Craven Community College offers a wide variety of distance learning programs and courses to accommodate the busy lives of our students. Distance learning provides flexibility and convenience so that students can learn anytime and anywhere. Distance learning is sometimes referred to as online or eLearning and has become a popular and effective option for program and course completion at Craven Community College with most students enrolling in at least one distance course each semester. Moodle is our primary Learning Management System (LMS) and faculty use it, along with other online resources, to deliver instruction and interact with students. Interaction is an important component of distance learning to ensure that students are engaged and connected to their instructor and other students.
There are three main types of distance learning courses at Craven Community College: online, hybrid and HyFlex. A course is designated as online when 100% of the course is accessed via the Internet. A hybrid course includes 50-99% instruction online with the remaining instruction occurring in the classroom. The final type, HyFlex, allows students to attend sessions live in the classroom or to join a session virtually while it is occurring. In a HyFlex course, students choose how they will attend each session, and their choice can change from one session to the next. Students may access these courses from home, on campus, or wherever they can obtain Internet access.
Distance Learning Orientation
Students enrolled in any distance learning course are required to complete a Distance Learning Orientation. When a student registers for a HyFlex, hybrid, or online course, they will have access to the Distance Learning Student Orientation via the Moodle Learning Management System prior to the start of the semester. Students registering during the early registration period should have access within 7 days of registering for the course. Students registering during late registration should have access by 8am the following business day. Students are encouraged to complete the orientation prior to the start of the semester.
Students will be issued a certificate of completion in PDF format upon successful completion of the orientation. The student should download and save their certificate for future proof that they have completed the Distance Learning Orientation. Each time a student takes a distance learning course, their certificate of completion must be presented to their instructor upon request. The certificate is valid for three years from the date it is issued.
Technology Requirements
Students enrolling in distance learning courses must have Internet access for all distance learning courses. A broadband connection is highly recommended. There are several locations on campus that have computers available for student use:
- Academic Support Center – New Bern and Havelock Campuses
- Godwin Memorial Library – New Bern Campus
Hardware Requirements
- 1 GHz processor minimum, 2 GHz dual-core or faster processor is recommended
- 2 GB of RAM minimum, 4 GB or more is recommended
Software Requirements
- Most current version of Windows/Most current version of MAC OS
- Web Browser – Most current version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
- Email – Students are required to use their school email account for use with distance learning courses
- Antivirus software – Any current brand (McAfee or Norton) installed, running, and kept current by promptly installing the upgrades and patches made available by the software manufacturer
- Word-processing software – Microsoft Word or other word processing software is required. Students not using Microsoft Word must be able to save their documents in “RTF” (Rich Text Format)
Please note that some programs may have additional hardware and software requirements.