Keyes 1 Chris Keyes Nancy Elliott English 111 12 December 2013 A Changeup Throughout the world that we live

in there are many problems that are faced on a daily basis, some big and some small. Certain dilemmas affect a whole group of people and some only affect individuals. I was asked to write a synthesis paper about a problem that has an effect adult learning. I chose to do my paper on the consistency of online education because it relates to me on a personal level. I have taken three online classes in my lifetime and have not been pleased with any of the three; however, many of the sources that I found about the quality of online courses was positive. This made me want to look into this debate to see for myself. Many of the sources that were respectable have done studies; the studies have shown, in most cases, that online learning is as effective, if not more, than traditional learning. With my own experiences, this made me puzzled. I thought since I have participated in three online courses, all with the same outcome, that most online courses would be ineffective. I was intrigued by the subject of online learning at this point and wanted to dig deeper. As students, we were asked to write a synthesis paper worth half of our grade. Being a student who only knows papers that are meager in size, this was a shock. I needed to think about a problem that was related to adult learning; my mind was blank. I began to think of what classes I was taking in hope to spark an idea. In my mind I went through each hour of the day until I reached fifth hour, my online world history class. Bingo! I was relieved to have a topic that I could write about nonstop. This class was one of my least favorites because the class was of poor

Keyes 2 quality. I was all ready to get going on my paper; all I needed was sources. As I went on from article to article picking out the credible ones, I began to see that many of the sources found that online learning is beneficial to the student. I slumped in my chair puzzled. How could people really think that online classes were acceptable to use in the place of traditional learning? I discussed this anomaly with students that also were in online classes at my school, and they all had the same opinion that I had. Regardless, I trudged on, spending hours on the internet looking for papers that will work in my paper. From reading the articles, I saw that online learning might not be so bad at all. The papers were not claiming that it was better, or even, a substitute for traditional face-to-face learning. The Department of Education stated that blended learning produces the best results. Rather, it was beneficial to take both online and traditional classes, called blended classes. After pondering on the papers that I read, I realized that this will help students as long as the quality and consistency of the class stays in check. The first step for me in writing the paper was gathering information. To begin looking for sources, I typed generic phrases or questions into Google like Online learning effectiveness. After I looked at most of the articles, I would type in a different phrase and do the same. All of the sources in my paper have a reason to be there. When I read an article or source, I had a spot in mind where I could use that article to synthesize in my paper. I did not always look to see if the source fit my perspective; I tried to see if it fit the paper. Since there are so many articles regarding online learning, it was key to find the ones that mirrored my papers plan. The articles that I found were crucial to my paper because they acted as a springboard for synthesizing on the topic at hand. The sources not only acted as a starter, but they also added in the authors opinion on the case. The authors needed to be credible, and this does not mean that they just needed a P.h.D., they needed to be knowledgeable about online education. One of my sources Scott

Keyes 3 Jaschik did not teach at a university or have a P.h.D., but he co-founder and a writer for Inside Higher Ed. I did some research on the website, and it had very well-written papers. It is critical for these authors to know about my topic because if they did not, their word is just as equal to mine. I needed other knowledgeable peoples sources to guide me through my synthesis paper. When I looked at a source for my paper, I first skimmed it to see if it pertained to my paper. If the source was adequate, I would look at the author to see if he or she was a credible writer. As a result of sifting through many useless and non-credible sources, I found sources that had a place in my paper. These sources were the ones that were made by people who had the degrees and credentials to support the claims that they were making. For example Kaye Shelton, P.h.D., is the dean of online education at Dallas Baptist University, and she has written books about online education. The article that I used in my paper "A Review of Paradigms for Evaluation the Quality of Online Education Programs described what makes an online class effective. This fit perfectly into my paper so that I could discuss how online education has the possibility to do great. Discussing education was a difficult topic for me considering the audience I needed to satisfy. My paper needed to be adequate for the instructors at Mid Michigan and my instructor Nancy Elliott. From the flawless papers that receive As to the unsatisfactory papers that should not even be graded, these instructors have seen it all. In order to make my paper acceptable, I needed to go outside my comfort zone. Many papers that I have written before have only needed one or two sources from not very credible authors. This paper required me to go over the top in finding at least five sources all being from respected and credible authors. Once, I found my sources and information I needed to write with purpose; my purpose was to show the inconsistency in online education. To reach my goal I needed to bring in ideas and opinions from

Keyes 4 multiple writers and synthesize on them. Elaboration was key in this paper, and to do that I needed to make connections with the different writers I used. Not only did I need to link the writers to my paper, I needed to join them to each other to make a smooth flowing paper. An example of this is when I used quotes on the characteristics that separate an excellent from failing online program made by Kaye Shelton to help describe the harm that they can cause highlighted by Anna Yi Ni. Using quotes and ideas from other authors, it lead me into discussing and synthesizing throughout my paper. The goal of my introduction was to get readers interested in my topic. I made some valid points about technology and what great it has brought the world. Then I threw my main point at the audience making them want to read more. Once the audience begins to read more, they will find that the body consists of multiple authors centralizing around my main point. This is where most of the needs of the audience are met. The body really helps to embed my point in the readers head by constant discussions from different points integrated into my main idea. Throughout the conclusion in my synthesis paper, I wrapped up all of the ideas and opinions together to remind the audience of the purpose of the paper. With the finishing of the whole paper, introduction to conclusion, I was done with the rough draft. It was time for me to receive feedback. It was a hassle, but finally technology gave me a break. The feedback that I received was mostly negative, but it was only given with the purpose of improving my paper. To revise my paper, I first read through the comments that Bill Reader left for me. I highlighted the improvements that I could make in my paper then went to work. It was a complete facelift; I restructured and removed two pages replaced them with new work. The comments were used as a way to guide me in my restructuring, and they worked excellently.

Keyes 5 On completion of this paper, I was relieved. I released a deep breath of satisfaction with the work that I have put in. I had to step outside my comfort zone, and I needed to think more vigorously than I ever have before. From this experience I learned to get sources that are credible because it not only adds to the quality of a persons paper, it makes the paper more reliable. In the end, the time put in looking for the quality sources is worth it. This paper has made me more reliable as a reader and a writer; because, when I read a paper, I look to see where the information is coming from and who is writing it. Also, when I write a paper, I have the extra credibility. Finally, this paper has allowed me to think deeper on topics such as online learning. I am an evaluator now. I do not just take the words that are being given to me; I take them and I think about what they mean and why the author chose to use the particular words he or she did. Adult education is a wide topic. Like an old willow tree, there is many different branches that it can extend to. I began researching about this paper with a biased opinion. Even though I still have the same opinion that I started with, I learned that there can be other options, and I should consider these options with critical thinking. My writing will improve with time if I incorporate the skills that I have learned through this experience. English 111 has taught me to evaluate works by other authors and to synthesize on them. This English class has given me skills that I will use throughout the rest of my life.