Distance Learning vs. Distance Degrees

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Q. I have a Bachelor's degree from Thomas Edison State College (TESC). Did I earn my degree through distance learning? No. I was deemed worthy of a degree by testing and portfolio assessment. This seems an acceptable, if "nontraditional", practice in the higher education field. I did not learn anything at TESC except how to work the system. That's not true, of course, but you see my point.

A. (The one exception, incidentally, is Antioch University, which will grant up to 15 of 60 quarter-hour credits for prior learning. However, this still leaves 45 credits that must be earned with new learning, equal to the 30 semester hours required by many other M.A. programs.) However (as I have also said in the past and regurgitate once again), remember that graduate-level education requires a different mindset than undergraduate learning. On the undergraduate side, the emphasis is on "breadth and depth." Especially in the traditional environment it usually takes on the form of regurgitating factoids, and is essentially an extension of high school learning. Graduate education, however, is based on critical thinking and takes a focused approach to one major area rather than a breadth-and-depth approach with a broad distribution requirement. You are expected to begin, at the master's degree level, to *master* a field. And, at any level of graduate education, you are preparing to become more of a leader in that field - not just to learn it, but to assume a leadership role in which you might be communicating theories, ideas, and solutions to others. This requires in-depth study within a structured environment (regardless of the form "structure" takes) and interaction with peers and faculty. (Which is also why most distance master's degree programs have a residential component.) Using portfolio assessment and testing is valid in undergrad work. While I did not use portfolio assessment, I did use testing. Several of my friends used portfolio assessment. The requirements were quite strict, and from the work they did, it wasn't a cake walk. However, I disagree with the concept of using something similar on the graduate level. Undergrad gives students tools and some idea of how to use them and where. Graduate school teaches how to really use the tools and to discern when they shouldn't be used. Another way to put it is in undergraduate school you're taught to use a hammer and all problems look like nails. In grad school, one learns the differences betweens nails, brads, screws (phillips & flat heads), dovetails, joint & tenons, railroad spikes, and screw drivers.

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