Rio Salado - no discussion?

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

I'm taking a class through Rio Salado, and I have a question for those who have also taken Rio's online classes. At the beginning of the class, the instructor posted that we may not use the threaded discussion feature or post anything on the website and that any questions are to be emailed directly to him. I found this a bit odd. Is this the Rio way, or is it just this instructor?

I've taken several online classes and we have always had discussion threads. I didn't realize how nice that was until I couldn't do it. I was considering doing Rio for nursing, but if this is the Rio way for all classes, I just think I'd miss the discussion and interaction.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Hi there Cardiac - so nice to see you!

Do you mean don't do Rio for nursing IF they don't allow online discussions for the nursing classes? Or are you meaning something else? Thinking this might be PM time...

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Something else...

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I started taking A&P through there. IIRC we weren't "allowed" to post anything to the message board either. There was also the "you will NOT be allowed to work ahead" restriction, along with about a hundred others. That whole course structure was rather offputting to me.

My first course through Rio was Chem. No restrictions on posting to the message board. No one ever did post there though. We just all emailed our instructor (who was very good at returning emails, usually within 24 hours).

Regarding going through Rio's nursing program, run a search in this forum on it.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

AZmom, thank you for the info.

I've taken three online courses previously through other colleges and universities. I had such positive experiences with those. As I think about it - the online discussions in those classes were just so pleasant and friendly that this class, while OK, just surprised me.

A few days ago there was a notice posted on my Rio class with a study guide of sorts for the mid-term. Also written in bright red ink was "you may not contact your instructor with questions regarding the study guide" blah blah blah etc etc etc. That is a bit offputting! I suppose Rio can be handy. I just didn't know that my course would be 99% my textbook and proctored exams, period.

I guess it's ok for a pre-req, but I certainly wouldn't want to learn nursing this way. I don't think learning to be a nurse is just getting 90% on each chapter review in my textbook and running in and out of one clinical a week. For me, that would be missing a critical human aspect and discussion of learning how to be a nurse.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Progressive Tele.

I have taken a couple of class's through Rio and the instructors wanted us to use the message boards for the class. So it appears to be a instructor restriction, then a college one.

Tony

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I have taken a couple of class's through Rio and the instructors wanted us to use the message boards for the class. So it appears to be a instructor restriction, then a college one.

Tony

I agree...my experience was that we were supposed to join in with discussions however, I took english and critical reading. Probably different than the BIO's. I had great instructor's although I found it difficult to make myself actually study, being at home. I pulled B's but THAT wasnt working too hard. Who knows why things change from class to class?

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I'm currently taking two on-line classes through Rio (my first) and have not had issues with posting on message boards. I've found both of my instructors to be very helpful and responsive in communications. They have also been wonderful in providing positive feedback and suggestions on areas in need of additional review.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Progressive Tele.

I could not agree more, that was why I stopped taking class on line...

Tony

I agree...my experience was that we were supposed to join in with discussions however, I took english and critical reading. Probably different than the BIO's. I had great instructor's although I found it difficult to make myself actually study, being at home. I pulled B's but THAT wasnt working too hard. Who knows why things change from class to class?
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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
I'm currently taking two on-line classes through Rio (my first) and have not had issues with posting on message boards. I've found both of my instructors to be very helpful and responsive in communications. They have also been wonderful in providing positive feedback and suggestions on areas in need of additional review.

This is my experience also - about the feedback. I was pleasantly surprised at how much specific feedback the intructor has been providing with grading. Maybe I just got accustomed to quite friendly and chatty internet classes where you feel like you actually get to know the other students?

All of this is fine IMHO with the pre-reqs.

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I think the Biology department doesn't allow students to communicate with one another. (In the beginning, they tell you that you are not to communicate with other students at all, only your teacher.) I have taken my prereqs at Rio. It offered me convenience (doing it at home, online). The instructors really didn't do anything for me. Many didn't even speak English all that well. Rio also has lousy online curriculum (textbook is better), but they often will post "practice quizzes" with material that will then reappear in the midterms and finals in their online "lesson" material. Why do I ding them on the online lesson material? Many deadlinks, material upchucked --without credit--straight from the text, unfinished presentation (it's one thing to prepare the material, but then you have to "web edit" it.) There's no way I'd use them for nursing school.

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