Iḷisaġvik College offers distance education courses utilizing both teleconference and My Campus, the online course management system. Registration for an online course is the same as for other courses in Utqiaġvik. Village students wishing to take an online course should visit their teleconference center for assistance with registration. To successfully take an online course from home or from any of the village teleconference centers, students must be ready to handle the rigors of the online world. The tools, materials and skills needed to take an online course should not be overlooked. These include:
- A dedicated internet connection at home is essential unless you intend to use your village teleconference center’s public computers.
- Competency in computer use on either a Windows or Mac platform.
- A working knowledge of file manipulation and management including attaching files, downloading, unzipping and file extensions.
In Utqiaġvik and in the villages, training can be provided on how the MyCampus system works. Village teleconference centers have staff that can help students enroll and order textbooks. Teleconference center personnel can also assist with basic computer troubleshooting. Those with limited computer knowledge should consider enrolling in IC3 – Internet Computing Core Certification (IT 117, IT 118, and IT 119) or IT 100 Introduction to Online Learning. These courses are offered each semester.
In addition, Iḷisaġvik uses Moodle a synchronous web conferencing platform, to deliver instruction. Students can participate from their own computer, at their own location, through an internet connection using a headphone with microphone. This format requires students and instructor to meet at agreed upon times. Students should be comfortable in a live internet setting and either have permission of the instructor or have taken IT 100 Introduction to Online Learning course. For more information, contact the Distance Education staff at 907.319.8743.