Online learning has become a part of the SUNY experience. It can come in the form of full online curriculums, or web enhanced courses in the conventional classroom.
Starting this fall, any course can have an ANGEL component, which means that any course can have an online component.
Students can now access resources, view discussion topics, and learning modules that their teachers enable.
ANGEL can provide schedule and assignment updates, simple communication between other students and faculty, and visual course and grade progress.
All new students will be automatically given access to their own ANGEL account after activating their web mail and going through orientation.
Fully online courses allow students from other colleges to receive course credit for classes that their own college might not offer, or RCC students to receive those credits if they cannot meet certain schedule requirements.
Currently, there are 77 faculty members at RCC who supply a range of courses through ANGEL.
"Some students take online courses because they think it's going to be easier," said Jeanne Linhart, a professor in
the Nursing Department. "But it's not…you have to be organized to take online courses."
Students who have experienced web-enhanced courses have found that the schedule compliments their other commitments. Student Tim Guccione, pointed out, "the flowing assignment deadlines were great for my awkward work schedule."
The ANGEL software also provides teaching assistance for web-enhanced courses by bringing an electronic medium into the classroom.
Additionally, tutorials and other information such as a course roster, can be viewed over the SUNY Rockland website. ANGEL can be personalized to accommodate a student's preferences, and can be viewed through a PDA- style format to be navigated easily on the go.
Lena Hyun, professor of Art History and Appreciation said, "I miss the face no face time [but] have more of a dialog with students in an online class. Online requires more of a discussion. I can go to the New York Met and talk and then show my class with Youtube."
The SUNY Learning Network provides support and the professional development of the ANGEL online learning system.
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