Zoe Skinner, M.S. in Interaction Design and Information Architecture student
"I love how creative my professors are with integrating different types of media into our lectures. From traditional PowerPoint to games and virtual whiteboards, it’s helped me diversify my learning style."
When Zoë Skinner started exploring graduate school programs, she had a few uncertainties to consider. She was between jobs and unsure what her future commute might look like or what hours she would have to work when she started one. An online program seemed like her best bet.
UB’s M.S. in Interaction Design and Information Architecture (IDIA) program, one of the University’s fully online degree programs, turned out to be the ideal pathway for her.
“The online class option really put my mind at ease, knowing that there were flexible options for learning,” she says.
The program offers classes online as well as in person, a flexibility Skinner likes having, but she noted that even the online format has a personal touch she wasn’t expecting.
“Our online classes are almost all synchronized, meaning that we all log in at the same time for a live video lecture. This allows us to still get that ‘face-to-face’ time with our professor and fellow classmates, which I really enjoy and find enhances my learning experience,” she says. “I still feel close to my classmates even though some I have never actually met in person.”
Skinner said her professors have embraced opportunities an online format can offer that would be more difficult to replicate in person.
“I love how creative my professors are with integrating different types of media into our lectures,” she says. “From traditional PowerPoint slides, to videos, games and virtual whiteboards, it’s really helped me diversify my learning style.”
Classes aren’t centered around the professor either, but include a mix of lectures, discussions, group work and independent projects—an aspect of online learning Skinner was pleasantly surprised to discover through UBalt’s IDIA program.
The professors are also just as understanding that their students have lives and responsibilities outside of school and make themselves available through virtual office hours, she says. They set their expectations upfront, and in her experience, often ask the students to share their expectations, too, which she says, “has helped me take further ownership of my education.”
Additionally, not only does the online program fit around the job Skinner now has, but also, it has introduced her to concepts and programs that she can put into practice at work.
“We are utilizing several of the same virtual platforms at work that I’ve been using at UBalt. Through my experience taking online classes at UBalt, I’ve been able to offer my advice to help others learn and utilize the tools to help them in their jobs.”
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