WNCC 2010 Self-Study Report - Western Nebraska Community ...

WNCC logo clothing. It accepts cash, credit cards, checks, and financial aid charges for eligible
students, an important service since financial aid disbursements do not occur until after the
semester begins. The Cougar Bookstore Director works with 30 different book companies to
serve over 400 academic courses per semester.
Interactive Television System
The Interactive Television System (ITV), formerly known as the Distance Learning System, began
in 1995 at WNCC with two interactive classrooms connected by a T-1 telephone line, since growing
to seven classrooms. Two interactive classrooms are located at each campus, along with an
interactive classroom at the Harms Advanced Technology Center.
Since 1999, WNCC has worked closely with the Western Nebraska Distance Learning Consortium
(through the ESU 13 system) to provide ITV links to Panhandle high schools, giving high-school
students the opportunity to enroll in college-level and dual-credit courses. To ensure that WNCC is
meeting the needs of the consortium and Nebraska Panhandle high schools, the President of
WNCC is a member of the consortium and serves on the Education Council of the Nebraska
Information Technology Commission.
The ITV system has proven to be an excellent tool for WNCC so that the College can meet the
needs of students living in the rural communities that the College serves. It allows more courses to
be delivered with a limited number of instructors and allows total student enrollment from different
locations to be considered when the viability of a course is considered at the start of a semester.
The ITV system has, however, also proven to be an instructional mode that challenges instructors
to remain learner-centered during the class sessions because of the logistical and technical
challenges inherent in electronic delivery of instruction at a distance. Besides overcoming the
occasional technical difficulty associated with the electronic transmission of voice and images and
the remove from the actual audience, there remains the time lag and extra effort required in
transmitting papers and exams for items that cannot be sent as electronic attachments.
Online Learning
The Online Learning and Services Director has credentials and experience in online learning and
keeps WNCC abreast of developments in the field, working directly with instructors (full-time or
adjunct) to monitor course quality. The Director provides checklists and best practices guides and
has first-round approval authority for the initial offering of online courses, as well as for payment of
stipends based on the Curricular Improvement Plan (both actions also approved or counter-signed
by the Dean of Educational Services).
As a platform for distance education via the Internet, WNCC uses the WebCT/Blackboard learning
management system. In 2008, WNCC upgraded its learning management system from WebCT 4.0
to WebCT Campus Edition 6. The Online Learning and Services Director offers training and
seminars on the use of technology to enhance the learning experience. Routinely, the Director
evaluates new educational technology and invites faculty members to apply and test the tools in
practical educational environments.
Online learning has proven to be a valuable addition to the instructional range at WNCC. Besides
the advantages of flexibility and reports from instructors of increased interaction from students who
Western Nebraska Community College Page 111