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About Us Colleges Contact Us DTAE JobBoard June 2003 • Volume 3 • Issue 2
Is Online Learning for you? 
Students Tip:
Reading with a Purpose
Phenomenal Retention Rate
Student SuccessGVTC summit2003
Our mission at GVTC is to provide the best in online education. Three principles fundamental to this mission are customer focus, partnerships with business and industry, and commitment to quality. In this issue of Velocity, we focus on two staff members who epitomize these principles, especially the commitment to quality of Georgia’s technical college system.
Roger Lignugaris of DeKalb Technical College and Dr. Britt Watwood of Gwinnett Technical College recently had outstanding achievements in their fields. Lignugaris has the honor of being one of only 18,000 Microsoft Certified Solution Developers (MCSD) in the U.S. Dr. Watwood was awarded the Instructional Technology Council (ITC) Award for Excellence in Distance Education.
These achievements exemplify the quality, commitment and work ethics of Georgia’s technical college system.
Debbie Dlugolenski, President
Georgia Virtual Technical College
GVTC's Phenomenal Retention Rate
Phenomenal Retention Rate Indicative of Student Success in Online CoursesThe Georgia Virtual Technical College had a record high retention rate of 90 percent for fall quarter 2003, marking a 20 percent increase over fall quarter 2002. For the past three years, this represents an above-average retention rate of 75 percent for the online courses, but the fall quarter rate of 90 percent was over the top.
Student success, achievement and satisfaction are primary goals for realizing high retention rates and maintaining these rates. The group effort of the Georgia technical college system incorporates strategies to achieve these rates: exceptional communication beginning when the student applies for enrollment; student/instructor/class interactivity offering a supportive learning environment; and quality online courses creating a community setting for promoting student persistence. Making the prospective online student aware of the requirements and rigors of e-learning by offering an online orientation for the students to preview before applying for enrollment, as well as providing 24/7 technical support after enrollment have also contributed to increased retention rates.
The high retention rates reflect GVTC’s commitment to supporting online students in reaching educational goals by providing cutting-edge technology, quality programs of study and courses, excellent instructors, and outstanding support services.
Ideas
Submit a topic for “Velocity”. If your idea is used, you win! Click here for details. velocity@gvtc.org
Copyright 2001 GVTC. All rights reserved.
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DTAE's Only MCSD Instructor
Roger Lignugaris is a CIS instructor at Dekalb Technical College. In December 2002, Roger passed the last of four required Microsoft exams and became a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer. This makes Roger the only MCSD instructor in the Georgia technical college system and one of fewer than 39,000 in the world. More about Roger...Achieving Excellence
Excellence in Distance Education Award
Dr. Britt Watwood, GVTC Coordinator and Evening Dean at Gwinnett Technical College, recently received the Instructional Technology Council (ITC) Award for Excellence in Distance Education. “It is truly an honor to be recognized by one’s peers,” Britt says, “and so having the GVTC staff submit my name for this award was indeed an honor.”
More about Dr. Watwood ...
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Student Tip
Reading with a Purpose
Anyone who is or has been an online student knows how important reading is to success in the course. Here are a few steps called “Reading with a purpose” that may contribute to success in your online course.· Survey the Material Look over the table of contents, lesson objectives, headings, and summaries. Look for ideas that spark your curiosity. Look at the assignment given at the end of the unit. Ask how this relates to your goals and interests.
· Question It What do you see are the primary questions the author addresses
· Read Actively and Critically As you go along, ask how each point relates to the primary questions the author asks, as well as your own. Remember, your confusion and questions are the key to your learning.
· Recite Answer the questions you have posed, preferably out loud. Make a speech. Go talk about the ideas with friends; ask if they agree with points made.
· Review Frequently Reviewing the material within 24 hours can save hours of review later on. Briefly go over your notes and the passages you have underlined, and clarify any remaining uncertainties. Doing this just before going to sleep or upon awakening may be especially effective.
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Debra Rogers
GVTC Webmaster
Debra Rogers is an accomplished Webmaster, Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) instructor, and student support for Blackboard. She holds an Associate of Arts in General Studies, Bachelor of Science in Information Systems, and will complete a Masters of Science in Computer Information Systems in August. And if that’s not enough, Debra has completed these degrees entirely online and believes that distance education has been the best way for her to receive her education.
More about Debra . . .
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GVTC summit2003
August 20 - 22, 2003
e-Learning Xplosion!
Join us for an e-Learning Xplosion at the Georgia Virtual Technical College’s sixth distance learning conference August 20 – 22, 2003, at West Central Technical College’s Thomas B. Murphy Campus in Waco, Georgia.
The conference will feature innovative keynote speakers and dynamic breakout sessions. There is something for everyone as evidenced by the conference tracks:
• Beginning Instructors
• Best Practices
• Instructional Design
• Student Services
• Tools of the Trade
Come discover the latest technological advances and creative instructional and student services best practices for online education. This is a great opportunity to network with your colleagues so register online today.
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Check out our website! www.gvtc.org
