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WTCS Champions of online learning
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District Spotlight - Nicolet's Business Management Program
Gas prices. Driving distances to campus. Needs of non-traditional students. Expansion of current trends and offerings. Offsite time needed for internships and "real world" experiences. Each of these might be a factor for supporting online learning and other alternatives to traditional classroom approaches. In the case of Nicolet's Business Management Program, they were contributing forces to changing the way the program was structured.
Faced with the idea of losing students who were driving long distances to school, and with the rising gasoline costs contributing to those decisions for students, faculty members Karen Barr and Beth Kost knew they wanted to make some changes to the way the Business Management Program was structured. Barr and Kost looked to create "a model that could be expanded on," but one that still ensured program outcomes and strong commitments to student needs.
Barr and Kost employed a model that combined face-to-face delivery modes with online learning options. The model is structured developmentally to allow learners to develop "readiness" for online learning, with increased online expectations as one advances through the program. Every program class within Business Management has an online component. Kost and Barr designed the program to expect more online work from students as they moved towards completion of the program. The program is structured like this:
- 1st Semester - some online work, knowledge of checking grades, using links, and more use of face-to-face time.
- 2nd & 3rd Semester - same expectations as above but added responsibilities such as discussions and posting assignments.
- 4th Semester - the majority of classes delivered online with monthly face-to-face meetings.
Barr and Kost will be launching this 4th semester approach during Spring 2006. So far, acceptance of the program has been high. Kost and Barr attribute this to listening sessions and seeking a lot of feedback from students upfront, prior to moving the practices into reality. "Student input was very important to making this happen," says Kost. For some students, acceptance of the program's format is due to the inclusion of some face to face interaction. "Students have said they like coming to campus periodically because it helps them with accountability and staying on task," says Barr of student feedback on the hybrid approach.
As the program moves into 2006, Barr and Kost note some issues that still need to be addressed. Most notably, they see potential challenges with the following:
- Students who must miss the set face-to-face class session.
- Load equity with faculty time.
- Various technology and access issues for students in remote portions of Northern Wisconsin.
For more information on this program, please contact Karen Barr at kbarr@nicoletcollege.edu or Beth Kost at skost@nicoletcollege.edu.
