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Distance learning opportunities abound!
The S.C. Technical College System
serves a diverse population of students who sometimes find it difficult
to gain an education in the traditional format, such as attending
scheduled classes as a full time student. Courses offered in the
various distance learning formats allow these non-traditional students
to meet their educational goals while maintaining employment and
accommodating their personal and occupational schedules. A variety
of instructional methodologies are used to deliver instruction so
the student can attend classes anytime, anyplace.
Need an online course? Find it here.
Now you don’t have to visit all 16 technical colleges’ web sites to find that online class you’re looking for. Our new Centralized Online Course Database (COCD) does all the work for you. Start your search now…
The TechOnLine Consortium of Colleges
 The
TechOnLine
Consortium of Colleges website is designed to provide an easy
method for member colleges to share online courses. Students may
search for courses and can request enrollment and registration.
Not all colleges are members.
Other distance learning offerings of the SC Technical
College System:
Teleclasses are courses that are delivered
live from one origination site to multiple receive sites. This allows
the student to attend class at the receive site nearest his/her
home and see the live instruction on TV sets in the classroom. Teleclasses
are interactive, meaning that the student can see and communicate
with the instructor at the origination site and the students at
the other receive sites. This allows the student to save valuable
travel time by taking the class at the most convenient sites. Some
teleclasses are delivered to other technical colleges in the state
over extended distances in order for students to have access to
a wide variety of courses in addition to those offered at the technical
college in their area. If students in one geographic area are not
sufficient in number to justify a traditional class then a teleclass
could be offered with the total number of students from all sites
making up the minimum number for the class. For example, if the
minimum number required to run a class is fifteen, then there may
be seven students in the class at the origination site, three at
site #1, two at site #2, and three at site #3. Those at the three
remote sites could not justify a traditional class in that area,
but benefit from the total at all sites. Telecourses are
courses delivered on videotape or on cable TV. The lectures/demonstrations
are recorded on tape and the student watches the tape at home at
his/her convenience or through scheduled programming on their local
cable TV network. Communication with the instructor is through scheduled
meetings, phone calls or email. The only equipment normally needed
is a TV and VCR to view the tapes. Visits to the campus are limited
and vary from course to course—i.e., for orientation, labs,
or tests. These courses are portable and ideally suited for someone
who must travel, since a TV and VCR are the primary tools required
for instructional delivery.
Web based courses are
delivered on the Internet using software designed specifically for
the delivery of instruction. These courses can be synchronous (all
students in the class online at specific times) or asynchronous
(log on and study anytime) or a combination. The only equipment
required for most courses is a computer, modem and access to the
Internet. Communication with the instructor and other students is
normally through email and students can interact through discussion
groups in online chat rooms. Asynchronous courses are truly anytime,
anyplace because the student can log on to the course site at his/her
convenience, review materials and complete assignments. Online interaction
with other students allows students to learn from each other as
well as from the course materials and instructor.Some technical
colleges use various combinations of the above delivery methods,
depending on the subject matter. Some courses are designed to be
primarily web based, but also include videotapes as part of the
instructional package.The sixteen technical colleges in the System
are hard at work designing courses and programs that can be delivered
in a format convenient to the student so that citizens of South
Carolina will have one less barrier to address in the pursuit of
their educational goals.
The Future
Technology changes almost overnight. The S.C. Technical College
System strives to maximize the use of the latest technology in order
to bring quality instruction to the citizens of this state regardless
of their location or schedule. Streaming video, rich media, and
virtual simulations are just a few of the methods that are revolutionizing
the way colleges present instruction. The quality of these courses
matches or exceeds that of the traditional classroom method because
the technology enhances the potential creativity of the instructor
and allows the material to be presented in a variety of formats.
As new technology is developed and matures, the S.C. Technical College
System will continue to implement new methods to provide quality
instruction for the widest possible audience.
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