It was a nightmare we all remember too well. With just a few hours left to submit an assignment, you opened your computer to find your worst fear had come true: ANGEL was down.
But now, instead of having to take our frustrations to social media websites, or argue with our professors about why an extension on the assignment was needed, MSU might have just found a way to answer our prayers … no pun intended.
On Jan. 7, professors across campus were given the opportunity to begin switching their classes from ANGEL to the newest online learning tool Desire2Learn, or D2L. MSU has been searching for a replacement for the outdated and frustrating ANGEL since 2009.
During the summer of 2012, MSU chose D2L to replace ANGEL. This semester is the first time students and faculty have the chance to try it out for themselves.
Professors will have until 2015 to make the final switch to D2L, but already this change should be seen as a welcomed improvement toward student satisfaction.
D2L is a cleaner, faster and more reliable online learning tool that can be used with any browser, such as Safari or Google Chrome. D2L also is compatible with numerous mobile devices, which ANGEL is not.
Instead of worrying about ANGEL crashing just when you need it most, D2L hopefully will save future students from some of the stresses that plagued their predecessors.
Imagine a world where you don’t have to worry about receiving 17 emails a day from a stranger in your class who needs notes.
Imagine never having to settle for incomplete homework because ANGEL needs to “reauthenticate.”
Anything that can enhance our ability to learn should be seen as a necessary addition to MSU, and that is exactly what the switch to D2L represents.
Instead of being a useful learning tool that should have helped connect instructors and their students, ANGEL was a major hassle to deal with, and a program that couldn’t handle the mass amount of traffic it received each day.
Even more, the design of the program was outdated and out-of-touch with current times.
I mean, let’s be honest. When was the last time any of us edited our home page, sent an email or posted a bulletin using ANGEL?
Currently, 140 MSU courses are using D2L instead of ANGEL.
Many professors have opted to continue using ANGEL this semester, but this doesn’t mean D2L is a bad program — it only means people are reluctant to change. Hopefully, however, it won’t take until 2015 for professors to realize the potential of this new program, and the transition can happen sooner rather than later.
By offering instructors three years to make the switch to D2L, MSU can sort out any potential glitches that might impede the program’s success.
Although many of us will be graduated by the time ANGEL becomes a distant memory, MSU’s decision to switch to D2L is a step in the right direction to bettering student satisfaction and improving one’s opportunity to learn.
Now let’s just wait until the first night D2L crashes and we demand something new.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
