I JUST COMPLETED AN ON-LINE history course offered by Hillsdale College on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. It was a 12-lesson lecture series moderated by a few different professors greeting you on your laptop screen. Each thirty-minute session ended with a ten-question quiz.
The four different lecturers were dressed rather nattily when compared to my earlier college experiences suggesting that Hillsdale must pay them well. The wood-paneled library setting with burning candles and a leather-trimmed chair hinted at a mid-20th-century fireside chat.
After the introductory lesson, my first quiz had my hands perspiring, and that old "fear of failure" settled over me as if I was back in college. I quickly got over this ridiculous conditioned response realizing I was secure on my bed and in my loft where I could delete the feeds. To my delight, I discovered the programming allowed me to retake the exam (I needed to in half the lectures). This was a good thing because some of the quiz questions were in the category of “trick questions.” It appears my old ways and defenses are still intact.
Right up front, they told me that I had to achieve a grade of 80% on the lesson quizzes. I got that done with the retakes and learned along the way.
This was my introduction to remote learning, and I liked it.
I’m moving on to another of their free lecture series, this time with Arthur B. Laffer’s lectures on Supply Side Economics.
Wish me well.
Comments