Kaplan

Hi guys has anyone studied the BSc online at Essex delivered by kaplan?
Any experience details would be appreciated

I study with Essex online. What do you want to know?

Hi
How is your experience?

Thank you for sharing. How many hours study do you put in over a week?

Depends on the module(s) and how many you’re doing. I’ve decided to double up on modules to complete faster so obviously more time is needed. But generally I do 10 - 15 hours a week depending on the complexities of what is being taught. They give you a study plan early on, way before your start day, that gives indicative hours of study etc.

I live on my own at the moment and have my lad every other weekend so it’s easier for me this distance learning carry on, and I’ve been doing it on and off with the OU and now Essex since 2014 so I’m used to it and the time management etc.

Depends on the module(s) and how many you’re doing. I’ve decided to double up on modules to complete faster so obviously more time is needed. But generally I do 10 - 15 hours a week depending on the complexities of what is being taught. They give you a study plan early on, way before your start day, that gives indicative hours of study etc.

I live on my own at the moment and have my lad every other weekend so it’s easier for me this distance learning carry on, and I’ve been doing it on and off with the OU and now Essex since 2014 so I’m used to it and the time management etc.

It's been fine. I can't compare to a 'brick uni' as I never attended however I have studied with the Open University, which as you'll probably know is also a distance learning Uni. My experience with UEoL is postgraduate, not undergraduate, and is obviously unique to me but I'll try keep it as objective as I can.

I know it's run by Kaplan online learning (KOL), but you're actually taught by academics. They supply bios of the tutors when you start a module and all my tutors so far have been experienced in terms of teaching at other universities all over the word and are knowledgeable. I was apprehensive at first, especially after reading the reviews online for UEoL, but I've realised since I started KOL runs the admin etc and leave the teaching to your tutors. It's not like Kaplan who run accounting courses that I've completed, it's far better than that. KOL also won the tender for the Russell group University of Liverpool's online program which they have started.

I study 20 unit modules that run for 12 weeks and 10 for 6 weeks. This may be different at undergrad and for different modules. I get 2 weekly Q&As with the tutors that are poorly attended but recorded for watching later should you miss them. And every email I have sent to a tutor has been responded to very quickly.

In terms of student support if you need it you have dedicated support for each area (business, law etc) along with student welfare and a study skills team and you have a dedicated person who you contact if you have any problems during your 'journey' (everyone is on a journey it seems). I never use any of this as I prefer to just be left alone but it's there. They also send out regular emails inviting you to online career events and online seminars, become a student representative and such like, again not for me but will be for some. In fact, you get a lot of emails keeping you in the loop about everything, website maintenance etc and they are constantly asking for feedback to improve the experience.

You get a 'proper/brick' Essex Uni email address to access online journals on various sites (researchgate etc) and access to the 'proper/brick' Essex Uni online library. My module is all ebooks so no physical books etc. The OU has also gone this way in the main which some people moan about but it's the future. I've been taught via lecturecast and self-study, but that's expected at postgrade, as in you just get on with it. There are module forums you can engage with the tutors and fellow students, again some modules have better participation than others, and in some modules, you have assessed forum activities where you are marked on participation which I've surprisingly grown to like.

One area where the Open Uni is better is flexibility in deferring, you can defer a module fairly easily with the OU whereas it's a lot harder with UEoL.

For me, the dedicated online Unis seem better as they're set up for it in terms of their whole infrastructure compared to brick Unis where it's a bit of an afterthought.

One final thing. The certificate you receive is the same as the Uni of Essex brick Uni, it only states 'online' within the transcript.

Any questions just ask.

How would you say the two unis compare in terms of tutor support/feedback etc., which institution gives more detailed feedback would you say? I'm currently studying with the OU but looking to switch to Essex online.

I think with both and all Uni’s it depends on individual tutors for each modules. In my experience however at postgrad for the modules I’ve done I have found it to a lot more personal in terms of tutor support. For example one of the modules I just finished the tutor gave you a time to call him on a specific day well in advance and you could just call him up for a chat, this has happened on a few modules, and most have been rapid in terms of email response. I asked a generic question regarding the Python programming language with one tutor and I got the most detailed response I’ve ever had, it included written lines of code. I’m sure however if the tutor taught at the OU he would have done the same.

The feedback I think is blind, as in you get referred to as a number to reduce bias etc but it has been fairly detailed and in line with grading criteria, so headed feedback. I can’t compare like with like however as what I’m doing now with Essex online is academic reports whereas with the OU it was mathematics, a completely different kettle of fish as there is zero writing skills and referencing with maths etc so the OU maths tutor TMA feedback would be ‘you missed a bracket here’ and stuff like that.

So, in summary I’ve found tutor support to be on the ball, feedback seems good but I have no ‘like for like’ comparison with the OU but overall the whole Essex online experience is far more personal in my subjective opinion.

Hi! How has your experience been in terms of socialising and making friends within the virtual learning environment?

Did you find the online learning experience engaging, or did you feel it lacked the interactive elements of traditional classrooms?

Were there any opportunities for students to interact with professors from the University of Essex, or were all lectures conducted by Kaplan teachers?

I finished in summer 2022, and I can only state my personal experience of completing a postgraduate MSc in 24 months. Undergraduate experiences and other programs at UoEo might be different etc.

There were social forums you could speak to other students on within the module environment, and also forums outside of the modules that were very active. There was also student bodies etc active within the forums. I didn’t bother with any of this but I know others did. The graduation I attended last year was excellent, it’s at the Colchester campus and was specifically for Essex online students. I recognised a lot from the modules.

Each module was different, some you had a lot of regular tutor led tutorials and Q&A sessions and others not so much, and they’re always poorly attended (they’re recorded to watch later), just like with the Open University. The modules where you had the forum activities were engaging at times, and I did a lot of assessed group activities. Remember, people are competing their course all over the world as it’s a distance learning environment. Ultimately, it’s completely different from a brick university and you’re expected to just get on with it.

All Kaplan did was facilitate the admin side of things, which they did extremely well. I had no problems at all. You’re taught by academics from various other universities, they were all very very good, particularly one I had who taught at Stanford. My dissertation supervisor was a world renowned statistician and she taught a number of models at Essex online. They have profiles for who teaches you and you can see their academic teaching background. Kaplan only complete the admin. There may be Essex brick professors who teach modules.

Ultimately I’ve now doubled my wage from getting that bit of card certificate with a stamp on so I think the whole thing was great and worth it. I did learn a lot.

Thank you for your prompt response!

Having completed distance learning, what are your insights into how employers perceive distance learning degrees? Like like in China where education regulations are stringent and the government do not recognise foreign online university degrees.

Regarding the teachers' profiles, can I access them without being a University of Essex student?

I am aware that taking classes online does not mean total isolation because I have connected with people in online classes. The possibility of having fewer social ties when learning remotely worries me, though.

I encountered difficulties when studying online that led unproductive compared to when I attended classes in person. I am hopeful, nonetheless, that the University of Essex could provide a better experience.

Lastly, if someone lives outside the UK, do you think attending the graduation ceremony at the Colchester campus is worth it, considering the associated costs like accommodation, visa, aeroplane tickets, etc.?