Distance Learning Guide

Distance Learning Guide Distance Learning Pre-test
WHAT IS DISTANCE LEARNING? Distance Learning refers to learning that takes place outside the traditional classroom setting. Sandhills Community College offers two types of distance learning courses: Classes that are offered off-campus via the Internet. These Internet-based courses may also include textbook materials, videotapes, and material available directly from the Internet. Courses offered on campus in a classroom but with an Internet component, such as an online syllabus and Internet assignments. Distance learning courses are designed to provide educational opportunities that cannot be met in a traditional classroom. Through the Internet, distance learning courses provide access to thousands of information sources around the world, including libraries and news media. These sources can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world that is connected to the Internet. Students are also not restricted to a particular time of day to seek information from classmates and teacher. Each SCC Distance Learning course is offered in the Blackboard CourseInfo format. This format places students in an Internet classroom that enables them to communicate with their teacher and classmates via their computer. Instead of sitting in a traditional bricks and mortar classroom at 10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, students can participate in their Internet classroom from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Tuesday if they choose. Students enrolled in HUM 160 Introduction to Film, for example, will participate in several hours of discussions about motion pictures they have seen, just as they would in a traditional on-campus class. The difference is that instead of discussing the same motion picture at 10 a.m., some students will post their comments to an online discussion group at 10 a.m. Monday, but others will respond at 3 a.m. Tuesday. By the end of the week, however, all students will have participated in the discussion group. IS DISTANCE LEARNING FOR ME? Distance learning classes are designed for students whose work and family schedule prevents them from being able to take a class every week from 10-10:50 a.m. If you are serious about your education and wish the flexibility of being able to take a college course any time day or night, then you should consider a distance learning course. You should be familiar with using a personal computer for word processing and connecting to the Internet. If you do not own or have access to a personal computer, Sandhills Community College also provides computers on campus in the Learning Resource Center in Boyd Library. Distance learning courses assume that you are eager to learn and can motivate yourself to complete the course within the semester or summer session. Here are some additional benefits of distance learning courses, for faculty and students: Online students gain experience and skills that will make them marketable in the 21st century. Online learning is active. Students analyze and evaluate independently while reading, writing, and discussing heavily. Because of this, many students find online learning more fun than classroom-based courses. Online learning is flexible. Based on their preferences and needs, instructors and students can work on a course at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m., at home or at school. More students participate online because they are less self-conscious and less subject to the time pressure that can inhibit classroom discussions. Instructors, in turn, get enhanced one-on-one contact with students. Through the Internet the whole world becomes the classroom. WHAT DO I NEED TO SUCCEED IN A DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE? Each SCC Distance Learning course provides you with dozens of resources to help you succeed, including connections to discussion groups, libraries, writing guides, and a student manual for using all of the courses resources. To succeed in a distance learning course, you also need the following equipment and skills: You must either own or have frequent access to a computer connected to the Internet. You should have access to this computer at least 3 hours per week for online discussion groups, for doing online research, for sending and responding to email messages, and for writing papers and submitting them via the Internet. You will, of course, need to spend more time than this reading textbook assignments, viewing videotapes (if required), and participating in other types of learning experiences. You must also know how to use your computer: how to save files, access those files on your computer, copy files, use word processing, cut and paste text, copy text, and send and receive email. Microsoft Word is the program your teachers will be using, and your course will provide you with detailed guides to using Microsoft Word. You will need your own email account. If you do not have one, each Internet course provides a connection to free email services. In addition, you can send messages to your teacher and classmates in an SCC Distance Learning course without having to connect to your private email service. If you do not have an email account, click on the following address to set up a free account that you can use from any computer connected to the Internet: http://mail.yahoo.com. Your modem or Internet connection should be at least 28,000 bps, but preferably faster. You also must have either Netscape 4.70 or higher and Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher Web browser. It is strongly recommended that you download and install the latest version of either Netscape or IE for the best Internet experience. Click here to download the latest version. You may need to have access to a videotape player. Some SCC Distance Learning courses use videotapes. You will check these out at the course orientation and return them at the end of the semester. Other videotapes may be available through Boyd Library on the SCC campus or rental from a video store. Thus you also must have access to a videotape player at your home, or you can view videotapes in Boyd Library. Aside from the technical requirements, you must be able to read and write effectively. Using the Internet is a point and click experience, but the Internet and Internet courses are reading intensive experiences. You must also be a self-motivated person who can maintain a schedule. SCC Distance Learning courses are not correspondence courses that you will complete in the far-distant future completely at your leisure. SCC Distance Learning requires weekly activities just as in any course, although you can complete these activities any hour of the day or night during that weekly period. Click here to take the Distance Learning Pre-test and determine if you are ready to take a distance learning course at Sandhills Community College. HOW DO I ENROLL? To be a member of a distance learning course, you must follow these steps: Register for the course. For information about registering for a course, click here. After you have registered for the course, you will be able to return to SCC Distance Learning and enter your course on either the first day the class meets (if it is an online component of a classroom class) or the orientation day for the distance learning class. You will be prompted for your user name: It is your last name in lower case letters, followed by the last two digits of your student ID (Social Security number), with no spaces between letters and numbers. Your password will be the last four digits of your SSN. You will also be required to attend an orientation for classes that are offered completely over the Internet rather than as a component of your classroom course. Click here for a schedule of classes.

