drexel rant 1.1
Jason Santa Maria, whom i recently introduced myself to, posted about a course that is using his website as an example of critiquing site design and usability. His focus is on the types of critiques he was given (and kudos to him for taking them in stride…some of those kids were harsh), but I came away with a more valuable lesson: some schools actually CAN keep programs up to date and deliver them in an effective manner over the web.
what do i have to do to get a professor who is a) this knowledgeable about current, relevant course material and b) innovative enough to use wordpress to drive class participation?
has anyone else seen this kind of format used? Drexel uses blackboard and it is awful…and id KILL for a web development course that focused on standards and usability (instead of tables and frames!)
HEY DREXEL! Get off your ass and take MSU’s program as an example of solid, innovative course material that is relevant and presented in an online format. I’m sick of paying $1500 per class to “learn” from 5 year old slides on 7-10 year old material. I’m tired of being bothered with “busy work” and not being challenged or provoked to actually think on my own.
Ill give Drexel credit, their co-op program has helped me immensely. I’ve changed careers (from IT to web development) because of an opportunity it presented. But outside of that, the only thing I’ve learned is how much red tape comes with a high-ticket University.
The level of frustration that I’m experiencing with Drexel right now is obscene. I can’t get a return phone call unless I wave threats of an alumni’s annual donation going away, it takes weeks to get an intelligent human being on the phone at all. I waste hours upon hours a week staring at garbage slides and waiting until mid-week for a professor to respond as to why no assessments have been assigned for the week. Negligence, poor course material, laggy grading times…the whole thing is a mess, and I’m sick of it.
I’ve written the professor of this class at MSU, to try to get a feel for how he keeps his material fresh and interesting, and thought provoking. Maybe Ill get something to bring back to Drexel and suggest that they use to make their program not suck.
i’m not dropping out because i’ve already blown $50k on this piece of paper and i’ll be damned if i dont get it, and soon. But Drexel needs to quit wasting my time (and money) if they want to keep my business. I’ll take it to MSU, or anywhere else that doesnt suck, if it means a program that I can actually gain something from (or be proud to say I participated in).
YAAAAAARGH!
Hello,
As you might have predicted, the frustration of Drexel U’s learning system led me to reading your article. Although I am a freshman 1st semester student (can’t get fresher than this!) at Drexel for Biomedical Engineering, I think I’ve had enough of how poor the quality of equipment, professors, and students are at this school.
Although I am a freshman, I am taking mostly sophomore classes (linear algebra, thermodynamics.etc.). It is saddening to see my next 4 years at Drexel staring at a blackboard and listening to TA who are ignorant of their subject. Adding on, I have never encountered a system as much a FAILURE as drexelone, learning.drexel.edu, and Maple TA. Not only are they visually unappealing, but also inefficient and borderline acceptable.
Unlike you, I am in my freshman year and pays a few grand per year for books and university fees. Should I make the switch this early in the game?
Personally, I generally enjoyed my computer science program at Drexel. But I’d say that quality of your program largely depends on the quality of your teachers. CS is fortunate enough to have a few good ones (Regli, Krandick, Char), so it worked out. That may be true of any college, but I guess I won’t find out till I go for my masters.
As far as drexelone, it’s powered by Banner which I hear has (sadly) managed to sell itself to most of the colleges on the eastern seaboard. So you may have to head west before seeing anything less revolting.
Good luck with your studies either way, and I hope you can find a program (or other venture) that works for you!
@Emily
I was in the same situation last year, that you are in now. The only difference was that I was a computer science major. The program that I was in felt not innovative and did not promote learning. I eventually transferred out after my second term.
I was like you and Alex, I hated blackboard and drexelone. They are clumsy tools and really do not aid the educational process. Unfortunately, many schools still use them. The current school I am attending, uses blackboard. It is somewhat of an industry standard.
I may venture as far as to say that Drexel sort of ruined computer science for me, as it is no longer my major. If you feel that your educational experience is going to be ruined by Drexel, then by all means seek other schools. It is not a good place to ‘find yourself’ educationally, or try and suffer through a program that has many flaws.
Time is your greatest asset, don’t waste it.
Emily, feel free to email me sethnenstiel at gmail dot com.
Seth nailed it. Your education is just that, YOUR education. If you’re not feeling educated, then I think you have every reason to consider other options.
If you think of it from a customer service perspective, why would you keep paying for crappy product when there’s competition across the street.
My only point would be: before leaving, know what you’re looking for so you don’t find yourself wandering. If you can set goals that you can weigh your options against, you’ll have a more efficient experience evaluating options and a higher chance of making the right decision.
I think it’s an extremely adult decision to make, and better to make sooner than later.
Best of luck, Emily, and keep me posted if we can do anything else to help.