2 minute read
YOUR CLASS YOUR WAY
Class Delivery Options Designed for Your Life
In Hollywood, scenes of students in class often follow a formula. You know the one, a wide shot of a brick building, cut to desks lined up neatly in rows with a teacher speaking in front of a chalkboard. Meanwhile, the students look on either with interest or their eyes glazed over.
The funny thing is the scene we’ve all grown accustomed to seeing on TV or in the movies is far from what class looks like today.
Today, more than ever, students have options! And technology.
Amazing, convenient (and yes, sometimes frustrating) technology.
Sure, we still have classrooms and desks organized neatly in rows - but now those same desks are actually tables that can be rearranged a variety of ways for collaborative projects and the chalkboard has been replaced with whiteboards, projectors, computers, microphones and video capabilities.
Here at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges we offer four different classroom formats. The aforementioned on-campus classroom, better known as Campus Plus, lab-based courses and two types of online classes. We’ve actually held online classes for years, enrolling more than 1,000 students each semester. Most of our students take a mix of classes using all four types of delivery methods, this allows for maximum flexibility!
TAKE YOUR PICK
CAMPUS PLUS CLASSES offer the great on-campus classes you’ve come to expect from EICC. You get to meet in-person with your instructor and classmates, engaging in classroom discussions, presentations and more. Class sizes are smaller to allow for social distancing, and safety guidelines such as mask wearing and frequent sanitizing are required. Instructors also utilize technology to enhance the classroom experience. This option is best if you learn better with face-to-face interaction.
LAB-BASED COURSES provide the hands-on instruction so important to learning, especially if you’re enrolled in one of our career and technical programs. Lectures may be done on-campus or in an online format, while critical hands-on training will continue in our labs. As with the Classroom Plus option, health and safety guidelines are followed.
ONLINE ANYTIME CLASSES are exactly what they sound like, coursework you complete online, anytime, anywhere, 24/7. While your homework and assignments will need to be completed by specific deadlines, the classwork can take place whenever is convenient for you via the college’s online platform, Canvas. If you have kids or a busy work schedule, this is a great option because you can log on at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m. to work on the course. Your classroom could be your couch, kitchen table or even a parking lot with Wi-Fi.
LIVE ONLINE COURSES are an exciting new option that merge a traditional classroom with the online format. In this format, you get to see and interact with your instructor and classmates in real time using Zoom, a video conferencing platform. Class is held during a specific day and time each week, providing the flexibility of attending class from home with the structure of face-to-face interaction. You can take part in class discussions, ask questions and more with your device’s camera and mic. Like with our traditional online classes, you will log-on to our online platform, Canvas, to view assignments and complete work. This gives you the best of both worlds!