Distance Learning Guide
Distance Learning Pre-test

WHAT IS DISTANCE LEARNING?
     Distance Learning refers to learning that takes place outside the traditional classroom setting. Sandhills Community College offers two types of distance learning courses:

Classes that are offered off-campus via the Internet. These Internet-based courses may also include textbook materials, videotapes, and material available directly from the Internet.
Courses offered on campus in a classroom but with an Internet component, such as an online syllabus and Internet assignments.

     Distance learning courses are designed to provide educational opportunities that cannot be met in a traditional classroom. Through the Internet, distance learning courses provide access to thousands of information sources around the world, including libraries and news media. These sources can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world that is connected to the Internet. Students are also not restricted to a particular time of day to seek information from classmates and teacher.
     Each SCC Distance Learning course is offered in the Blackboard CourseInfo format. This format places students in an Internet classroom that enables them to communicate with their teacher and classmates via their computer. Instead of sitting in a traditional bricks and mortar classroom at 10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, students can participate in their Internet classroom from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Tuesday if they choose. Students enrolled in HUM 160 Introduction to Film, for example, will participate in several hours of discussions about motion pictures they have seen, just as they would in a traditional on-campus class. The difference is that instead of discussing the same motion picture at 10 a.m., some students will post their comments to an online discussion group at 10 a.m. Monday, but others will respond at 3 a.m. Tuesday. By the end of the week, however, all students will have participated in the discussion group.
IS DISTANCE LEARNING FOR ME?
     Distance learning classes are designed for students whose work and family schedule prevents them from being able to take a class every week from 10-10:50 a.m. If you are serious about your education and wish the flexibility of being able to take a college course any time day or night, then you should consider a distance learning course. You should be familiar with using a personal computer for word processing and connecting to the Internet. If you do not own or have access to a personal computer, Sandhills Community College also provides computers on campus in the Learning Resource Center in Boyd Library. Distance learning courses assume that you are eager to learn and can motivate yourself to complete the course within the semester or summer session. Here are some additional benefits of distance learning courses, for faculty and students:

Online students gain experience and skills that will make them marketable in the 21st century.
Online learning is active. Students analyze and evaluate independently while reading, writing, and discussing heavily. Because of this, many students find online learning more fun than classroom-based courses.
Online learning is flexible. Based on their preferences and needs, instructors and students can work on a course at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m., at home or at school.
More students participate online because they are less self-conscious and less subject to the time pressure that can inhibit classroom discussions. Instructors, in turn, get enhanced one-on-one contact with students.
Through the Internet the whole world becomes the classroom.

WHAT DO I NEED TO SUCCEED IN A DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE?
   Each SCC Distance Learning course provides you with dozens of resources to help you succeed, including connections to discussion groups, libraries, writing guides, and a student manual for using all of the courses resources. To succeed in a distance learning course, you also need the following equipment and skills:

You must either own or have frequent access to a computer connected to the Internet. You should have access to this computer at least 3 hours per week for online discussion groups, for doing online research, for sending and responding to email messages, and for writing papers and submitting them via the Internet. You will, of course, need to spend more time than this reading textbook assignments, viewing videotapes (if required), and participating in other types of learning experiences.
You must also know how to use your computer: how to save files, access those files on your computer, copy files, use word processing, cut and paste text, copy text, and send and receive email. Microsoft Word is the program your teachers will be using, and your course will provide you with detailed guides to using Microsoft Word.
You will need your own email account. If you do not have one, each Internet course provides a connection to free email services. In addition, you can send messages to your teacher and classmates in an SCC Distance Learning course without having to connect to your private email service. If you do not have an email account, click on the following address to set up a free account that you can use from any computer connected to the Internet: http://mail.yahoo.com.
Your modem or Internet connection should be at least 28,000 bps, but preferably faster. You also must have either Netscape 4.70 or higher and Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher Web browser. It is strongly recommended that you download and install the latest version of either Netscape or IE for the best Internet experience. Click here to download the latest version.
You may need to have access to a videotape player. Some SCC Distance Learning courses use videotapes. You will check these out at the course orientation and return them at the end of the semester. Other videotapes may be available through Boyd Library on the SCC campus or rental from a video store. Thus you also must have access to a videotape player at your home, or you can view videotapes in Boyd Library.
Aside from the technical requirements, you must be able to read and write effectively. Using the Internet is a point and click experience, but the Internet and Internet courses are reading intensive experiences. You must also be a self-motivated person who can maintain a schedule. SCC Distance Learning courses are not correspondence courses that you will complete in the far-distant future completely at your leisure. SCC Distance Learning requires weekly activities just as in any course, although you can complete these activities any hour of the day or night during that weekly period.
Click here to take the Distance Learning Pre-test and determine if you are ready to take a distance learning course at Sandhills Community College.

HOW DO I ENROLL?
   To be a member of a distance learning course, you must follow these steps:
Register for the course. For information about registering for a course, click here.
After you have registered for the course, you will be able to return to SCC Distance Learning and enter your course on either the first day the class meets (if it is an online component of a classroom class) or the orientation day for the distance learning class. You will be prompted for your user name: It is your last name in lower case letters, followed by the last two digits of your student ID (Social Security number), with no spaces between letters and numbers. Your password will be the last four digits of your SSN. You will also be required to attend an orientation for classes that are offered completely over the Internet rather than as a component of your classroom course. Click here for a schedule of classes.