NEWARK – Students enrolling at Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) this autumn and beyond will find more flexibility in course-delivery options than ever before.
The health and well-being of students, faculty and staff have been COTC's foremost priorities during the pandemic. Now, with COVID-19 protocols easing and only unvaccinated individuals required to wear masks and distance indoors on campus, the college prepares to welcome more students back to its four campus locations for in-person classes and labs when the autumn semester begins Aug. 25. But the return of more on-campus classes is only part of COTC's plan to meet student needs.
Flexible Course-Delivery Options
Flexible course-delivery options that allow students to choose their preferred course-delivery method underpin the college's new academic planning. Students need the flexibility to fit their education around their busy lives and individual needs, whether they prefer on-campus classes, virtual or a combination of options. So, over the last year, COTC invested substantially in virtual technologies and online course development to support an extensive increase in course-delivery modes. And while some courses that require hands-on participation cannot be delivered remotely, if students don't initially see a course offered in their preferred delivery mode, COTC is committed to adding the option whenever possible.
"Our goal is to meet students where they are and to do our best to offer each student an educational experience that works best for them – allowing them to choose their preferred academic delivery method – whether that's on campus, online, or a hybrid model," said COTC President John M. Berry, PhD.
To meet that goal, the college will offer classes in five delivery options – on campus, hybrid, hy-flex, remote and online – as it builds on its commitment to meet students where they are.
On-campus: traditional face-to-face classes.
Hybrid: A portion of class sessions will meet for face-to-face instruction with other sessions utilizing remote learning (e.g., video lectures, online discussions, or activities).
Hy-flex: Some students will attend an in-person lecture; other students will attend the live lecture via Zoom. Hy-flex courses will also use DTEN technology, an immersive online collaborative platform that will allow students across multiple COTC campuses to enroll in the same course.
Remote: The course is offered remotely as either synchronous (live lectures scheduled on specific days/times) or asynchronous (recorded lectures accessible anytime).
Online: The course is offered entirely online without scheduled days/times to meet within the college's learning management system (Canvas) and/or supplementary instruction resources, such as online math labs or e-books.
