Originally Posted by ChesterRN
I heartily disagree with you. I am about to finish my MSN in Nursing and Healthcare education. This was my second time in a masters level program, the first being a traditional land based program. The level of interaction between myself, my classmates and instructors was much more intense than in the land based, lecture based program. The online format is very learner centered and requires much discipline, you get out what you put in. The objectives of the courses are in line with competencies spelled out by NLN, ANCC and CCNE the main accrediting agencies for nursing education. The level of participation expected between class mates and in the learning teams fosters learning in a manner which goes beyond memorization of facts. Having to apply the principles spelled out in the objectives, to real world scenarios leads to a much deeper level of learning. The program is clearly geared toward learning at the deeper levels of Bloom's taxonomy and the development of critical thinking skills.
I suspect that those disenchanted with the program thought that because it was online and because it is accelerated, that would mean it would be easy and abreviated. NOT the case. It was a lot of hard work and more time consumptive than I originally thought it would be, but I have absolutely no regrets with the outcome. I feel I have received a very high quality education. The experience has been overall a positive one and as I consider pursuing a PhD, I am looking at other programs that will allow me to complete the majority of the program in an online format. If Phoenix expands their program to include a PhD in nursing education, hands down, no question, it would be at the top of my list.
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