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Distance Learning Proves Popular with Students
10/17/2005
The synchronous communication mode that Centra uses is perhaps one of its strongest points. Students listening to a lecture can click an icon at any point to raise a hand, be called on, then verbally ask a question that everyone can hear. Other students can indicate confusion with the same area by checking a box at the same time. “You don’t get that with other online environments,” Faison says.
Capitol has developed all of its own online courses, Veenstra says. The process takes about a year, six months for the professor to develop the online course, and another six months to fine-tune it for online use. “We’ve tried to mirror the on-campus environment. We find that students bond with each other, ask questions, work on projects together, and learn through their peers.”
With its graduate program firmly in place, Capitol offered an undergraduate
program
this summer that combined online and face-to-face sessions in advanced junior
level math course, alternating weekly between Laurel and the school’s
satellite campus in Southern Maryland. “That went very well,” Veenstra
says. “We can serve three markets that way”—students in either
of the two areas, and online learners. This semester, Capitol is offering two
more undergraduate courses online.
Because Capitol’s students are often fulltime professionals, Veenstra says, the backend systems need to be transparent and easy to learn. “They’re busy people. We have to make it as simple as possible for them—they don’t have time to fool around.” Training on Centra, Faison says, takes about an hour for students, slightly more for faculty.
Meanwhile, schools considering boosting their online learning programs might consider Grill’s feedback. She now plans to enroll in the school’s business administration program. “I just enjoyed the [distance learning] experience so much—I could be a lifelong student. It’s so much more relaxing to me. I don’t feel like I miss anything. I call the instructors a lot. They call me back, spend a lot of time on email. Great access, great responses. It’s just a great learning tool.”
Linda Briggs is a freelance writer based in San Diego, Calif. She can be reached at lbriggs@lindabriggs.com.
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