December - Wingspan

December 6, 2010wingspan.lccc.wy.eduopinionWingspan13“If your computer goes down for a week, you’vemissed a week of class,” Van Cleave said. “Ask yourself:What would happen if my home computer and or Internetconnection were lost? What’s my backup plan?”Alternate means of accessing the course site shouldbe considered. Whether it is a neighbor, friend, relativeor a public library, there should be a backup for Internetconnectivity. Also, just because a student is takingclasses online, doesn’t mean hecannot come to campus anduse one of the many computersavailable.Students also should beaware that some online classesmay require them to attendsome functions on campus.Some examples of this type ofsituation are classes with labsinvolving expensive equipmentthat would be infeasible for thestudent to purchase or clinicalhours required for nursingstudents.As more and more classes areblending online and face-tofaceinstruction, some institutionshave started listing such classes as “hybrid” classes.Currently, LCCC is considering adopting this practice.Van Cleave said, “We are currently in the process ofdefining what a hybrid course is.”The college could begin offering hybrid classes asearly as the fall semester of 2012. These classes wouldbeused not only to give online students more face-to-facetime but also to give traditional classes an online aspect.Balsiger said: “The college is growing fairly rapidly,and we are running out of classroom space. You couldhave some classes that meet partially face to face, then“Ask yourself: Whatwould happen if my homecomputer and or Internetconnection were lost?What’s my backup plan?”the rest online. You could convert an existing face-tofaceclass into a hybrid class for space needs if the classlends itself to that.”Students should also be aware that those takingonline classes have access to all the student servicesavailable to on-campus students such as financial aidservices and tutoring. Even if a student cannot cometo campus, a tutor can be arranged via the Internet if astudent needs extra help on hiscourses.What about finding the rightschool?There are a lot of onlineschools to choose from.Thousands, in fact. So how dostudents know what collegesare worth the time and money?Choosing the right onlineschool can be a daunting task.There are a lot of greatonline programs out there, butthere are also some schools thatgive credits that are unlikely totransfer to other institutions orgive a degree that an employerwill not respect or accept.One of the most important points to consider whenchoosing an online institution is its accreditation. A collegeshould always be accredited by a regional accreditationagency.According to Balsiger, the regional accreditationis the gold standard students seek. Colleges in mostMidwest and Rocky Mountain states are accredited bythe Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which is partof the North Central Association (NCA). Students shouldbe aware of schools that are accredited only by state orother agencies.Rob Van CleaveLCCC Computer InformationSystems Instructor,Instructional Designer“Most universities and colleges in the area will notaccept credits from a college that isn’t regionally accredited,”Van Cleave said.Some examples of online schools accredited by theHLC and NCA are the University of Phoenix and CapellaUniversity as well as all seven of the community collegesin Wyoming and the University of Wyoming. Someexamples of schools not accredited by the HLC are IBMCand College America.The U.S. Department of Education has a database ofaccredited schools at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Certain programs may also require special accreditationfor a specific field such as medical and law degrees.Students should avoid schools that promise a degreein just a few months. An education takes time andcommitment. The fact that a student is able to dedicatehimself to the educational process shows an employerthe student could have the same dedication to thebusiness. An employer most likely doesn’t want to hiresomeone who takes shortcuts, and a degree from suchan institution is a declaration of just that. Like mostthings in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probablyisn’t.Another point a prospective online student mustconsider is the availability of a campus. Even though thestudent is taking courses online, it is still good to able tomeet with instructors and other students in person if theneed arises. Choosing an online college with a physicalcampus nearby is probably a good idea.After talking with these members of the LCCC faculty,I found online classes seem like a lot of work. Well, that’swhat college is about, isn’t it? If getting a degree wereeasy, everyone would have one, and they would all beworthless.As for myself, I am encouraged by knowing what toexpect ahead of time so I can be better prepared for successin my upcoming online class.WINGSPANWingspanOnline:Your bestsource forlate-breakingon-campusnews.wingspan.lccc.wy.edu