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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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 Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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Distance MAs from reputable universities aren't sneered upon by many employers. It's considered quite acceptable most places.
Cases in point: Canadian universities OFFICIALLY accept distance degrees from some UK universities - I personally know people with degrees from UBirmingham and Edinburgh not only teaching but in management positions, and working in schools where credentials have been checked. Further, I had colleagues whose British distance MAs were partially subsidised by a Canadian uni.
I have colleagues at European/international universities with distance degrees from the above-named universities PLUS Surrey and Leicester and MacQuarie (spelling?).
The Saudi government pays for some of their teachers to do the UBham distance/blended MA. Two were on my own course.
The point is that there is NO ONE ANSWER to the question of whether a distance/blended MA will be accepted.
Chances are better if the MA in question is from a university with a solid reputation in the TEFL/TESL field. |
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Perilla
Joined: 09 Jul 2010
Posts: 792
Location: Hong Kong
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| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 3:07 am Post subject: |
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| I've been in and around the TEFL scene for 16 years now, and have yet to hear of anyone's distance masters being disregarded. IMO this is something of an urban myth. So long as the degree is from a reputable university and not one of these dodgy virtual ones that you can buy for xxx over the internet, the vast majority of potential employers will see it as a perfectly valid qualification. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:19 am Post subject: |
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| I certainly hope you're right. I guess I'll find out when I apply for jobs in the ME, but that won't be for a bit longer. |
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rafaella
Joined: 22 Feb 2011
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:30 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks Spiral78 and Perilla. The only way I'll ever obtain a Master's is through distance/blended learning as I certainly can't afford to stop working so it's heartening to hear that my efforts won't be in vain! |
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creeper1
Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Posts: 481
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:19 am Post subject: |
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| rafaella wrote: |
| I've never understood why the whole concept of distance learning is sneered at by some people. In fact I think I should be posting this on the Pet Peeves thread! |
Let me try to explain it to you in terms you'll understand.
Someone learning to swim should actually do so in water. Sitting in a classroom learning about the techniques of swimming is no substitute for diving in. Learning on dryland simply doesn't work.
Similarly when one is learning how to drive, one needs to take practical lessons in addition to reading theory.
One has to assess a student teacher in a classroom. Does he/she APPLY what they have learnt?
Hope that clears it up. |
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Perilla
Joined: 09 Jul 2010
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Location: Hong Kong
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:05 am Post subject: |
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| creeper1 wrote: |
One has to assess a student teacher in a classroom. Does he/she APPLY what they have learnt?
Hope that clears it up. |
The above discussion was not about teacher training - it's about MAs and MEds - where the content is largely theoretical. Ergo, it makes little difference whether it's distance or campus-based.
For practical courses, agreed, they ought to be on campus. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| creeper1 wrote: |
Let me try to explain it to you in terms you'll understand.
Someone learning to swim should actually do so in water. Sitting in a classroom learning about the techniques of swimming is no substitute for diving in. Learning on dryland simply doesn't work.
Similarly when one is learning how to drive, one needs to take practical lessons in addition to reading theory.
One has to assess a student teacher in a classroom. Does he/she APPLY what they have learnt?
Hope that clears it up. |
Hm, wow. that's harsh, and there are top unis around the world that disagree with you. DIstance MAs are PCGE's. They're theory based. That means studying, researching, and testing things in your classroom. You can't compare swimming or driving to MAs. Espeically since many do them to prep for a doctorate. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:24 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
creeper1 wrote:
Let me try to explain it to you in terms you'll understand.
Someone learning to swim should actually do so in water. Sitting in a classroom learning about the techniques of swimming is no substitute for diving in. Learning on dryland simply doesn't work.
Similarly when one is learning how to drive, one needs to take practical lessons in addition to reading theory.
One has to assess a student teacher in a classroom. Does he/she APPLY what they have learnt?
Hope that clears it up.
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Harsh? Not at all. Creeper's just stated very clearly the case FOR distance MAs. 
The advantage of doing a master's by distance is that one can normally also be teaching, at least part-time, and therefore has a handy classroom available to connect theory and practice. People who do the degree on-campus suffer to some degree from the fact that they had no students to practice on whilst studying the theory (outside the usually-short practicum).
Distance (also called research-based) MAs completed by practicing teachers offer the opportunity for continuous classroom-based research not available to someone studying full-time.
Succintly: distance MA students are also teachers
on-campus students are just students for the duration
There are advantages to studying on-campus, of course - real relationships with professors, other students to brainstorm with, etc, but the advantages of distance MAs are also quite real.
The ideal is probaby (what many universities do now) a combination, where distance students at least complete a practicum on campus. The distance MA I did required an on-campus component. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:26 am Post subject: |
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| spiral78 wrote: |
Harsh? Not at all. Creeper's just stated very clearly the case FOR distance MAs.
The advantage of doing a master's by distance is that one can normally also be teaching, at least part-time, and therefore has a handy classroom available to connect theory and practice. People who do the degree on-campus suffer to some degree from the fact that they had no students to practice on whilst studying the theory (outside the usually-short practicum).
Distance (also called research-based) MAs completed by practicing teachers offer the opportunity for continuous classroom-based research not available to someone studying full-time.
Succintly: distance MA students are also teachers
on-campus students are just students for the duration
There are advantages to studying on-campus, of course - real relationships with professors, other students to brainstorm with, etc, but the advantages of distance MAs are also quite real.
The ideal is probaby (what many universities do now) a combination, where distance students at least complete a practicum on campus. The distance MA I did required an on-campus component. |
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