November 13th, 2015 by pio@shoreline.edu
National Distance Learning Week is an annual effort to generate greater awareness and appreciation for distance learning, sponsored by the United States Distance Learning Association. Shoreline Community College is celebrating by posting a daily announcement that highlights an aspect of our eLearning program. Today, we provide support for online students through study tips and Success Coaching.
Student Success Coaching is a professional relationship in which the coach will assist students in identifying and using strengths to overcome challenges and create successes. Coaching is a student-centered approach that introduces students to resources, tools, and helps them explore strategies for creating a foundation for success in college and life. Erin Wilson is Shoreline’s Online Student Success Coach. Check out Erin’s top 6 study tips!
Contact Erin:
Erin Wilson
206-546-6956
erinwilson@shoreline.edu
@ErintheCoach
Room 1202
For more information, please contact eLearning Services by clicking here, sending an email to eLearning@shoreine.edu, or calling us at (206) 546-6966.
Posted in Announcements Tagged with: elearning, erin wilson, national distance learning week, online success coaching, virtual campus
November 11th, 2015 by pio@shoreline.edu
National Distance Learning Week is an annual effort to generate greater awareness and appreciation for distance learning, sponsored by the United States Distance Learning Association. Shoreline Community College is celebrating by posting a daily announcement that highlights an aspect of our eLearning program. Today, we highlight new information sessions for online students.
eLearning Services is now offering Experience the Virtual Campus – Information Sessions to students who are thinking about pursuing a fully online degree or certificate. Students will come away understanding what it would be like to be a fully online student and how Shoreline will support them in achieving their educational goals. Sessions are offered on most Tuesdays from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Current and prospective online students can sign up and participate live via web conferencing here.
For more information, please contact eLearning Services by clicking here, sending an email to eLearning@shoreine.edu, or calling us at (206) 546-6966.
Posted in Announcements Tagged with: national distance learning week, online learning, virtual campus
November 9th, 2015 by pio@shoreline.edu
National Distance Learning Week is an annual effort to generate greater awareness and appreciation for distance learning, sponsored by the United States Distance Learning Association. Shoreline Community College is celebrating by posting a daily announcement that highlights an aspect of our eLearning program. Today we celebrate our faculty and their efforts to implement Quality Matters.
Judy Penn, SCC Biology Professor
Why Faculty Like Quality Matters
Shoreline faculty member Judy Penn is a supporter of Quality Matters (QM) as she is a certified Peer Reviewer and has had her two online courses, Biology 150 and Biology 126, both peer-reviewed and certified with the QM seal.
When asked about her experience with QM, Judy said, “The QM Review process has given me the opportunity to step back and approach my course from a student’s viewpoint. As a result, all of my courses are easier for students to navigate, alignment of outcomes with activities is more obvious, I’ve streamlined my instructions, and a lot of unnecessary ‘clutter’ has been removed.”
Judy asked her students about their experience in her QM Certified courses and they were very positive with feedback such as:
- “I found it extremely easy to find what I needed to do, and to know when the due dates were.”
- “The course was very organized and instructions were easy to follow.”
What Students Want
These comments align with results from the annual Shoreline Online Student Satisfaction Survey. Online students uniformly request online classes that are organized, have a clear layout, and include clear instructions on how students should navigate the course:
- “Right in the beginning of the quarter, it’s nice for the professor to post a section on how they run their class. Each online class is a little different and to help smooth the beginning, a tutorial or page on how to use this course would be effective and useful!”
- “Just like with in-person classes, the teacher can structure classes almost anyway they choose but when that is done in an online class, it is felt way more. One of my online classes was …challenging and engaging and the structure was great and the expectations were clearly defined and understood.
The QM review focuses on the design of courses so students know what the expectations are and where to find course information. QM also emphasizes the alignment between Course Learning Outcomes, Weekly Learning Objectives, and assessments.
Currently, we have 18 courses that have earned the Quality Matters certificationhere at Shoreline and have several more being prepared for review during Winter Quarter.
Shoreline’s eLearning Faculty-in-Residence, Stephanie Diemel, is a certified QM Master Reviewer and has had her online Physics 110 course Quality Matters certified. You can listen to her thoughts about QM by watching a short video here.
For more information, please contact eLearning Services by clicking here, sending an email to eLearning@shoreine.edu , or calling us at (206) 546-6966.
Posted in Announcements Tagged with: judy penn, national distance learning week, online classes, quality matters, virtual campus
November 8th, 2015 by pio@shoreline.edu
National Distance Learning Week is an annual effort to generate greater awareness and appreciation for distance learning, sponsored by the United States Distance Learning Association. Shoreline Community College is celebrating by posting a daily announcement that highlights an aspect of our eLearning program. Today, we celebrate our online students by presenting a profile of one student’s experience in online classes.
Featured Student: Laura Humiston, in the Clean Energy Technology Program
According to our most recent annual online student satisfaction survey, most online students (55%) take online classes because of the schedule flexibility. Online learning allows them to balance their studies with other obligations such as work and family. We asked featured student, Laura Humiston, why she likes online classes and she said: “I very much like the flexibility that comes with online classes. I can do my class work at anytime and anywhere. That is really important to me.” She answered a few other questions:
What advice would you give a student who is considering enrolling in an online class?
As for advice, I would say that just because your classes are online, does not mean that you shouldn’t personally interact with your Instructor. Take advantage of office hours, coffee hours, SKYPE sessions, etc.
What skills do you consider to be essential for success as an online learner?
Personal organizational skills and attention to detail are definitely keys to success. You have to organize your time and pay attention to all the details your Instructor provides regarding what is due, when, and how things need to be submitted.
Do you have any tips for online student success?
As for a tip, I would say, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Take advantage of your Instructor’s office hours, e-mail them, or see if they can set-up a time to SKYPE with you. Addressing your questions can significantly help in your understanding of class materials which will improve your grade. Keep in mind, in order to do this, you need to start your assignments early enough to allow the time to ask questions and get a response.
What challenges, if any, did you experience when you first enrolled in an online class
When I first started online classes, I had to learn Canvas. That was very intimidating, but I found the Canvas technical support to be very helpful. So, I eventually figured it out. Also, I had to figure out where each Instructor put their materials like assignments, discussions, videos, and announcements; not to mention where to submit the assignments. Each Instructor uses Canvas differently. I am still anxious that I will miss something important.
There are many benefits to taking classes online; what advantages do you see as the most significant?
The most significant advantage I see for online classes is that it opens up education to so many more people. This is great for them and great for the other students as well. I have taken some classes with people from all over the world. That is just amazing to me and it was a real benefit having such diverse perspectives contributing in the online discussions.
We congratulate Laura on her successes in advancing her educational goals using online classes. If you would like to learn more about the online options for advancing your educational goals, please contact eLearning Services by clicking here, sending an email to eLearning@shoreine.edu, or calling us at (206) 546-6966.
Posted in Announcements Tagged with: elearning, national distance learning week, online learning
