Bakersfield College is making schooling a bit greater available to students who’ve busy schedules by way of bringing several Career and Technical Education programs on line beginning in fall 2020.
In partnership with the California State Online Education Initiative and the California Virtual Campus, Bakersfield College has received a $500,000 grant to carry between five and ten applications on line within the next yr, defined Bill Moseley, dean of educational technology at BC.
Though the list of packages could be constantly reviewed before a very last choice is made, CTE Director Anthony Cordova stated fitness navigator, an industrial track, information era (pc technology) and net development are a number of those so one can be provided online.
Currently, CTE applications are offered on campus, except for one in the health care field that’s to be had on-line. Now with the move to virtual, students have higher get entry to to these guides and a better threat at completing them.
“If I have a class in industrial tune that meets each Monday and Wednesday from three to 5 p.M., handiest students who have the provision to be on campus at that time can take it,” Moseley defined. “Online suits the scholar’s schedule. It takes present guides and packages and makes them plenty greater available.”
Courses that will be offered online will also be available on campus.
Additionally, every program will leverage Open Educational Resources to lessen the value of textbooks and path materials to college students.
“Instead of paying $one hundred fifty or $two hundred for a textbook, the textbook will be supplied to students at little to no value,” he stated. “This makes those applications even greater to be had to college students who’ve financial problems.”
With the creation of those on-line programs, Moseley said CTE might also be incorporating micro-credentialing as a new measurement of mastering. Official university transcripts generally simplest list the classes college students took and what grades they received. Through micro-credentialing, a transcript could damage down the gaining knowledge of principles or specific skills which can be taught in classes, which would then in shape up without delay with what a corporation wishes in a worker.
“Not best does a scholar have a certificate in medical terminology, right here are the precise talents the scholar can convey to the table,” Moseley defined.
It will make an effort earlier than micro-credentialing appears on professional transcripts. However, the university will utilize the online application Badger to create and award badges to students based totally on what skills they gained in instructions. Students can then create an online profile that could list and show all of the badges they have got received.
BC President Sonya Christian stated she is “happy with the revolutionary work” being done in CTE to assist students in acquiring their goals.
“This furnish will permit us to extend the attain and availability of our CTE applications to students who may not in any other case be able to finish their schooling,” she said.
In the ultimate four years, online training at BC has grown from 75 instructions in fall 2015 to 257 classes in the imminent fall semester, consistent with BC. Last fall, more than 10,000 digital seats were crammed in online lessons.