Types of Distance Learning
WashingtonOnline (WAOL) & Pierce College Online (PCOL)
WashingtonOnline (WAOL) courses are offered on a cooperative basis by the Community and Technical Colleges of Washington in order to make it possible for students to complete the requirements for an AA degree via the Internet. Instructors and students for these courses can be at any college in the state. Students from all over the state are placed in sections, too. More information is available at the WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus web site.
Pierce College has reviewed and approved a subset of these official WAOL courses. Because WAOL is a cooperative venture, you enroll at Pierce College, following our admissions, advising and registration procedures. Sections fill quickly, so start early!
Pierce College has also created courses that follow the WAOL instructional methods and use the same technology system – these are the PCOL courses. These courses are only available through Pierce College, the instructors are at Pierce College, and the Pierce Bookstore will be the primary source for course materials.
WAOL and PCOL courses are NOT correspondence courses, nor are they self–paced! They have scheduled start and end dates closely following the normal quarterly schedule. Students are expected to participate regularly in the virtual classroom. Count on spending 12–15 hours per week on a course, checking in five out of seven days a week. Activities include:
- online threaded discussions,
- research,
- regular submission of assignments,
- group activities,
- textbook work, and more.
You do not have to be online at a specific time, so you can fit the course activities around your work and family obligations.
All WAOL and PCOL courses require that you have regular and ready access to the Internet. Open labs at the Pierce College campuses and extensions can substitute, if convenient. Courses require only a Web browser and common freely downloaded "plugins" for multimedia materials. The browser software provides access to the "Virtual Classroom." Before registering, be sure to visit the web site at http://www.waol.org/getstarted/requirements.asp to make sure you meet the current hardware specifications.
Please Note: Students served by the WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus will follow the policies and procedures that govern student conduct, disciplinary procedures and procedures for resolving conflicts regarding student conduct which are in place at the enrolling college. WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus students are responsible for being familiar with the student rights and responsibilities and code of conduct of the enrolling college(s).
Jurisdiction and authority for discipline of students served by the Washington Online Virtual Campus will rest with the enrolling college, however administrators and faculty of the teaching college and/or the WashingtonOnline Virtual campus staff may be included in investigations prior to final decisions regarding a discipline situation. All appeals will be handled according to the policies of the enrolling college.
All WAOL mode courses have an additional $40 fee.
Quarterly Schedule
Quarterly Schedule courses operate on the same 10–week schedule as campus classroom courses. You will be required to complete assignments by due dates, take exams when they are made available, participate in any periodic campus–based sessions, and complete all work by the end of the quarter.
Pay special attention to the grading policy in the instructor's syllabus. If you don't complete the minimum level of work, you could fail the course or need to arrange an "incomplete contract" with the instructor to finish in the next quarter.
All "T" mode courses have an additional $40 fee.
Continuous–Entry
Continuous–Entry courses allow you to join unfilled course sections until the last day that withdrawals are allowed (typically through the seventh week of the quarter). You can start your course at the beginning of the quarter, or immediatly after registering if you enroll during the continous entry date range. You work your way through course requirements, turning in assignments and taking exams as you are able to complete them, self–paced. Most faculty have standards regarding how far you must progress in the class before they will grant an extension to the following quarter. If you've made sufficient progress but don't complete the course by the end of the initial quarter in which you started, you recieve a "Z" grade that signifies you are "in progress." Your final grade may not be posted until the end of the quarter in which you complete the course or the next quarter if during a break.
Be sure you are aware of financial aid and other degree program requirements that force students to complete courses in the same quarter they are started.
Students must read syllabi carefully, following all instructions for submitting assignments. Some courses require grading of work before starting the next assignment or taking a related exam. This can slow down progess and generally makes it impossible to complete the course "in the last week" of the quarter! Success is very dependent on the student's ability to manage their time and take responsibility the many details. As such, self–paced courses are not recommended for students who are new to college requirements.
All "T" mode courses have an additional $40 fee.
Self–Support
Courses of the other types are funded in part by State allocations to the College. The Self–Support courses have fees based on the cost of the course and may vary from the standard tuition and fee structures. They may be offered in the same manner as one of the other course types (WAOL, PCOL, Continuous–entry) or delivered by one the same instructional modes (Online, Telecourse, Internet or Multimedia). If credit is indicated, they will appear on your official college transcript.
Hybrid
Most classes meet in a classroom on a fixed schedule. Hybrid courses take advantage of online classroom technology so you don't need to be in class as often to do coursework. Instead of meeting five days a week or two evenings a week listening to lectures and having discussions, you could be doing those things online and spend class time doing hands–on work, having questions answered and assessing what you have learned!
Look for the (H) icon next to classes listed in the main course lists. If you choose a hybrid course, you should have regular access to a computer connected to the Internet, have common software like Microsoft Office and have skill in use of e–mail, Web browsers, software and PC file management systems.
All hybrid courses use a “course management system” (like Blackboard) and have an additional $2/course fee.
