The Seattle Community Colleges offer a wide range of eLearning options using the latest technology, through online courses, video cassette courses, and telecourses offered through the Seattle Community Colleges cable channel, SCC-TV. The colleges are fully accredited, and with more than 150 courses to choose from, students can earn an A.A. degree online at their own pace.
ELearning (DL) students experience the same curriculum, content and challenge as on-campus students at the Seattle Community Colleges and are able to earn the same degree. DL classes are rigorous and require students to structure their own schedules, balancing their time around the assignments/requirements of the class. Course content usually contains more reading and assignments to ensure that student learning will be as rigorous as similar on-campus classes. Experienced instructors are available for one-on-one communication, as are online study groups and discussion forums with other students. Students have many opportunities to communicate with their instructors through bulletin boards, email and telephone. Many classes have chat rooms for student-to-student interaction. Students can work directly with an advisor who will recommend courses relevant to the student’s goals, and develop an individualized degree completion plan. State tuition applies in most courses and may be covered by financial aid. For more information, visit www.seattlecolleges.edu/elearning. MORE >
Coursework for online courses is generally completed over the Internet, within a quarterly timeframe. Students will be given textbook reading and lesson assignments. Online study groups, student discussion forums, and contact with the course instructor via email enhance the learning experience. Fully online courses do not require campus visit. Some courses may require limited on-campus visits; please check the individual course description. Classes require Internet access and an email address. Submission and grading of student work takes place online. Most classes use bulletin boards for online discussion and do not require live chat. Some online classes also incorporate professionally produced video materials. MORE >
Washington Online (WAOL) is a cooperative effort of Washington state’s community and technical colleges to deliver coordinated online instruction. A team of faculty members representing several community colleges develops Washington Online courses. Although students register and earn credit through the Seattle Community Colleges, the instructor may be a faculty member at another Washington state community or technical college. Enrollment follows a quarterly college schedule. MORE >
Hybrid online courses provide students with the scheduling flexibility of fewer campus visits while covering the same materials as an equivalent class held entirely on campus. Hybrid online classes usually have at least one on-campus meeting per week combined with a "virtual classroom" website incorporating regular communications with the instructor and other students (through a bulletin board discussion), online content and lessons, and interactive Web-based activities. These courses often use on-campus exams as assessment tools. MORE >
Televised courses are offered through Seattle Community Colleges cable channel, SCC-TV in Seattle. Telecourses involve viewing programs at specified times, reading textbook assignments, and completing lessons outlined in the study guide that students receive upon registration. Videocassette courses are identical to telecourses with the exception that students rent the complete series of videotapes and view them at their convenience. The tapes must be returned to the eLearning Office at the end of the quarter. Some of these videocassette courses are available on DVDs. On-campus meetings are generally not required for these courses. However, students may be required to take their exams on campus. Students who are not able to come to campus may find their own proctor to supervise the exams. Assignments are submitted to the instructor by mail, in person, by fax or email. Enrollment follows the quarterly college schedule. MORE >
For students with broadband Internet connections, the Seattle Community Colleges offer online classes that incorporate video-on-demand. Professional telecourse series and college-produced video materials are videostreamed anytime students need to view them and videotapes may also be rented. These classes are available to all students.
Interactive Multisite Courses (also called ITV) are broadcast to and from Seattle colleges (or around the world) via two-way live interactive teleconferencing. Students from different campuses see and interact with one another and their instructor in specially designed classrooms. Instructors may spend time visiting each participating Seattle college. MORE >
Correspondence studies are conducted by mail, and students receive study guides with a course outline, a list of required textbooks, and instructions on how to complete specific lessons. Students submit completed assignments to the eLearning Office for evaluation by the instructor, who will return them to the student with comments. Students have 170 days to complete a course. Consult with a counselor or advisor before enrolling. MORE >
Minimum requirements for online, WAOL, videostreaming and hybrid courses include: Access to a PC with a Pentium processor (Windows XP) or comparable Macintosh computer (OS X) An Internet connection (DSL or cable modem connection recommended) An Internet Explorer, Netscape, Safari or Firefox browser An email account and word processing software (Microsoft Word recommended). Courses with audiostreaming or videostreaming will require sound and video cards and a broadband (DSL or cable modem) Internet connection. Technology fees allow students to use campus computers and Internet accounts. For more information on Washington Online, visit the Web site at www.washingtononline.org. Technical requirements for telecourses and videocassette courses require access to TV and VCR or DVD player (for some courses) and to audiocassette recorder (for some courses). Typewritten/word-processed assignments are preferred. MORE >
Green for the 21st Century in Seattle
Innovations in curriculum and operations have earned the 2009 Green Washington Award for the Seattle Community Colleges – Central, North and South. All three colleges are active members of the Seattle Climate Partnership and North was an early signer of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. A district-wide Chancellor’s Sustainability Initiative provides energy, focus and a forum for emerging training and initiatives.
Sustainability is infused into programs ranging from urban agriculture at Central to environmental science, real estate and building management across the district. Students have funded a sustainability coordinator. Campus activities include reducing the carbon footprint and promoting recycling and energy conservation, which earned a “Recycler of the Year” award for South. Last year, the college culinary operations diverted 31 tons of materials to a regional composting facility – which returned the compost to “green” the college landscape.
For more information visit www.seattlecolleges.edu/green
Helping displaced workers to ‘Start Next Quarter’
During the economic downturn, thousands of displaced workers turned to the Seattle Community Colleges at the same time regional employers reported a need for skilled workers to fill jobs in the new economy. To help both potential workers and employers, the Seattle Community Colleges developed Start Next Quarter (SNQ), a two-part initiative designed to improve the success of dislocated workers who enroll in technical education programs. SNQ invites prospective students to assess their eligibility for workforce funding online and connects them to a comprehensive two-day college success workshop held at each campus. The workshops are based on a model developed at one of the district campuses. Students who complete the workshop are more likely to complete their training programs and to obtain jobs using their new skills. The project was developed in part through a grant from the League for Innovation, funded by the Walmart Foundation Bright Futures project to serve displaced workers.
Visit www.startnextquarter.org
A Model for the Region
The Opportunity Center for Employment and Education at North Seattle Community College is a regional resource and the first integrated service center of its kind in Washington state. Since the OCE&E opened its doors in spring 2011, more than 40,000 people have come for one-stop help in finding a new job, career retraining or to sign up for public assistance benefits. Founding partners were the state Departments of Social and Health Services and Employment Security, the college, and the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County. The campus and the new LEED Gold Certified 45,000-square foot facility are in the heart of Seattle’s north end and close to a major transit hub. House Speaker Frank Chopp and Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney (sponsor of the legislation and a former Seattle District trustee) championed the OCE&E in the state legislature. The center aims to provide streamlined services in a positive environment, helping clients succeed in the next stage of their lives.