EDUCATION ANYWHERE Online Education at HutchCC Myranda Stika

Photo by Myranda Stika

Amanda Dorrell, Newton, uses Rimmer Learning Resource Center to work on assignments. Rimmer has about 70 computers for students to come in and work on online assignments.

Education Anywhere

Online Education at HutchCC continues to grow and provide many benefits for students.

Myranda Stika, Reporter & Designer

In the spring of 2021, online education will be celebrating 20 years of online classes at Hutchinson Community College. Throughout the years, many changes have been made as well as the online education’s constant growth at HutchCC. In 2007, there were 100 online courses, which then increased to 246 online courses and 75 hybrid classes as of 2015. Currently, there are 420 online courses and 76 hybrid classes.

Many students have chosen to take online courses through the years. However, in March, all face-to-face students at HutchCC were transferred to a remote-style learning which used the online course format due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Online courses can become a struggle depending on the students’ major. Ryan Roderick, Mulvane, is a sophomore music education major.

“Music is hard enough to do and teach about through regular classes. To do choir and other instrumental or musical ensembles was impossible,” Roderick said.

Other majors such as art can also be difficult to do online.

“It’s hard to find clay and play dough. It’s not the same. It was a learning process for all of us as a class,” Lylia Fernandez, an art education major from Newton, said.

Even though there were struggles in transferring these major specific classes to online, the teachers were very helpful and were learning themselves during this time.

“My teacher would help us and have us write out our process, have us explain why we weren’t able to do it the way we had envisioned and what we thought we could have done differently,” Fernandez said.

The bumps in the road when transitioning online was mainly due to the unfamiliarity of online classes for some students and teachers. However, there are many benefits to this learning platform. Online classes can be scheduled around the student’s personal schedule and can help with management skills.

“My time management skills were more of ‘how can I evenly space my homework over this day or week rather than getting it done in that one night,” Roderick said.

Rhonda Corwin, Director of Online Education, helped the instructors at the college tremendously in March when transitioning to online.

“We were prepared.We had a bunch of templates and provided training for them or met one on one [through Zoom],” Corwin said.

Many teachers already taught classes online prior to the transition in March. The teachers with prior experience were a large help to the teachers new to online instruction.

“We call them ‘super users,’ those who have already taught online jumped in and helped the others,” Corwin said.

24% Of students feel online classes are more difficult than face-to-face classes. 57% Of students said their time management skills improved after taking an online class.

1 in 37 Students complete online work using their cell phone. 95% Of students have taken an online class. 70% Of students have taken an online class by choice.

Why students enjoy taking online classes

Flexibility Time Freedom Being Home Availability

Taking an online course can be just as rigorous as taking an in-person class. It is important for students to recognize this and put the same effort in for both learning platforms.

“Students think online courses are easier. Online classes are just as difficult,” Corwin said. “Set up time to ‘show up’ to class, create a regular class time to work on homework.”

HutchCC also offers short-term classes which can be four, six, or eight weeks long opposed to the regular 16-week semester. The short-term classes allow students to complete classes in a shorter time period which can allow them to take two to three classes in addition to their other classes.

When taking a face-to-face class, there are more opportunities for students to interact with one another. However, through discussion boards in online classes students are still able to interact with one another, just in a different way.

“Students learn from the other students,” Corwin said.

Corwin has a team in online education that she works with to help the students and instructors at the college. Her main job is to lead her team into making online education possible for students.

“I organize a communication plan,” Corwin said. “With great people you accomplish great things.”

Whether students take online classes for the convenience of fitting into their schedules, needing a few short-term classes, or challenging themselves and gaining time management skills, there’s an online class for everyone.

▲ Photo by Myranda Stika ▲

Lylia Fernandez, Newton, completes online assignments on her cell phone. Fernandez also used the library computers when available to complete her online work.

◄ Photo by Myranda Stika ◄

The Honors Executive Board meets through Zoom meetings. Many classes, clubs, and organizations used platforms such as Zoom to communicate with students online.

brought to light Uncovering Hidden Talents On Campus

Azia Colvin, Reporter & Designer

Hutchinson Community College has plenty of talented students. Whether it be football, theatre, choir, or basketball, these talents have been put on display for others to see. However, there are many other students who have talents that aren’t in the spotlight.

Abi Egerstaffer, Hutchinson, is focusing on anthropology, but what many don’t know about her is that she’s very skilled at crocheting.

“Crocheting, in this generation at least, is seen less in this generation than the previous generations, as many people have the mindset that they can buy it instead of making it,” Egerstaffer said. “It’s a very enjoyable hobby and I love that I can use it to make someone smile by giving them a blanket, sweater, or whatever their heart desires. I also have an Etsy shop that I used to put my creations on to sell them.”

Another talented student, Bo Tolbert, Hutchinson, is an aerospace engineering major and is not only a juggler, but a very skilled juggler. He is not only able to juggle under his leg, but he can even do it one-handed. Juggling sets him apart from most people, but it’s not something that he shares very often.

“Usually people are pretty surprised, but I share it when I’m trying to help people think about a better side of the world when so much negativity is going on,” Tolbert said.

Other than putting a smile on faces, this hidden talent helps Tolbert with his hand-eye coordination, which in turn improves his skills in tennis, pickleball, and ping pong.

“Sometimes I like to juggle a couple of balls in one hand while playing ping pong and hitting the ball with the paddleboard in the other hand to better my hand-eye coordination and intimidate the opponents a little,” Tolbert said. “I first figured out that I liked to juggle when I was about five years old. I would juggle the dirty laundry and as a small child, it was the funnest time ever.”

Not only do students have impressive hidden talents, but so do some of the instructors. Nicholas Schroeder, Music Professor and Jazz Coordinator, is very skilled when it comes to music. He also possesses a special skill that is not as well-known - his dedication to bicycling.

“When I moved to Hutchinson, I got into triathlon training just because I was looking for something new to do. I love to bicycle and I do also love to swim, even though I hate running,” Schroeder said. “After five years of triathlons, I began to focus on bikeriding because it was my favorite part of training and it has been something that I’ve been interested in even before moving to Hutch.”

Schroeder is inspired by stories of other people who have overcome highendurance rides. He has been constantly trying to find opportunities to beat his own personal records. He even won a triathlon in his division in 2019 and he won his first official gravel race for bicycling back in March in Hutchinson.

“People would be surprised to hear that I’m obsessed with cycling in my free time instead of playing my trumpet or listening to jazz music,” Schroeder said. “There is a really compelling motivator to this and that is having this goalsetting mentality. Having this side hobby is also a great opportunity to get away from everything else in life and gives me a chance to be alone with my thoughts and sort out whatever problems I am facing.”

Hidden talents can be impressive and even astounding, but discovering that hidden talent and putting it into the spotlight can be extremely beneficial. Whether it can make some extra money, make people smile, or improve and sustain good physical health, it just takes a little extra push to bring that hidden talent to the surface for others to appreciate.

Photos by Azia Colvin

Abi Egerstaffer, Hutchinson, crochets a black kneehigh sock. She planned to reoppen her Etsy shop and start selling her creations again.

known vs. hidden

Real examples of students and teachers around campus who have hidden talents that are contrasting to their majors or main focus.

Music Bicycling

Engineering

Anthropology

Theatre

Painting

Drawing Juggling

Crochet

Poetry Writing

SFX Makeup

Photographic Memory

◄ Photos by Azia Colvin ◄ Bo Tolbert, Hutchinson, effortlessly juggles with three objects. He used his talent to make others smile.