TODAY - North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

By Sandra M. Brown
Imagine being able to take courses
and communicate with an
instructor without leaving the
comfort of your abode. For some
90+ students at North Carolina
A&T State University, that dream is a
reality thanks to the Internet and the
availability of online courses.
Distance education and virtual classrooms
are growing trends on campuses
across the nation with over 100 institutions
offering coursework online. The
trend caught on at A&T last spring, and
over the summer 10 courses were developed
for the fall 1999 semester.
Brandon Hall” to assist faculty and
staff. Hall is editor and publisher of
Multimedia & Internet Training
Newsletter.
Will online courses and virtual campuses
have an impact on traditional education
and the quality of instruction?
“Virtual campuses will definitely
have an impact on traditional education,
if only in the expansion of possibilities
brought about by the technology,”
said Patricia O’Connor, coordinator
of distance learning at A&T.
“Already, this campus is experiencing
the change through the expansion
of research possibilities with the NC
Live library linkage among the UNC
system and beyond, which allows access
to a mass of educational materials outside
the campus library.
“There is also the use of technology
in the teaching of on-campus courses
such as video streaming, CD-ROM,
combining face-to-face instruction
with online instruction. Additionally,
on-campus students have the opportunity
to register for courses taught totally
online and participate in classes
broadcast to off-campus sites through
interactive television.”
O’Connor said the quality of education
could be enhanced through the
use of technology in the ways referenced
above and through the introduction of
the uses of technology in educational
settings.
“The exchange of information with
persons other than on-site classmates
and instructors, with other experts in
the field of study, and with the expanded
access to source materials through
Internet connections also has great
potential to enhance the quality of education
on campus,” O’Connor said.
Online Courses
Changing the Face of the Classroom
During the fall semester, A&T had
92 students enrolled in online courses in
five disciplines (computer science, electronics
and computer technology, graphic
communications systems and technology
education, and adult education).
“I love online courses and the independence
they allow,” said Sheay
Simmons-Lott, a junior business administration
major from Summerville, S.C.,
whose entire course load is being taken
online this semester.
“As a 25-year-old nontraditional
student, I don’t need the structure of a
classroom setting,” she explained. “I’m
free to read and learn at my own pace
as long as I meet the requirements and
deadlines set by my professors.
Furthermore, there isn’t the hassle of
getting to and from classes.”
Online courses at A&T are made
possible in part with a partnership with
eCollege, which is the leading provider
of the Internet teaching platform.
eCollege was contracted by A&T last
spring to assist in the design, management
and launching of online courses,
and it continues to serve the university
in that capacity. This fall, eCollege
sponsored “A Dinner Discussion with
Online coursework is just one of
many viable solutions to problems facing
students and campuses nowadays.
Individuals who must fit classes in
between work, family and other activities,
as well as those who want to avoid the hassles
associated with commuting might
consider online courses in the future. ■
12 A&T TODAY/WINTER 2000