; the A to Z in Grantwriting and the other; Research Methods for Writers and I learned quite a bit from them. Both will be valuable to my future and I plan to take still more classes. Why?
They were as good as many of my other online classes and I could find at Ed2Go classes, I can't get at a regular CC. So for those that would let a little challenge like "no Online payment" get in your way, then thanks for leaving a little more room for the rest of us.
Formal education as we know it will evolve into an online format in generations to come. The only purpose of physical campuses will be that of testing centers and jogging trails. And as far as Ed2go, it is a great way to jump start your personal learning quest, and to say it "is not higher education," is backward and pompous thinking, prevalant in many to today's universities, which cater to overpaid professors who think they are superior because they passed a bunch of useless tests administered by their own kind. As a college graduate (with good grades) of a major northeastern university, I have taken several Ed2go classes, and I learned more in one week than an entire semester of traditional college learning, only without the superficial status and grossly inflated tuition an fees. Professors who feel they must undermine Ed2Go feel threatened by an evolving educational system that in the future will do away with these obsolete human beings that we call "intellectuals."
I am a lawyer from Europe!
I took the course Winning strategy for the courtroom and I believe it is amazing!
Enough information for the money I spent! I do not expect to become a Lawyer in US but now I understand many things seen on TV!
Why offer Ed2Go courses? Revenue stream, maybe? Community outreach, possibly?
I have written and taught three Ed2Go software courses. I have also taken a number of their software courses. Having tried other online sources for distance learning, I always end up returning to Ed2Go's offerings.
The courses are aimed at general-population adults. They are intended as continuing education courses, not college level courses. And college credit is not offered.
As another respondent pointed out, the instructors are carefully vetted, and must demonstrate expertise and accomplishment in the field.
Admittedly, some of their older offerings are pretty pathetic, but they still seem to enjoy a following. (If a course's enrollment declines to a certain level, Ed2Go drops the course from their catalog.)
In the meantime Ed2Go continues to refine their strict course-structure requirements and writing guidelines for authors. They also maintain strictly enforced standards for online instruction.
It is noteworthy that a few years ago, when the international textbook publisher Thomson Learning (Cengage) was in the market for an online adult-ed publisher to partner with, they chose Ed2Go.
I live in Uzbekistan. And we have no Ed2go courses, and iam happy :)
I have taken several 2d2go classes that I found through my local community colleges. I have found them to be excellent. I was never under the impression that I would receive credit for them and therefore did not take them for that purpose. I have taken classes on photography, writing, how to start a consulting business and more. The quality of instruction was outstanding and completely focused on real-life application. I will continue to take, and recommend, their courses and appreciate that my local colleges offer them.
I just finished 2 edtogo classes and I thought they were great. I really learned a lot and it was convenient. I plan to take more. I simply don't understand why anyone would be against them. I have taken community college courses by so-called "qualified" instructors who seem to use the class as a personal forum for whatever bizarre thing they are into or the ones that read from the textbook and add nothing to it.
I am on my third class with ED2Go. My fiance' is on his second. Across the board my experience has been all positive. The instructors I have had have all responded to any questions I have had. I agree with the post above , it does not pretend to be higher education. This is a very good way for people (with no other way to go to school) to gain an edge in the career field. The tech support is good. Also if you are in need of proof of enrollment or classes ect.. the school in which is sponsoring the class, will be more than happy to send you proof. We have had a really good experience.
I am currently taking two ed2go courses, one on Photoshop, the other on Nature Photography. I'm not dissatisfied with the content, given what I paid (something like $99 each).
BUT as a UW-Madison faculty member, I got suspicious of the use of the UW-Madison logo on virtually every page, and for every course, offered by ed2go once I had registered for the site. It is quite clear that most of the courses are NOT offered by UW-Madison, yet someone who wasn't paying close attention (like me, at first) might infer otherwise.
I'm inquiring with the people at UW-Madison who should know whether they sponsor any content on the ed2go site, but my impression at the moment is that ed2go is brazenly misrepresenting their associations with brick-and-mortar institutions.
The UW-Madison prof directly above this post has hit on my main concern - that an Ed2Go course is being associated with an institution that otherwise has absolutely nothing to do with it. In particular, if a course is not taught by a UW faculty member, then on what grounds can it be called a UW course?
I'm amused by all the apologists who have commented here, because most of them appear to be Ed2Go drones who are here to tell us how great Ed2Go courses are. Guess what? I don't care. This post has nothing to do with whether the courses contain valuable content - it has everything to do with whether or not they are college courses as they are being branded.
That's the point - nothing else.
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