Letter From Blake Little
The following was a wonderful letter I received from one of our former students whom took distance learning classes from Ashland University recently. I wanted to share it with you in it's entirety as I feel it is a direct reflection of the positive experience that students can expect when taking classes online with Ashland.
~Thomas Kemp, Director of Instructional Technology
Dear Tom,
Hello, my name is Blake Little and I am just finishing Dr. Wronkovich's class online and wanted to email you a brief note on my experiences using the WebCt program and thank you for offering programs online. One of the primary reasons I decided to pursue my master’s degree at Ashland was the option of taking some classes either all online or partially online. It is important for me to finish my degree in a timely fashion and Ashland’s program has allowed me to do this. Being an international teacher and administrator I wanted a program where I could take classes in the summer and be able to take a class or two during the fall and spring semester all which is available at Ashland.
My first experience using Ashland’s WebCT program was for Dr. Motley’s class EDAD 686 Administration of programming for students with disabilities. I was amazed at how simple it was to navigate through the program and it loads quickly. This first class was primarily a reading based class with analysis of data researched. All of the assignments were submitted easily without any complications. Meaning I never had problems with the system logging me out or crashing while attempting to do programs within the WebCT program. After completing the course my impression was that the WebCT system was an excellent closed-ban email system with extra capabilities such as accessing databases directly linked to the content area.
For the spring semester my experience using WebCT was taken to a higher level as more technology was integrated into the program. I was impressed with “In-class” or web class portion of the program. Being overseas a program that I often use with my parents is skype, which allows me to talk over the Internet without being charged. This is important to me because of my location in Milan, Italy. WebCT is just a much more sophisticated program that is similar but the clarity in which the interaction and being able to speak to classmates and the professor is unbelievable. Another advantage of the program is the chat option that the class can access during a presentation to ask questions of a presenter orally or by typing a message. The interaction that an entire class can have online using this program gives new meaning to “in-class” and being live even if the students are all over the world or in different counties. The interaction and exchange of ideas is the important aspect in which the programs offer.
The other point, which I mentioned briefly in the opening paragraph about how easy it is to submit papers through WebCT. I liked knowing that the assignment was submitted with the date and time stamped on the notice you received through WebCT and also through a private email account if you wanted the notification. When the assignment was graded the total points and points I received was displayed on my homepage. Everything is straightforward and easy to use. Another nice feature is the posting option. Responding to others online made me question my own thinking on specific topics and if I had specific questions I could directly attach them to the posting or attach and send to the professor to ask for feedback.
In closing it is without hesitation that I strongly recommend students to take this class and others that are offered online through WebCT. The program is superb and I commend Ashland for offering this program. As I stated earlier if the online program was not available I most likely would not be completing my master’s degree at Ashland. As new advancements in technology are made with this program and for administration it will only enhance our understanding and help with the growth of our students, which is the ultimate goal.
I appreciate all that you have done in establishing the WebCT program at Ashland. It has enabled me to pursue a masters degree that incorporates both in class and online sessions. I look forward to my remaining classes at Ashland and thank you for the well established programs online.
Sincerely,
Blake Little
American School of Milan, Italy
