(Electronic) letters from (near) Paris

Frenchman chose IU; it’s ‘the best for distance studies’

By Lisa Denlinger

Monique and Jean-Pierre Lagrange with their dog Rita

Jean-Pierre Lagrange, who lives in the countryside outside Paris, has a special reason for liking online courses from the IU Independent Study Program (ISP).

At age 60, he is retired from the French national railway company and has completed four courses. Two were print-based courses; the last two have been online computer science and fine arts courses.

With print-based courses, he said, “I have to fill in the form carefully, put all the materials in an envelope, go to the post office and wait before receiving back the corrected assignment.” But with the online courses, “after three or four days, I am expecting the grade and the comments of the professor. It never takes more than a week or so, and the assignment is still fresh in my mind.”

Lagrange learned about the ISP from “American friends who said that IU was the best for distance studies in America.” Although he’s taking courses for personal fulfillment, he said he tries “to do my best in every course and to get the highest possible grade.”

Lagrange admits that language presents a slight obstacle for him. “The fact that all the work, essentially reading and writing, must be done in English slows me down, of course, but it is part of the challenge. I keep in mind that the English and French languages have 60 percent of words in common.”

Phyllis Taylor, Lagrange’s instructor in Fine Arts H100 Art Appreciation, recounts that on his final exam, Lagrange breezed through his answers, substituting French words on the rare occasions when he could not think of the correct English word. “I only had a few words I needed to look up,” she laughed.

Taylor has nothing but admiration for Lagrange. “The author of the art appreciation course,” she said, “included complex essay questions that ask students to discuss the historical and cultural influences upon the artist(s) and the works the lesson centers around. Most students either ignore or provide scant detail as to what those influences were. Jean-Pierre wrote wonderful essays—in English—tying in all sorts of historical and cultural information that he felt played a role in artists’ works. What’s more, he didn’t hesitate to send an E-mail discussing a point or work. I really like that interest in a student. It makes my role much more interesting.”

Lagrange said he got along famously with Taylor. “She is the kind of person who makes people feel intelligent as soon as they approach her.” He regrets that he will “never have a true conversation with her.” It is this “lack of human contact” that bothers Lagrange most about distance education courses.

Still, he doesn’t let the lack of face-to-face contact stand in his way. “With an online course, you are the master of your time and don’t have to endure a schedule. Communicating by E-mail with your professors seems like a daily routine. You find all you need for your research papers on the Web. You can take quizzes online, and the grades are given almost immediately. I would encourage any student to sign up for an online course on the condition that she or he is computer literate.”

Lagrange will practice what he preaches by signing up for additional online courses. “When I select a course,” he said, “the fact that it is offered online is the second determinant after the subject.”

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