IVCCs first totally online course, English Composition I – Internet, will debut on Jan. 7.
With the exception of an on campus orientation session, the class will not have any other meetings on campus, instructor Randy Rambo explained.
"All interaction will occur through the Internet," he said.
The course will follow the same semester timeline and include the same content as courses taught on campus, but students will access the course from a home or office computer or from one the college’s student computer labs. All assignments have specified due dates, Rambo said, but the students can work online at any time.
"The virtual classroom will be open to students 24 hours a day, making it especially convenient for anyone with a busy schedule," he said.
Following a conversation with one prospective student, Rambo said he began to see the course as a sort of bridge, "a bridge located somewhere between the student’s home and IVCC."
Rambo stresses that the Internet course is not a correspondence course or a computer course.
"Intense and frequent interaction is an important aspect of the online course that differentiates it from correspondence courses," he said. "Intense interaction among students in the course will help make the online classroom a dynamic learning environment."
Students will be required to visit the virtual classroom a few times a week for that interaction and to work on assignments.
Students enrolling in the course should have a basic level of computer literacy, including the ability to use a Web browser, experience using word-processing software, and familiarity with e-mail. To take the course from a home or office, students must have an Internet connection and Microsoft Word 97 installed.
The software students will use with Word 97, called Norton Connect.Net, is, in Rambo’s words, "a highly interactive and user-friendly environment for the online course."
Rambo said the Word 97 requirement limits the number of students who are able to take the class from home, but students can access the course from IVCC computer labs.
To enroll in the course, students need to successfully complete the English placement test that is required for enrollment in all English 101 sections.
Further information about the course is available from Rambo at 224-2720, ext. 338 and at the IVCC Web site at www.ivcc.edu.
12/10/98