Considering taking an online class?
Here’s some information to help you get started.
How can I register for an online class?
If you are not yet a Hocking College student, you should first apply for admission to Hocking College. You can apply for admission by following the instructions on our admissions web page. Following application, you will want to contact the admissions office at 740-753-7052 and speak to one of our admissions counselors to make sure that you get information about the specific degree program or class that you are interested in.
If you are already a Hocking College student, you should check with your advisor and consult your degree plan to make sure that the class you want to take is a good fit for your educational goals, and then you can register for your online class in the same way that you register for traditional classes. Online classes have a section number of 500 or greater and are listed in Web Advisor. To see the classes that Hocking offers online, please see our Online Courses Offered page. To see a schedule of classes for a particular quarter please go to the Hocking home page and click on Web Advisor > Students > Search for Sections.
How much does an online class cost?
There is a fee of $35 per credit hour in addition to the regular tuition and course fees for an online class at Hocking College. Please see our Tuition & Fees page for tuition information. If you need financial aid information, please see our Financial Aid page.
How are online classes conducted?
Hocking College uses a course management system called WebCT to deliver online course materials to students. WebCT is a combination of online tools that present the course syllabus, schedule, class notes, diagrams, quizzes and tests, discussion boards, e-mail, chat rooms, and other general and specific course information. Some courses include videos, games, and animations and other tools that assist students in completing a course.
If you would like to see a preview of some of the tools in WebCT, take a look at the links on this WebCT Student Resources page.
What do I need to have in order to take an online class?
You need a modem and a dependable connection to the internet through an internet service provider. A minimum connection speed of 56k will work, but a broadband connection such as DSL or cable will give you the best performance and may be necessary to view any videos or interactive media that your instructor may provide.
You need a computer. Your computer must be capable of running an operating system such as Windows 98 or Mac OS 9 or higher, and it must be capable of running an internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox.
You will need an internet browser installed on your computer. Please see WebCT’s browser page for a list of supported browsers and a browser tune-up tool. It is a good idea to run the browser tune-up if you are having problems with your browser. This page also has a link to a list of plug-ins such as Flash, Java, and Adobe Reader which are commonly used by online course instructors. You may not need any of the plug-ins for your particular course, or you may need several of them. You might want to wait until you start an online course to find out which plug-ins you will need.
You will need word processing software. Microsoft Word is ideal, but other applications such as Wordpad, which comes with the Windows operating system, should be sufficient.
If you have more specific questions about the hardware and software requirements for a particular online class, or if you have other general questions about online learning, please contact the Hocking College Online Learning Office.
How can I know if online learning is right for me?
To successfully complete an online course, a student needs to be self-motivated and able to work independently. He or she also needs some basic computer skills which include communicating via e-mail and using a web browser.
If you are wondering if online learning is a good fit for you, we suggest that you try it out by taking OhioLearns! “E 4 ME” which is a free, non-credit course that begins on the first Monday of every month. It will give you a feeling for what online learning is about and help you learn about the skills needed to be successful in online courses.
If you have further questions or need more information, please contact the Online Learning Office.
