THE VIEW – WINTER 2007 SCHEDULE - Olympic College

QUICK REFERENCE - DISTANCE LEARNING
Quick Reference - Distance Learning
Telecourses and Online
Winter Credit Classes
The Distance Learning “Quick Reference” pages are a summary
of classes offered. Refer to the “Credit Classes” section for course
description and instructors.
For more information about telecourse or online classes, contact:
Media Services and Distance Learning at 360.475.7770 or
DistanceLearning@olympic.edu.
Telecourses
What is a telecourse?
A telecourse combines a series of video lectures with study guides,
assignments, exams and other information from an instructor to make a
class that you can take mostly from home.
Why would I want to take a telecourse?
Telecourses are a great option for many students. Telecourses give you:
• The opportunity to take a course without having to regularly come to
an OC campus.
• The chance to have some control over the pace of your learning.
• An extra opportunity for learning if you are a visual learner.
What skills do I need to be successful?
Telecourses are not for everyone. Successful telecourse students have the
following skills:
• Independent learner: Since you are not going to a classroom
everyday, you will need to be really good at managing your own
time.
• Time: You should have 10 – 15 hours available per week to complete
a 5-credit course. Students who try to complete distance learning
courses in their “spare time” are rarely successful.
What materials and equipment will I need?
• The Telecourse
— Telecourse Tape Rental: You can rent telecourse tapes from
Media Services for $35 per quarter.
— Borrowing Telecourse Tapes: You can borrow telecourse tapes for
24 hours from the Haselwood Library on the Bremerton campus
or the Johnson Library on the Shelton campus.
— Watching the Telecourse on TV: You can watch telecourses on the
Public Access networks of Comcast Cable (Channel 12) or Wave
Cable (Channel 3).
• The Textbook: Most instructors require a textbook. You can get
textbook information from the OC bookstore in Bremerton or online at
http://ocbookstore.ctc.edu.
• Syllabus and Other Course Materials: At your required telecourse
orientation, you will get the syllabus and other course materials for
your telecourse. Many instructors have also provided information
about their courses on the Distance Learning website,
www.olympic.edu/DistanceLearning.
What else do I need to know?
• Required Orientation: EVERY TELECOURSE HAS A REQUIRED
ORIENTATION. Time, date, and location will be announced at a
later time. Students will be notified by mail when the orientations
are taking place. You can also get your orientation time, date, and
location on the Distance Learning website, www.olympic.edu/DistanceLearning.
• Telecourse Fee: Each telecourse has a licensing fee of $30 that is paid
to the telecourse producers. This is in addition to the rental fee if you
choose to rent the videos.
Online Classes
What is an online course?
An online course is a course that you can take using your computer and the
Internet.
Why would I want to take an online course?
Online courses are a great option for many students. An online course
gives you:
• The opportunity to take a course without having to regularly come to
an OC campus.
• The chance to organize your daily class activity as you need to
without being locked into a set time to be on the computer.
• Increased interactivity with the faculty and other students.
What skills do I need to be successful?
Online courses are not for everyone. Successful online students have the
following skills:
• Independent learner: Since you are not going to the campus everyday,
you will need to be really good at managing your own time.
• Time: You should have 1 – 3 hours per day broken up over the day
to complete a 5-credit course. Students who try to complete distance
learning courses in their “spare time” are rarely successful.
• Familiarity with Blackboard: Most OC online courses are conducted
using software called Blackboard through Washington Online
(WAOL). If you have not used Blackboard before, you can get
familiar with it by using the Week Zero online orientation at the
WAOL website, www.waol.org/getstarted/weekZero.asp.
• Good time management: Online courses generally require students
to actively participate in ongoing discussions on four of every seven
days. Depending on the course, the student has to be able to take
active responsibility for their part.
What materials and equipment will I need?
• A computer: We strongly suggest that you have a computer with
Internet access at home. OC online courses require students to
actively participate in ongoing classroom work and discussions on
four of every seven days. You can get additional information about
system requirements from www.waol.org/getStarted/requirements.asp.
• The Textbook: You can get textbook information from the OC
bookstore in Bremerton or online at http://ocbookstore.ctc.edu.
How do I register?
Continuing and former students should follow the registration instructions
on page 5. New students should follow the registration instructions on page
4. Wait lists are not available for online classes.
How to Read this Schedule p.13.
52 | WINTER 2007 THE VIEW CLASS SCHEDULE
Locations: Brem=Bremerton, Poul=Poulsbo, Shel=Shelton, NBK-BGR=NBK Bangor, NBK-BREM=NBK Bremerton, NHB=Naval Hospital Bremerton