I agree 100% with you Susan. I am an anthropologist from Portugal, Lisboa and I am working for a municipal museum since 1991. I wanted to enroll the distance learning program last year so I call them and ask if I could visited them for short period of time last summer. I did and was able to talk and get a insight from the other alumni. In my opinion the Leicester distance learning im Museum Studies program is excellent. Joaquim Jorge Anthropologist & Museum Assistant Loures Municipal Museum R. Joćo Villaret, 33 - 2D 1000-182 Lisboa Portugal [log in to unmask] phone: 00351 96 5023362 >From: Susan Wageman <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: distance learning at Leicester >Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 09:40:51 -0700 > >Carolyn Collins wrote: > > My personal concern with a long distance learning > > program is the lack of critical thought. Attending a > > program allows daily interaction with professionals - > > their ideas and their continual challenges to your > > point of view. I felt getting the MA was is some ways > > like intellectual puberty. I realize with long > > distance learning there is email etc connection to > > tutors but the learning process is still too much you > > & yourself. The exposure to others more learned and > > their nudging you out of your comfort zone are where > > the most growth for me occured on this degree. > >Both onsite and distance learning have the potential for either stimulating >and challenging interaction with professionals and colleagues. It depends >entirely on the program. I am currently enrolled in a Masters of >Organizational Management program at the Fielding Institute. The level of >dialogue and discussion has far exceeded anything in my prior experience. >(I >took several combined undergraduate/graduate courses previously, so I feel >I >have some basis for comparison.) > >I believe that face-to-face learning experiences allow access for those who >require more than verbal cues and support development of spontaneous >thinking and response. Online learning is more reflective. My program is in >a web-based, asynchronous environment. I have the luxury of reviewing >previous responses or even reading a book before responding. This enables >discussions to go much deeper than in a typical classroom. Much of our work >is in groups. This helps us understand group dynamics, build on each >other's >expertise and interests, and experience various group processes. (Much like >work in the real world.) Because my classmates (and instructors for that >matter) are from all over the world, I get a broader perspective of the >field and the great variety of practices and situations one might employ or >encounter. Finally, the asynchronous nature of the program enables me to >expand my learning while continuing full time in my job and maintaining my >community volunteer work. I can "be" in class anywhere there is a computer >- >at any time of day or night. This flexibility has been essential. > >My advice - if you are considering a particular distance learning program - >is to contact current students and alumni. Ask them the questions that most >concern you. (My key questions were "What did you get out of this >program?," >"Was it worth it?," and "How did you fit school work into your life?") The >answers to these questions - along with other insights from students, >alumni >and faculty helped me choose the program I would persue. So far, the >experience has been invaluable. > >Note: The opinions experessed above are entirely my own. > >Susan B.F. Wageman >Evaluation Manager [log in to unmask] >The Tech Museum of Innovation 408-795-6303 >201 South Market Street fax: 408-279-7167 >San Jose, California USA 95113 http://www.thetech.org > >========================================================= >Important Subscriber Information: > >The Museum-L FAQ file is located at >http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed >information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail >message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should >read "help" (without the quotes). > >If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to >[log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff >Museum-L" (without the quotes). _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).