If you still think the only way to go to college is to traipse onto a central campus somewhere, sit in a lecture hall and take prolific notes, my friends at Lake Michigan College hope to see you soon to set the record straight during a two-day Information Technology Open House early next month. Now, admittedly, you will have to go to the campus for the Open House, but it will showcase a new model of learning for those interested in earning a computer technology related degree that can be delivered to you — the student — virtually anywhere.
Lake Michigan College Napier Avenue Campus in Benton Harbor will host the open house to introduce a new model of learning for computer technology related degrees, as well as for those interested in developing their professional tech skills.
The two-day Information Technology Open House will be held Monday, December 4 and Tuesday, December 5, from 9am–9 pm on the Benton Harbor campus.
At the open house, LMC will unveil its new Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) model, which allows students to switch back and forth between attending classes either online or in person depending on what’s most convenient for them on a given day. Open House guests will see demonstrations of the VLE in action.
LMC is one of the first colleges in the region to offer the VLE model. Pilot courses that began in 2016 have shown promising results from students who otherwise may not have been able to attend college at all.
LMC Professor Jay Keeler, shown in the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.com, tells us, “VLE takes online learning to the next level by giving students the best of both worlds. Our students have attended class from hospital breakrooms, to highway truck stops – and others log on from home while their children are napping. It’s making the educational dream realistic for so many people who must juggle school with work and family responsibilities.”
LMC already offers close to 100 online and partially online courses, but students generally have to choose one format or the other when they register. Students with busy lives were looking for even more flexibility.
If a VLE student is struggling with a particular lesson, or just wants the networking and camaraderie of a traditional classroom experience, they can come to campus. If they have to miss class because of an erratic work schedule, or to drive a relative to a medical appointment, they don’t have to stress out and fall behind, they just catch the recorded lecture later online.
At the open house, professors will be on hand to advise guests about which programs will best help them reach their career and academic goals. Guests can also tour newly updated computer labs and learn about special LMC scholarships, grants and financial aid. Those who bring a 2015 federal income tax return can get help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts the computer information field will continue growing faster than average. LMC offers certificates, degrees and transfer options in computer science and networking, applications development, web design and geospatial information science. The geospatial technology field is growing thirty-five percent annually each year with employees earning a median annual salary over $60,000.
For information and registration, click the link below or contact Jay Keeler at (313) 670-3052 or jkeeler@lakemichigancollege.edu. Spring semester classes begin January 16.
Here’s the link: http://www.lakemichigancollege.edu/CIS
