Chris Michel PERSONAL DETAILS Full name: Christian Michel Age: 40 Current occupation: Executive Where you live: [location withheld] Your program: UoL External BA Philosophy — Tutorship Start date: Beg. 2007 1. CHOOSING PATHWAYS How did you find out about us? was it by accident? were you searching for a philosophy course? I found the webpage when searching for possibilities for distance study of philosophy. What alternatives were you considering at the time? No real alternative. Just studying the same programme (UoL External BA Philosophy Programme) without tutorship What considerations were uppermost in your mind when you decided to apply to Pathways? Background/qualification of tutors, perceived seriousness of Pathways, flexible approach, being able to write essays and get serious feedback. How do you feel about that decision now? It was definitely an excellent decision. I would like to continue the tutorship by Pathways for my further BA Philosophy courses. 2. STUDY MATERIALS Did you take any of the six Pathways written programs? which one(s)? NO How did you find the Pathways study materials? were they too easy, too difficult or just about right? How do the Pathways materials rate in comparison with text books that you have seen or studied? Do you feel that you made the right choice of program, or given the chance would you like to try a different Pathway? why? 3. PATHWAYS WEB SITE How useful have you found the information provided on the Pathways web pages? How might the content or layout of the Pathways pages be improved? The web-page could be a bit more "dynamic". I lock in from time to time and it does not change a lot. There could be "news" from the world of philosophy, or some indication about new things in the web-page. In your view, does the Pathways web site convey an accurate impression of what it is like to study with Pathways? Yes, I think so. I do not perceive any gap, any commercial exaggeration, etc. 4. INTERACTION WITH YOUR MENTOR Who is/ was your Pathways mentor? Dr. Klempner Are you generally happy with the interaction and feedback that you have have received from your mentor? I am absolutely happy with it. Dr Klempner's feedbacks are to the point, critical, stimulating and push me farther. Further, he provides reliably feedback within 1-2 weeks, which is a very adequate response time. How well, in your view, does the current system of providing mentor interaction work? how would you like to see it improved? As far as my experience is concerned it works very well. How does the tuition you received compare with other philosophy courses you have taken, whether online or face-to-face? I took some Oxford University Continued Education on-line philosophy courses. Obviously, this is a different kind of course concept and the time the tutor dedicates to your writings and discussion contributions is less and of a different kind. I think I profit more from writing longer essays and get a deeper analysis from their tutor as it is the case with Pathways. 5. INTERACTION WITH OTHER STUDENTS Have you ever participated in the Pathways online conferences? No. I was not aware that there are such conferences. If you did participate, how would you rate the quality of the philosophical discussion? If you did not participate, what kind of conference provision would tempt you to join the conference? Would you like to see further opportunities provided for Pathways students to engage in dialogue? do you have any ideas? Online discussion groups would be a good thing to offer. They should be very focused (e.g a tutor could ask a "philosophical question of the month" and participants offer their answer and criticise each other's answers). However, I am aware that it is not trivial to make them really work. 6. IMPACT OF STUDYING WITH PATHWAYS What effect, if any, has studying Philosophy with Pathways had on your life? I have now been for one year working with Pathways. I must say, that it contributed significantly to keeping me studying the UoL programme in the first place. I think to write essays and get feedback is critical to studying philosophy. My interest in philosophy and to continue to study it has substantially be influenced by this first year experience. Have you been motivated to continue studying Philosophy after you complete your course? Have you taken another Philosophy course? or do you plan to? What other benefits or consequences have you noticed from studying Philosophy with Pathways? 7. FUTURE PROJECTS Do you have any thoughts about future projects which we might undertake? Some students have expressed an interest in a conference where Pathways students could meet face-to-face. How do you feel about that idea? This is an excellent idea. The right format would be critical, to make sure people then really do networking. Would you be prepared to travel to Sheffield to attend a Pathways conference? Yes, if it is on a weekend such that it is compatible with my professional agenda. Currently, there are two free Pathways e-journals, Philosophy Pathways and Philosophy for Business. What are your thoughts about a third journal dedicated to publishing the best examples of course work by Pathways students? This seems an excellent idea to me. It may be an additional motivation for students to produce good pieces and allows to "benchmark" the quality one's own work. 8. CONTRIBUTING TO PATHWAYS Do you have any thoughts about possible articles for Philosophy Pathways or Philosophy for Business? Or have you already written a piece that you could send us? Yes, I would like to write some pieces. The constraint is currently time, as my coursework itself consumes already substantial time. I have some ideas and my objective is to work on a piece around summer time. Have you have successfully completed the ISFP Associate or Fellowship Awards, or the first year of the University of London Diploma or BA in Philosophy? If so, would you like to join the panel of Ask a Philosopher? If you have successfully completed a BA degree in Philosophy, would you like to become a Pathways mentor? GENERAL COMMENT: I find Pathways a great project. It is something I can image that I would like to support in the future and collaborate more, beyond course work. Philosophy is something that deserves and needs more divulgation and prestige nowadays. 9. GENERAL ASSESSMENT In the most general terms, how would you rate your experience with Pathways: Strongly positive? More positive than negative? About equal? More negative than positive? Strongly negative? Strongly positive How would you summarize the reasons for your assessment? To work with Pathways is a unique opportunity to engage more seriously with philosophy, at the same time to do this outside the normal (and unflexible) academic setting. It seems to me that Pathways is a serious project and the quality of the offering is very high. 10. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE YOUR COMMENTS Are you prepared to allow us to reproduce any of your comments above, under your name, on the Pathways web site? Or, is there something in particular you would be prepared to say for publication? **END OF QUESTIONNAIRE** Email info@philosophypathways.com if you would like to comment on this page.