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ALSO
IN THIS ISSUE A Body of Knowledge Investing in the Future Math, Science Students Find Special Help Toward Gainful Employment Chancellor's Column Development News Factoids Newsmakers Accomplishments by faculty and staff… |
Real Appeal of Virtual Classrooms Cyberspace
offers clear advantages, but it was old-fashioned groundwork that helped
SDCCD Online get off to a formidable start this year. Fall
2001 marked the launch of the much-anticipated program, allowing students
anywhere to earn transferable college credits through online course instruction.
While various forms of distance learning have been in place in the district
for some time, the full-fledged online program signals a new era in learning
technology, a fresh way to assist both traditional and nontraditional
students in their efforts to gain an education. “Technologically
mediated instruction is a wonderful tool, a catalyst to transform higher
education,” said Judith Baker, the newly appointed dean of SDCCD
Online. “We are primarily servicing the nontraditional student, that’s
certain, but at this level of education, there is crossover between traditional
and nontraditional. We have students who must travel to attend campus
in person, students with daycare concerns. All students are looking for
convenience when learning from our colleges. The basic truth is we can
provide quality instruction online, with advantages over a traditional
classroom setting.” Along
with ease of use, Baker cites such elements as securing qualified guest
speakers from around the world, and participation by students who might
otherwise shy from questions in a traditional classroom setting. What
particularly impressed Baker after she arrived earlier this year was how
much good work had already been done. A group of faculty and administrators,
working mostly at volunteer level, committed early on to online instruction,
and had engaged in bureaucratic battles, fended off naysayers and experimented
with different styles and shapes of online education to fashion a workable
and successful model. “A
group of people had been meeting regularly every two weeks because they
were so passionate about the possibilities,” Baker said. “It
was a team process, establishing policy and curriculum, with input from
everyone, a virtual league of innovation. I tell them frequently that
the decisions they made were the same decisions I would have made. It
was truly extraordinary what they were able to achieve, and they are the
reason the program was fast-tracked this fall.” With
some 20 courses available now and an expected 60 in the spring, the SDCCD
Online program is indeed settled into growth mode. There were more than
1,000 students on waiting lists for the quickly filled courses. The program
also offers application, registration, counseling, bookstore and tutoring
services. In
November, an open house will be held for the so-called faculty training
“bullpen” at Miramar College, housing offices and a comprehensive
computer lab for online course development. What Baker says she expects
is continued expansion and improvement of the program, emphasizing long-term
quality. “Online instruction is about more than trying to get additional enrollment without an expansion of services,” she said. “We plan to conduct an official evaluation after the first semester, but we will be making smaller evaluations now and well into the program. I’m confident that our program can compare favorably with any other at this level in the country.”
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