Getting out of your comfort zone – is never easy!
Roxy asleep & possibly dreaming of big adventures …
(Photo: M. Walsh)
Distance Learning is happening all around the globe, at any given moments in time people achieve their long wished for goal through hard work, dedication, huge effort and it has to be said sometimes great expense. Not everyone has the stamina or indeed sometimes the support needed to reach their goals but I’m happy to report that Mary’s story, which she recounts below is a successful one. I’m sure it will encourage others to forage forward on their journey to success and perhaps maybe tempt those on the brink of making this huge commitment to see that it is indeed very worthwhile and achievable. Congratulations Mary we are all very proud of you.
***Posted on behalf of Mary Brien, The Library, NUI Maynooth***
Distance learning for me
Introduction
A few years ago I decided I wanted to earn a degree but returning to full-time education was not appealing. I had rent to pay and a social life I enjoyed. It was 2009, I was working full-time in Froebel College library and liked the job so much I decided I would like a library qualification. I knew I had to start at the beginning, earn a degree and re-introduce myself to study life. I wanted an easy and affordable option. I was aware of Open University but preferred the idea of an Irish-based college. I found out about DCU’s distance/online learning programme, Oscail. This offers undergraduate and some postgraduate degrees in Humanities, IT and Management. I always had an interest in Literature and History and chose to study these two subjects along with Sociology on the Humanities course. I paid my fees, received a student card (student discounts here I come!) and braced myself for student life.
Course Structure
The course follows the traditional academic year of September to May. I had to complete twelve modules to achieve a degree or I could leave with a Diploma in Arts after eight modules. I set my sights on the larger twelve module goal, as I fancied the letters BA (HONS) after my name! The subjects offered are; History, Literature, Philosophy, Sociology and Psychology. Each subject has six modules and each module reflects different aspects of the subject. For instance the History foundation module (or His 1) introduces early modern Europe while His 3, 4 and 5 are specific to Irish independence, politics and local history. I structured a ‘pathway’ through the twelve modules as I had to complete five modules from one main subject with the remaining seven to be taken from the other four subjects. I chose History as my main subject as I liked it in school and it still fascinated me. I also chose Literature and Sociology as I felt they complimented History quite well and I figured since I already liked reading it would be easy. I had to pass a foundation module first in my chosen subjects in order to continue studying them to degree level.
Course Assessment
Course work was assessed through three assignments per module per year, with either an exam in May or a project to be completed. Since I began five years ago, the course has been updated to include more online interaction through Moodle. Assignments were mostly 1500 to 3000 word essays but more recently included participation in online discussions and poster making. At first I was unsure about this element but looking back I see how they are very effective learning methods and although somewhat torturous, made the assignments a lot more interesting. Later modules like Lit 6 or His 6, involve a 10,000 word dissertation instead of an end of year exam, scary but surprisingly achievable.
Course Materials
At the beginning of every academic year, I received my course notes which are divided into chapters or units and are worked on chronologically throughout the year. I accessed these electronically through Moodle but I could have requested a printed version be delivered to me for an extra cost. A number of academic books were required some of which could be borrowed from the library others had to be bought. All this reading worried me at the beginning but they mostly held my interest and sometimes felt like leisure reading. Sometimes however, I got frustrated with not being able to source recommended books or astounded by the price of them. As a DCU student I had access to DCU library, whose online catalogue is very useful and meant I could check the availability of books before making the trip there. The library has a fantastic eResource section with an array of online databases such as JSTOR to help with research and study.
Costs
The cost of the course is significant. Oscail charge €850 per module which works out at over €10,000 to complete the degree. Part-payment is accepted and tax relief is available. I also had to buy some textbooks but thankfully I could get most second hand or borrow.
Fitting Study into a busy life
I had to take on between one to four modules per year. Doing four modules is akin to studying full-time, so I weighed up working life, social life and time left over for studying and chose to start with two modules. I pushed myself to three modules for the following two years and although manageable I did miss a friend’s wedding, my niece’s christening and had the odd mini-meltdown before making assignment deadlines. It was recommended by DCU that I give at least 12 hours per week to each module. I attempted this but realistically it was unsuccessful so I took time where I could. Literature and history require a lot of reading but I fitted this into my commute, lunch break and night-time reading. Preparing for assignments required more intense study commitment but I drew up study plans and forced myself to commit.
Group Support
Although distance learning suggests isolation and completely independent learning, I found this was not the case. Upon registering each year I was assigned a group with a tutor. Each group had between twelve and thirty-five students, depending on the popularity of the module. I could correspond with my group and tutor via moodle or email. I attended face-to-face tutorials on DCU campus which were held on various Saturdays throughout the academic year. This was a great opportunity get clarity from my tutor and to meet and mingle with my fellow students. I got the opportunity to see the diversity of people taking the course and their differing reasons for doing so. For some, it was the beginning of a career changing road, for others it was a tentative return to education and one or two just enjoyed the torture of assignments. As the years went by l saw many different faces and some recurring ones drifting between modules. These tutorials are run parallel to online evening tutorials which I could log into live or watch on play-back at my convenience.
Getting out of your comfort zone – is never easy but usually always worthwhile!
Roxy awake & ready to begin a new adventure …
(Photo: M. Walsh)
A Degree
It has taken me five years to complete my degree. In some ways that feels like a very long time in others it doesn’t. I am very glad I completed it and feel such a sense of achievement. Looking back I see how much I have learned, in an academic and personal way. It has encouraged me to look towards my next academic goal and gain even more letters after my name. Working full-time, moving house (more than once), taking holidays and even getting married were all achievable tasks while working towards this degree. If it takes three years, five years or even eight years to get there, I would highly recommend it.
Library Staff Development 