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Online Learner Profiles: Randy

Profiles of Real Online Learners

Guide to Online Education > Online Education In-Depth > Meet Real Online Students > Randy, MBA

The consummate overachiever, Randy demands a lot of himself. He likes to work at his own pace…fast. In Western Governors University he finally found a school that could keep up with him.

He earned his Bachelor of Science in IT Security in 2006 from WGU. He was so impressed with the school's competency-based model that he immediately began to pursue his MBA. When he completes his degree in May 2007 it will be in record time—about one year.

The not-for-profit university's format is truly unique. There is no physical campus. There are no professors. And no classes.

But the 19 governors of western states who founded the university, and the 20 corporations who support it, can attest to the high quality education and competency of its graduates. The extensive personalization allowed by the university was an ideal fit for Randy, now in his mid-thirties, who is not a one-size-fits-all student.

The fully accredited university's programs are not based upon attendance in set courses. Rather, students demonstrate competence through a series of assessments.

"It is a better model," he asserts. "It demonstrates what you are capable of achieving. [It proves] I am competent at that level. I didn't choose to go after a degree for just a piece of paper."

Randy, like all other students, worked with a mentor to develop an Academic Action Plan. Together they were able to evaluate which competencies he already possessed, and identify the areas where he would need more knowledge to successfully demonstrate the required competencies to earn his degree. In the cases where Randy was not ready to take the assessment, the tool used to determine competency, he was directed to outside learning resources to gain the knowledge.

For Randy, that meant taking courses offered online by other schools. That is not unusual. Many e-learners take courses offered by other schools. However, his online learning experience differs from other e-learners in that he was not necessarily focused on the grade or designated number of course credits.

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