The Merrick School of Business are pioneers in online education.
In 1999, the 极乐禁地 launched a fully online MBA that had AACSB International
accreditation鈥攁nd we were first in the world to do so.
Thousands of graduates have benefited from the foresight and innovative thinking that
our faculty built. They collaboratively transformed the traditional MBA to be delivered鈥攐nline.
An Online Program may just be the right choice for you.
The Merrick School of Business's online programs offers the same content, rigor and
collaboration between faculty and students as you would find in a face-to-face class
on campus. The benefit of online education is that you can participate from anywhere
with an Internet connection without needing to travel to campus.
We like to mingle.
Students in the face-to-face, on-campus version our programs, may take online courses
alongside of you. It's just one more way to grow your network.
Tips for Online Learning
To make your online learning experience rewarding we have some tips.
Business School is challenging. Learning online can be too if you are not prepared
for online learning and instruction. It takes a motivated student to make the most
out of an online course. Being a self-starter, a collaborator and a good communicator,
are great characteristics to have when you think about enrolling in an online course.
You want to make the most of your experience and that means it is a good idea to limit
distractions around while you are posting your thoughts, doing homework, taking a
test or writing a paper.
You have work and a personal life鈥攁nd those are important鈥攂ut now you've added business
school and online classes. On campus, you would have the benefit of a professor verbally
reminding you of assignments, projects, and exams. Online, you鈥檒l need the discipline
and time management to watch for the information, plan time for each task, and then
budget your time in order to get everything done. Students who excel in time management
usually spend a few minutes each day determining how much time to allocate to each
assignment and task.
That is tech savvy. If you鈥檙e not technologically savvy, don鈥檛 worry. Our online learning management
system called Canvas, has a user-friendly infrastructure. Few people ever have issues with understanding
the applications, but some do take longer to get comfortable than others.
Yes, you can be involved鈥攙irtually. The online learning environment can be as robust
and dynamic as you want it to be. It is up to you, your classmates and the professor
to post and bring breath and depth to the online conversation. Your peers can be excellent
resources, both academically and professionally.
Just like a face-to-face classroom there are ways for you to be a leader. There is
a value in your course (just like a your job) to be collaborative. It is also a good
way to grow your network and earn valuable contacts that could lead to a job after
graduation.
Online Course Readiness Assessment
Here are some questions to consider when deciding if an online course/program is right
for you.
People commonly mistake an online education for an "instant education." Online learning
is not easier than the traditional classroom experience. In fact, many students find
it requires more time and commitment.
While you鈥檒l have more flexibility in organizing your study schedule, you still must
do regular academic work. Each three-credit UBalt online course requires a minimum
of 10 hours of work per week. So if you don鈥檛 have sufficient time in your personal
schedule to do the course work, you鈥檙e setting yourself up for failure.
Don鈥檛 consider an online course because you think the work will be easier than in
a traditional class!
Good time-management skills are essential for successful online learning. Students
must be disciplined and structure their own schedules. It鈥檚 very easy to become distracted
by personal or work commitments when attendance isn鈥檛 required at a particular place
and time each week.
It鈥檚 important to complete all assignments on schedule because, once you get behind,
it鈥檚 very difficult to catch up.
UBalt online classes require you to learn from reading鈥攖ypically using textbooks,
Internet-based materials, written 鈥渓ectures鈥� or notes from the instructor, etc. You
must be able to interpret and synthesize the written word; differentiate between facts
and opinions; and evaluate sources for accuracy, relevance, objectivity, and currency.
In an online course, nearly all communication is written. Therefore, you must comfortably
and effectively convey your ideas and opinions in writing. Remember, your participation
requires written communication with your instructor and classmates.
There is no face-to-face interaction.
If you have limited writing skills, consider taking a writing workshop or mini-course
with UBalt鈥檚 Office of Academic Success.
You don鈥檛 have to be a computer whiz to succeed in an online course. However, you
should possess basic computer skills: finding, opening, saving, printing, and managing
files using Microsoft Office applications (particularly Word, PowerPoint, and, to
a lesser extent, Excel). Additionally, students must be proficient in managing e-mails,
sending file attachments, conducting web searches, creating basic videos and saving
(or downloading) online files using a current web browser.
