| As more and more students turn to the
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| | Online MBA class instructor Susan
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| Internet to advance their education,
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| | Sasaidek has developed an innovative idea
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| instructors at Virginia College Online
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| | to keep her far-flung classes engaged and
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| have developed some different ways to
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| | involved.
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| help students gain knowledge as they
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| | "For the group project in Management 441,
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| pursue their online degrees. And some of
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| | I have created a scenario of a business
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| them really put the "distance" in
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| | located here in Tucson, Arizona," she
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| distance learning!
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| | says. "The mock business is facing some
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| For example, Dr. Ann Peterson, a faculty
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| | serious competition from a giant company
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| member in the online business programs,
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| | moving in. The students are asked to
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| feels that it is important to communicate
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| | provide ideas and suggestions on ways to
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| with students who may be anywhere in the
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| | turn things around for this small 'mom
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| world, and who may be completing
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| | and pop' shop to make it successful
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| assignments at any hour of the day or
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| | again. It's amazing to see them taking
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| night.
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| | what they are learning in a small
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| "I use a .PDF file so students can check
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| | business class and applying it to this
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| to see if they are completing their word
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| | scenario."
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| processing assignments correctly," she
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| | In another of Ms. Sasaidek's classes,
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| says. "I've also built a grading rubric
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| | students learn how to put together a
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| to tell students how assignments will be
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| | business plan. Each week the plan is
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| graded, why points came off, and how they
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| | built upon. By the end of the quarter the
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| could have made a higher score."
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| | students not only have a complete
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| Dr. Peterson adds, "These are good ways
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| | business plan, they have a solid
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| to keep the communication open with
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| | foundation to start the process to
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| students I don't usually get to see
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| | entrepreneurship should they choose to do
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| face-to-face."
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| | so.
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| That's the case as well with faculty
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| | Ms. Sasaidek recently had her
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| member Claudine de Nava, who teaches
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| | dissertation submitted for publication
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| online classes for Virginia College
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| | with Proquest.
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| Online from her home in Mexico. Ms. De
| |
| | Faculty members at Virginia College
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| Nava is a fulltime English instructor
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| | Online all emphasize the importance of
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| there, after completing her master's of
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| | one-on-one interaction with their
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| education degree in Atlanta. She was also
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| | students-whether they are in the same
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| a research assistant for NASA and one of
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| | city or halfway around the world. They
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| her projects flew on a space shuttle
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| | strive to assure that the online learning
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| mission in 1996. She enjoys writing and
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| | experience is as good as-or, using
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| plans to do a book about living and
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| | today's technology, even better
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| working in Mexico.
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| | than-traditional on-ground classes.
|
