Online Learning
Types of Courses
The following terms describe the delivery methods of courses offered at West Georgia Technical College all of which have some component of online:
On Campus – course that is taught primarily in the classroom or lab with 50% or less of instruction online. On campus courses may include lecture, labs, internships, clinicals and other in-person instructional modalities. On campus courses are not considered distance learning courses even though as much as half of the course contact time is devoted to online instruction. The Banner classification for this class type is “CA”.
Blended - A course that is classified as a distance learning course with a majority of the course content, activities, and interactions occurring online (greater than 50% but less than 100% online). To satisfy course contact and competencies students may be required to come on campus for specific labs, assignments, activities, or events. Blended courses must detail any on-site course components in the course catalog and syllabus. The Banner classification for this class type is “BL”.
Asynchronous Online – A course that is taught completely online allowing a student the ability to complete course content, activities, and interactions occurring entirely online. The delivery method does not require students to be online at a specific date or time and students may participate in class activities and complete course assignments asynchronously within the limits of posted submission deadlines. Any instructional component that allows students to come on campus for assignments or assessments, participate in synchronous activities, or any other course participation must be completely optional and just as easily achievable asynchronously. Online asynchronous courses will require at least one proctored event, which must be detailed in the course syllabus. The Banner classification for this class type is “OA”.
Synchronous Online – A course that is taught fully online synchronously with course content, activities, and interactions occurring entirely online. This delivery method requires students to be online at specific dates/times during the term. Online synchronous courses will require at least one proctored event, which must be detailed in the course syllabus. The Banner classification for this class type is “OS”.
Requirements
The content, assessments, and student learning outcomes of online courses are of the same content, instructional quality and rigor as those of blended or on campus courses. The primary difference is online courses offer students an alternative form of course delivery that is more flexible and convenient since students can complete most or all of their coursework on their own schedule, within material completion deadlines. As a trade-off, however, online courses generally require a greater time commitment than courses requiring on campus participation. Students who take online courses need strong skills in studying, time management, Internet navigation, and reading comprehension to be successful. It is not recommended for students with difficulty in learning independently to register for online courses. Individual courses may require additional specific skills, such as proficiency in word processing. Following instructions, working independently, and submitting assignments by due dates are an important part of online learning. Students must have frequent access to a computer (preferably at home), updated software and operating system, and a reliable Internet provider. Outdated operating systems or certain internet browsers may not be compatible with the online platform. (For more information on appropriate providers and online requirements, see our Online Learning web page.)
WGTC supports the choice of students to take online courses from the institution of their choice and participates as a National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) approved institution. The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among its member states, districts and U.S. territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of post-secondary distance-education courses and programs. This agreement affords students expanded access to online education offered by post-secondary institutions outside their state of residence.
In addition to traditional online course offerings, West Georgia Technical College offers online courses through the “eCampus” platform which allows students to enroll in online courses that are not currently offered at WGTC, there home college, but are offered by another Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) college. Upon completion of the eCampus course, students will earn credit at their WGTC home college. eCampus courses are designed to ensure a seamless experience for the student regardless of which technical college they call home. For more information and a list of available eCampus courses, visit the eCampus page on the West Georgia Technical College web site.