Distance Learning at Your Local Community College
Katharine Eneguess, President of the New Hampshire Community College - BerlinWith the start of the Spring Semester 2008 courses right NOW, it's time to think about the possibilities that NHCC-Berlin can provide for YOU! Now, you may be thinking, "I don’t have time to go to school; it just doesn’t fit into my hectic schedule!" or "The drive is just too far!" Think again! Your local New Hampshire Community College in Berlin has the solution for you.
NHCC-Berlin is striving to create new courses using new technologies to meet the demands of our students. One method of using new technologies is distance learning, also known as online learning. As the types and methods of distance learning continue to grow and evolve, there are some distinct benefits to online learning.
Distance learning meets the needs of students who are unable to attend on-campus classes. At NHCC-Berlin, there are many current students who have families, who work part- or full-time jobs, or who live farther away than they would like. These types of students are perfect candidates for distance learning.
Taking courses online offers students more flexibility and time. A student is not confined to a classroom on a particular day at a particular time. With no set times, students can decide when to complete assignments according to their own schedules. With the evolution of e-mail and chat rooms, instructor-student contact can be maintained and strengthened. Students also have the ability to do interactive teamwork between groups using e-mail as a way to conduct discussions.
There are financial benefits to online learning as well. Since students don’t have to drive to campus, they will save money on gas.
Distance learning has proved to be a convenient way to gain a college education. Online courses are as close as a computer with Internet access. Online courses are also widely available. The Community College System of New Hampshire offers 134 online courses; fourteen are offered through the Berlin campus. NHCC's online courses are fully transferable to other institutions of higher education, which means you can take some online courses through our Berlin campus and then transfer them to the four-year college or university of your choice.
Keep in mind, however, that in order to be successful with online courses, students need to be self-motivated. Without the structure of a classroom, students taking online courses need to set appropriate deadlines in order to keep up throughout the semester. Superior organizational skills are needed to keep track of assignments. Even though there is no set time to meet in a particular classroom, it's advised that students taking online courses set aside specific times to complete their work.
Our Spring Semester is NOW! Classes start on Tuesday, January 22, but there is still time to register for courses this week, both online and traditional. For more information on the courses that are available, please visit www.berlin.ccsnh.edu/courses/, or stop by the Berlin campus or one of our Academic Centers in Littleton, Woodsville, and Conway to pick up a spring course brochure.
If you have questions, thoughts, or comments about this article, please e-mail keneguess@ccsnh.edu.
Back to News List1/19/2008
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