The eLearning & Instructional Innovation Center at Laredo Community College provides instructional and technical support to maximize student access to instruction by offering transfer credit courses through the Internet and via interactive videoconferencing. All eLearning and instructional formats require Internet access, textbooks, completion of assignments, and final exams, which can be taken from home using a webcam.
While on-line instruction provides greater flexibility, it also requires students to be more self-disciplined and to possess above average time management and technical skills. Therefore, before choosing to enroll in a distance learning class, students are encouraged to complete the on-line self-assessment "Is eLearning right for me?" which is found on the homepage of the eLearning & Instructional Innovation Center Website (www.laredo.edu/elearning). Self-assessment responses will determine how well distance learning courses fit each student’s learning style and personal skills.
Canvas Learning Management System
The eLearning & Instructional Innovation Center serves as the administrator of the Canvas Learning Management System (Canvas) for Laredo Community College. Canvas is the platform used to deliver on-line content for face-to-face, hybrid, and on-line courses and is accessed through the PASPort Student Portal.
Modes of Instruction
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) rules define distance education as "The formal educational process that occurs when students and instructors are not in the same physical setting for the majority (more than 50 percent) of instruction." Distance education can include courses and programs offered on-line, off-campus face-to-face, and electronic-to-groups. Coordinating Board rules recognize two categories of distance education courses: fully distance education courses and hybrid/blended courses. A fully distance education course is defined as "A course which may have mandatory face-to-face sessions totaling no more than 15 percent of the instructional time. Examples of face-to-face sessions include orientation, laboratory, exam review, or an in-person test." A hybrid/blended course is defined as "A course in which a majority (more than 50 percent but less than 85 percent), of the planned instruction occurs when the students and instructor(s) are not in the same place."
On-line Courses
All course activity is done on-line; there are no required face-to-face sessions within the course and the course may require minimal on-campus activity.
Hybrid/Blended Courses
Most course activity is completed on-line, but there are some required face-to-face instructional activities such as lectures, discussions, labs, or other in-person learning activities. Remember that all course requirements for an on-line course also apply to a hybrid course.
Interactive Videoconferencing
Technologies are used to extend classroom lectures and other activities to students at remote sites in real time. Students attend scheduled lectures at a designated videoconferencing room that originates at an LCC campus, local high school, or other location. The primary difference with this mode of instruction is that several sites may be involved in a simultaneous broadcast.
See Registration section for details and examples of on-line, hybrid, and interactive video conference courses.
Testing for Online Courses
Student taking on-line courses should be able to test without coming to campus. All on-line courses will require the use of Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor which records students while taking exams from home. Students can download a copy of the Respondus Monitor program for free from the eLearning & Instructional Innovation Center website at www.laredo.edu/cms/Respondus. The LockDown Browser/Monitor program requires that on-line students have a computer with a webcam and microphone to record an on-line exam session from home. The webcam can be part of your computer, or it can be connected to the computer using a USB cable. To get a basic understanding of the webcam feature of Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor, view a short video at http://www.respondus.com/products/lockdown-browser/student-movie.shtml. If you don’t have a webcam, you can borrow one for the entire semester from the eLearning & Instructional Innovation Center. Students also have the option to come on-campus to take a test. If you have problems downloading, installing, or taking a test with LockDown Browser/Monitor, contact the eLearning & Instructional Innovation Center staff at 956.721.5880 or complete an eHelp Desk request at http://www.laredo.happyfox.com.
LCC Virtual Backpack
All students have had that experience of loading a backpack for the first day of school with pencils, notepads, campus maps, schedules and other essential tools. Online classes are a little different than what students might experience on campus, but successful online students still need their own set of tools to help them in their classes. The LCC Virtual Backpack will help students to understand their online classes and virtual classroom and help with everything they need to start off their virtual learning experience on the right foot. Online students can find the LCC Virtual Backpack in their Canvas account.
Registration
Students may register for online, hybrid/blended and interactive videoconferencing courses through PASPort, the Personnel and Student Portal (pasport.laredo.edu). Online courses adhere to LCC's admission policies, testing requirements, and follow the academic calendar. A $20 per semester credit hour fee will be charged to students who enroll in an online course(s), to cover the costs associated with managing, maintaining, and upgrading the general operations of Canvas and other related online services. Hybrid/blended and interactive videoconferencing courses will not be assessed the eLearning fee. Students who are desiring to register for online, hybrid, and video conferencing courses will be able to find them through PASPort using section identifiers as shown below.
- E01 – E99 (Online courses) Ex. ENGL1301E01
- MY1 – MY9 (Main Campus Hybrid/Blended courses) Ex. KINE1306MY1
- SY1 – SY9 (South Campus Hybrid/Blended courses) Ex. PHYS1302SY1
- LY1 – LY9 (Hybrid/Blended Lab) Ex. BIOL1108LY1
- MV1 – MV9 (Main Campus Interactive Videoconference courses) Ex. GOVT2305MV1
- SV1 – SV9 (South Campus Interactive Videoconference courses) Ex. ENGL1301SV1
Online students are encouraged to consult the LCC Student Handbook to get additional information on how to get advised, drop an online course, the attendance policy, the availability of student support services, and other important online guidelines.
Virtual College of Texas (VCT)
Students may also enroll in an online course offered by another community college in Texas through a partnership between LCC and the Virtual College of Texas (VCT). VCT offers a wide array of college credit courses that are listed at www.vct.org. To enroll in a VCT course, students need to check availability of a specific course on the VCT website, and then contact the eLearning & Instructional Innovation Center at 956.721.5211 or by e-mail at elearning@laredo.edu.
Enrollment in VCT courses requires the approval of the respective Department Chairperson. Due to the approval process, students need to contact the eLearning & Instructional Innovation Center at least one month prior to the advertised start date of the LCC Academic Term.
Student eHelp Desk
The eHelp Desk is a self-service portal where students can get help with their technical issues related to Canvas and/or online classes. Students can log on to the eHelp Desk at http://www.laredo.happyfox.com. Technical support is available after regular office hours and on weekends. You may also call 956.721.5880 to request help during our regular business hours.