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A space to learn together, peer to peer, about the proposed UW "flexible degree option."

The purpose of this P2PU study group is to create an open space for interested University of Wisconsin Parkside faculty and staff to learn about the proposed UW System competency-based Flexible Degree Option. Participants in this group will have a better understanding of what competency-based degrees look like and the external social and economic forces driving universities, including the UW System, to develop such degrees. UW Parkside faculty and staff are welcome to participate using their uwp.edu email account. Postings from real people with real names are welcome. (Anonymous or pseudonymous comments will not be posted by the moderator.)

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TCastor

TCastor at UW Flexible Degree Option

posted message: Greetings from Indianapolis! This morning's issue of Inside Higher Education has a very interesting article on an arrangement between Coursera and Antioch University to offer MOOCs for credit (http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/10/29/coursera-strikes-mooc-licensing-deal-antioch-university). What I like about this model is that assigning and role of a faculty adviser (more like an independent study supervisor): "As part of the arrangement, the students are paired with an Antioch faculty member who will serve as a sort of independent study adviser, discussing the material regularly and assigning some supplemental work."

29 Oct 2012 via courses.p2pu.org

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T G Nelson Oct. 29, 2012, 4:51 p.m.

I like what Antioch has done with this relative to a couple of areas. One, pairing the student with a faculty partner and offering/requiring that relationship which should produce a higher level of assurance of learning in this particular type of higher education.

Secondly, sharing a portion of the revenue directly to the faculty study advisor which may be a more fair way to pay the faculty member and possible produce a fair compensation stream to the faculty members that participate.

If for this potential element of higher education this process reduces the overall administrative cost and likewise reduces the price to the student and if allows sharing some of revenue to the faculty; that’s good. If the model is functional, or can be made functional, there may be a better compensation program for participating faculty and for the university.

Many of you are probably aware of this but I continuously hear from Parkside students iterating their praise of for Parkside faculty; for their availability and dedication. And, independent of the current economic situation, I'm not sure if the current Wisconsin University System compensation plan fairly rewards the level of Parkside's faculty availability to students, their efforts and their dedication.