Since online courses are technology-based, you need a basic comfort level with computers,
software, and Internet service providers. If you鈥檙e easily frustrated or intimidated
by computers, then you probably won鈥檛 be very happy in an online course.
UBalt online courses are not independent-study courses. They are highly structured
and involve frequent interactions with the instructor and with your fellow students.
It is critical you contribute your ideas, perspective, and comments on the subject
you鈥檙e studying and read about those of your classmates.
Your instructor is not the only source of information in your course. Having classmates
from across the country and around the world is a wonderful educational opportunity
in itself. You can gain great insight from your peers, and they can learn from you
as well.
Interaction is an important key to success. By exchanging ideas and contributing to
the lively give-and-take of discussions, you鈥檒l find the learning process more rewarding
and enjoyable.
Many of the non-verbal cues instructors use in determining whether students are having
problems (confusion, boredom, frustration, absence, etc.) are not visible in the online
environment. If you experience difficulty on any level (either with the technology
or the course content), you must communicate this immediately. Otherwise, the instructor
may never know what鈥檚 wrong.
If you have a problem, don鈥檛 wait. Post a question to the course discussion area or
contact your instructor right away.
Statement of Values for Online Teaching and Learning
Adopted by the Merrick School of Business Faculty Senate Mar. 14, 2018
The Faculty of the Merrick School of Business put forth the following values as being
integral in our online courses and programs.
We value the artisan approach
We value the artisan approach to course creation, reflecting the unique content of
MSB programs and the nature of our students.
Our history has helped to determine our strength. Merrick School of Business faculty
are encouraged to use multiple pedagogical and teaching tools that best meet the needs
of today鈥檚 students.
We create content in a dynamic, evolving environment. While we may 鈥渂orrow鈥� freely
available content, it is integrated into our own unique, faculty-driven instruction.
flexibility and academic integrity
Within our courses, Merrick School of Business faculty expect to see and work in a
flexible environment, enforcing the principle of academic integrity. MSB faculty believe
that personal integrity promotes substantive learning, validates the recognition of
scholarly achievement, and enables effective cooperation and collaboration by demonstrating
respect for the work of others.
MSB faculty support teaching and learning in a safe environment where discipline and
professional goals guide the approach to ensuring academic integrity in each course.
In some instances, student collaboration is expected and encouraged; in other instances,
the online platform allows uniquely individual challenges to each student. In still
other instances, a specific approach may be needed to promote academic integrity in
a given course.
Students are learners and co-creators
Students are learners and co-creators they are not retail customers. Our true customers
are the stakeholders in in our students鈥� future careers.
This value is also reflected in the Merrick Code of Conduct, which identifies the
importance of student preparation, participation, and communication as well as the
expectation of similar behavior on the part of MSB faculty.
an asynchronous learning community
Each online course is an asynchronous learning community that allows students time
to absorb, ponder, integrate, and apply the elemental learning goals of the course
and the overarching program learning goals. Students will have opportunities to exchange
ideas and values within these courses in a cohesive, collegial manner as an orchestrated
group.
Along the asynchronous path, MSB faculty value a clear statement of coursework expectations
to promote full and deliberate student engagement. Students should never be surprised
or face unreasonable and/or unnecessary changes.
We provide learning activities that promote the achievement of known learning objectives
for individuals and for groups of students.
Communication Values
MSB Faculty value prompt, regular communication.
Faculty to student
Student to faculty
Student to student
quality assurance
MSB faculty practice quality assurance.
Faculty are fully prepared to teach online.
Content and pedagogy are driven by learning objectives.
Content coordinated across same (B.S.B.A. core, MBA core) course sections reflect
learning objective-driven pedagogy and content supporting program goals.
MSB faculty strive to deliver a high-quality and meaningful experience to each student.
Supporting the implementation of practices and strategies leading to the attainment
of these goals, MSB faculty need to consider appropriate class sizes, given technology
and Learning Community participant characteristics.
