How this practice supports student satisfaction:
Despite the technical expertise of our students who travel the Information Superhighway with ease, they often face taking online courses with some trepidation. Berkeley College, therefore, devised a variety of ways to prepare their online students to assure competence, confidence, and a successful online course experience. Among these include: - An online orientation site for its online degree students. - A required online preparatory course that prepares them to understand the particulars of online learning and navigate the course management system. - An online library orientation. - A special one-stop shopping center online degree site with weekly messages from advisors and student services. - An online tutoring site that is always available to help students with course material and writing assistance. - Ongoing faculty and technical support.

Berkeley has devised a variety of methods to prepare its online students.

For example, Berkeley Collge online degree students, who, in many cases, are out of state or international students are provided with a media-rich online orientation that includes welcome video greetings from the President of the college and the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. Students are introduced to the Deans and Advisors, Chairs of the different academic departments, Directors of Student Services, the Director of the online library. Necessary policies and procedures and forms are provided online. Online degree students are welcomed, informed, and advised -- even before they begin their online course of study.

To make sure that all online students are fully cognizant of what it means to take an online course, of the pedagogical methods used, and how to navigate Blackboard, all new online students are required to take NC103: Road to Success in Online Learning, before they take their first online course. This short preparatory course asks students to decide if an online course is the right option for them by providing a short set of questions for their consideration. Online students, for example, need to be able to work independently and have good time-management skills. The course also provides an overview of the pedagogical methods used in an online class. Finally the course guides them as they navigate through all the functions of the course management system; thereby allowing them to learn the course management system by using the course management system.

Online students are also introduced to an online tutorial site, which will provide them with ongoing tutoring in all subject areas whenever they might need it. Students simply log on and request tutoring in any subject area. Both faculty tutors and peer tutors are available. In addition, writing assistance is also available. Students have only to log on and request help in writing their essays, papers, and reports. Should students need any special tutoring, communication between online faculty and the Director of the Tutoring Center will combine efforts to help the student. What is more, the tutorial site offers excellent web resources and academic support sites. Study skills, test-taking techniques, and time management sites are provided. Special links for math, algebra, accounting help, etc., are also provided.

Online students are also directed to the services of an excellent Help Desk staff, which provides technical assistance seven days a week. No matter what their learning style or preference for obtaining information--voice, e-mail, or posted material---students can easily receive ongoing information and assistance. Students may go to the Berkeley College home page and to the distance learning site. Here they can read about the benefits of distance learning, read some FAQs about the program, and view the course schedule. They can also familiarize themselves with the online introduction, and other documentation.

Students can also click on the Help Desk icon, which appears on every Blackboard page, to receive live help from a technician schooled in Blackboard operations. Students can also click on the Help Desk Problem Log and type in their request or problem and have the Help Desk relay the necessary information or suggestions.

In addition, online degree students are introduced to a special online degree site, which is a one-stop shopping center where they can access up-to-the-minute information on a regular basis. A “Thought of the Week” message, maintained by Berkeley’s personal counselor, personalizes the course. Here students can log on anytime, anywhere and find out what is new at Berkeley College in online learning. Deans, advisors, faculty, student services, and library personell post messages to keep online students current and up to date on a regular basis. Finally, as they take their online classes, online professors who are dedicated to making online education successful for their students guide online students. Berkeley’s online professors are not only academically qualified, but many have taught successfully onsite for Berkeley College for many years. In fact, many online professors are actually department chairs. Professors communicate with their online students frequently and are available at all time if students have questions, problems, or concerns.

Berkeley has a comprehensive overall plan for preparing its online students so that students will become competent online learners who experience a successful online experience. Berkeley College makes sure that online students are offered every possible preparation as they begin their road to success in online learning.