Bainbridge College (BC), which offers many online courses in a variety of subjects and is part of the Georgia ONmyLINE initiative of the University System of Georgia (USG), is observing Nov. 12-16 as National Distance Learning Week.
The week was designated by the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) to increase awareness of distance learning. Part of that effort includes a special supplement on distance education that will be in the Nov. 9 edition of USA Today.
“Georgia ONmyLINE aims to provide easier access to USG’s online courses and degree programs,” said Scott Dunn, director of BC’s Office of Information and Instructional Technology and BC’s representative on the Regents' Advisory Committee on Distance Education.
Dunn said that with collaborative efforts throughout Main Campus and the Early County Site in Blakely, including distance education, BC is working to meet the need to create a "more educated Georgia."
Part of an on-going effort to broaden access to public higher education, the USG launched www.georgiaonmyline.org. It is to provide access to a full array of distance-education offerings from the 35 USG institutions. This is to improve service to students within the system and at other institutions in Georgia and nationally, according to Dunn.
The website provides students a searchable catalog of online courses and programs updated each semester and a central location that allows students to register and transfer credits among multiple USG institutions. It includes BC’s courses.
Each semester BC students may take distance learning courses that cover many fields. Fall Semester offerings include anatomy and physiology, business administration, business mathematics, computer fundamentals, introduction to business, medical terminology, microcomputer concepts, office procedures, principles of bookkeeping, psychology, regents essay, regents reading, spreadsheet applications, technical math, vocational math, and word processing.
“Through this site, prospective and enrolled students can quickly find online programs and/or courses that meet their career or degree needs,” said Dr. Kris Biesinger, associate vice chancellor for Information and Instructional Technology Services. “They can apply for admission to colleges and universities, and once accepted, register for courses.”
The offerings also meet the educational needs of on-campus students who seek occasional online formats to meet their content, time and scheduling needs, she said, adding that it “brings together innovative practices in higher education organization, governance, financing and technology.”
“This website will help us to achieve Goal Two of the Board of Regents’ new Strategic Plan – to create enrollment capacity to meet the needs of the 100,000 additional students expected to enroll at University System of Georgia institutions by 2020,” said Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. “One of the ways we are increasing our enrollment capacity is expanding and emphasizing our distance-education offerings.”
Featured among the 1,600 courses and 35 programs on the searchable website are six new online graduate programs designed for Georgia teachers. In a presentation showcasing Georgia ONmyLINE at the Oct. 10 meeting of the Board of Regents, Dr. Biesinger said that each of these degrees will provide a quality education experience that is convenient and flexible in format, complements a practicing teacher’s schedule and environment and responds quickly to enrollment growth instead of asking students to wait a year for the next available slots.
The six new online master of education programs that will be available for admission beginning in January and course registration later this fall include instructional technology, middle grades math and science, secondary math, secondary science, reading, language and literacy, and a new degree appropriate for all teaching levels called Accomplished Teaching.
Two master of arts in teaching degrees for individuals who wish to change careers and become teachers will be available in special education and in reading, language and literacy.
Five of the USG’s colleges of education are piloting this new program development and delivery model. They include Columbus State University, Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University, North Georgia College and State University and Valdosta State University. The five were selected through a proposal process. Their participation includes adhering to a set of expectations for customer service, quality, growth and financing. Several of the programs involve institutional collaboration to make better use of expertise and resources.
To leverage institutional talents and enable students to benefit from the offerings of more than one institution toward a single program, the USG is establishing a new registration system that will easily allow cross-institutional registrations.
Once the initial set of master of education programs has been launched, the USG expects to solicit proposals for additional online degree programs that are well suited to meeting areas of state need.
Existing collaborative online programs will be migrated to the new registration system to improve service to students and minimize processing by institutions.
USG officials have set targets for increased student participation in the new Georgia ONmyLINE initiative. The goal is to increase the percentage of semester credit hours generated by distance learning from the current level of 4 percent to 8 percent by 2012.
