About Distance Learning
To find distance learning classes,
click on Search Courses and look for
method of instruction. Select the preferred method of delivery.
Distance learning is a broad term
used to describe any class in which instruction takes place outside the
traditional classroom setting. It refers to alternative methods of delivering
instruction such as home-based study, interactive television, videotape,
CD-ROM and online instruction. Several classes at MATC employ some alternative
methods in addition to regular classroom instruction, but the classes listed
in this section include those that use alternative methods to deliver most
or all course material. Learn more about programs and courses offered online at MATC.
Live Interactive Television (ITV)
MATC uses its Internet backbone network to enable students in different MATC sites and classrooms to interact and collaborate on class projects. In addition, MATC belongs to four distance learning ITV networks that link to all MATC campuses and sites as well as to most high schools in the Madison Area Technical College district. MATC also links to all the campuses of the Wisconsin Technical College System. These instructional television systems allow students at locations throughout the district and the state to interact with each other.
Interactive television courses, or ITV courses, offer students from different
areas the opportunity to take a class together without having to meet
in one place. An instructor meets with students in a classroom at the
originating site, while other students communicate from designated remote
sites using interactive television. Through the television cameras, the
instructor can hear and see the students at remotes sites and they can
communicate with the instructor. Courses and instructors are the same
as those in traditional class situations, but instructors at MATC receive
special training in the technology to ensure all the students receive
the same high-quality instruction.
For interactive television
courses, MATC Truax campus connects with its campuses in Downtown Madison,
Portage, Reedsburg, Watertown and Fort Atkinson. The college can also
connect with 15 other Wisconsin technical colleges and 21 high schools
in our district. Check the listings to find the locations for each course.
And see "What is ITV?" for more information.
Telecourses (video courses)
A telecourse, also known as a video course, is a complete and integrated
instructional system that generally includes videocassette or television
programs, a textbook and a variety of other instructional materials. At
MATC, students in telecourses are required to attend a first class meeting
and to meet in class four to eight more times throughout the semester.
Yet, because students can study video materials and textbooks at home,
telecourses offer more flexibility and independence than traditional classroom
instruction. Students enrolled in telecourses meet the same rigorous academic
requirements as those enrolled in traditional classroom courses.
Students can check out telecourse
videotapes from the MATC Bookstore for a $20 deposit. In some cases, students
may watch videotaped programs on public television, WHA-TV.
Home Study
Home study courses allow students the convenience and opportunity to study
independently by reading print materials at home or work with the guidance
of an instructor. Students in home study courses must attend a first class
meeting on campus during the first week of the semester. Depending on
the instructor and the course, home study students may be required to
attend additional class meetings on campus. Instructors work closely with
home study students to ensure they receive the same level of instruction
and meet the same academic requirements as those taking traditional classroom
courses.
Other distance learning
courses
MATC also offers a few courses in which instruction is delivered in other
nontraditional formats such as CD ROM and CBT (computer-based training).
CBT courses involve using a computer but do not require Internet access.
For more information about distance learning, read Online
Learning Frequently Asked Questions.
Last Modified:
September 24, 2008
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