Personal Perspective

Running head: PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE PAPER

Personal Perspective Paper

Jake McRandall

Personal Perspective Paper

This paper will examine the benefits of the rEsource Center, Learning Teams, and Problem-Based Learning as they apply to online students at the University of Phoenix.

The number and quality of resources available to University of Phoenix students is second to none The university's rEsource Center provides the student with valuable tools for academic success.

Learning Teams are not only a required part of academic success at the University of Phoenix, but also prepare the student to function as a member of a team much like they would in the "real world." This paper will explore the benefits of the Learning Team environment and how it benefits the student both in and outside the classroom.

Finally I will explore the value of Problem-Based Learning and how it can be used in business situations to fully examine complex problems and devise solid common sense solutions.

The Value of rEsource

The rEsource site is the nucleus of the UOP learning experience. rEsource includes links to the university library, Center for Writing Excellence, E-book collection, Links and Inside Stories libraries, and numerous other learning tools to help students excel in their academic endeavors. The value of having all classroom assignments, required reading, and supplemental articles in one centralized location is by far the most effective and efficient way to provide students with this information. The student literally has all of the information he or she will need to complete virtually any assignment given to them. With access to the online University library and eBook collection students are able to conduct extensive research on any topic from the comfort of their own home. This enables working people to spend more time with the families and less time hunting down books and periodicals at their local library. One of the greatest values of rEsource is the inclusion of the Learning Team Toolkit.

The Value of Learning Teams

The University of Phoenix is highly focused on the inclusion of learning teams in the curriculum. Learning Teams are beneficial to the students because it prepares them for work effectively in a team environment which most companies stress above all else. The Learning Team Toolkit, located on the rEsource site contains everything the student will need in order to effectively contribute to his or her project team. The Toolkit contains links for topics such as Toolkit Essentials, Team Basics, Getting Started, Getting to Results, Project Planning, etc. The information contained within these links typically offers the student information in the form of outside periodicals that offer greater insight into the topic of the link. The inclusion of a third party opinion provides the student with various perspectives on the topic at hand which will further enable students to think outside of the box and come up with their own solutions. The Learning Team model relies heavily on the theory and techniques outlined in the Problem-Based Learning approach that University of Phoenix has skillfully included