Getting a degree
From Wikiversity
- Note: Wikiversity does not yet confer degrees. But it will help you get a degree.
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[edit] Where to start
There are many distance learning courses and degree programs on the internet. To start you on your journey, here are some useful links
http://www.johnbear.net/ - Bear's Guide to Distance Learning
Bachelors Degree Online = Guide to accredited Bachelor Degrees Online
http://www.gnacademy.org/ - Globewide Network Academy distance learning database
[edit] How wikiversity can help you
Wikiversity can help you connect to other students and teachers.
There is more than enough open courseware and material online and distance learning infrastructure so that someone can be able to get an accredited degree. The trick is organizing the material.
[edit] Goal of degree plans
- They get you an accredited, academically respected degree at the end
- The degree plans must be *open* and *flexible*. It should be possible for a student to take a degree plan and change it to meet their requirements. The degree plans must also not have any admission requirements. There should be no gatekeepers.
- The open architecture nature of wikiversity is what should make it attractive and cheaper. You can and should swap in and out degree components.
[edit] Components of a degree program
- Formal book learning. This is the easiest part to provide on the internet.
- Hands-on training. If you want to be a brain surgeon or physicist, you need hands-on training. The degree plan should include ways of getting this hands-on training.
- Social networks. This is the most important part of the degree program. The student needs to have access to a rich set of social relations. This is the part that wikiversity can provide.
- Academic support. This includes things like financial aid, student health counseling, academic advising, career services.
[edit] Types of assessment
There are a variety of ways to receive college-level credits through open learning and assessment including:
- Prior learning assessment and recognition (PLA, PLAR)
- Portfolio based assessment
- Exam based (CLEP)
[edit] Bachelors
The following are accredited schools in the United States that will provide credit for open learning materials
- Thomas Edison State College
- Charter Oak State University
- Excelsior University
- Western Governor's University
The challenge is to organize the material online so that it fits into the curriculum guidelines of these universities.
Just some theory to grant degrees you need
- book learning - this is the easy part. all of the stuff is already out there.
- experiential learning - this is the harder part, but it can be gotten through internships and the like
- social networks - You need to be interacting with other students, teachers, and constantly talking with them. Creating and organizing these networks is the crucial missing piece that the wiki provides.
This is why I think it is accurate to say that the degrees will come from Wikiversity rather than through Thomas Edison State College, since the actual social networks which is the crucial part of learning can be provided by Wikiversity.
[edit] Masters
[edit] Doctoral
The word "doctor" is derived from the Latin language and means "Teacher". Doctoral degrees are to be earned while studying and conducting research in a university and have persisted as such for over a thousand years. A doctoral degree is the highest degree offered by a university alone of any post-doctoral degrees which consist of further research in the Doctor's field. As of now, Wikiversity does not offer any officially recognized degrees.
