NRCC History Book

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In Fall 2003, with funding from four hospitals in the college’s service region, an associate degree in nursing (ADN) was offered for the first time at NRCC. Previously, students graduating with the practical nursing certificate transferred to WCC if they desired to complete the ADN. At NRCC’s May 2005 graduation and pinning ceremony, 42 students received their AAS degree in nursing. NRCC created additional programs between 2000 and 2009 including a two-year degree in instrumentation/computer aided drafting; a certificate in general education; and career studies certificates in production/ inventory management, electricity, fiscal and human resource practices, emergency medical services, nurse aide, small business management, alternative energy, and fire science. Changes in Instruction Rapidly changing technology impacted the learning and teaching modalities used at NRCC. Independent and distance learning (later named distance education) increased in popularity among students and faculty and allowed the college to serve the increased enrollment. During this decade, face-to-face, hybrid, and distance learning were the three modes of instruction used. Independent and Distance Learning (IDL) . In Fall 2000, approximately 85 independent and distance learning (IDL) courses from most disciplines were taught including computer courses covering software programs, web-based courses in which all materials were accessed via the web, courses with media components for home checkout, courses with audio components, and courses with on-campus video components. Included in the IDL

courses were nine interactive television (ITV) courses in economics, psychology, sociology, and electronics being transmitted between Dublin and Christiansburg. The initial class meeting for an IDL course was held in person on the Saturday after traditional classes had begun. IDL staff and faculty spent the morning with their students discussing course materials, how to submit and pick up assignments in the IDL office located in Martin Hall, and testing requirements. Beginning Summer 2002, the in-person Saturday sessions were replaced with students accessing class materials online or picking up materials in the IDL office. In Fall 2002, IDL was renamed distance education (DE), and two previous formats of IDL courses were deleted, which were courses with audio components only and courses with an on-campus video component. Distance Education (DE) . In Fall 2005, a total of 113 distance education (DE) courses were offered, including internet based, print-based, and ITV courses. For internet-based courses, students accessed and submitted all course materials on the inter net. Print-based courses were not online, and students were required to pick up and submit materials in the DE office. The ITV courses included both two-way audio and video with one teacher broadcasting between the Dublin campus and Christiansburg or other locations. At the end of the decade, 130 DE courses were offered, including internet based courses, print-based courses (not online), and ITV courses. Instructional Modes . From 2000 to 2009, three modalities of instruction used at the college included (1) face-to-face (F2F) only, (2) hybrid: a mix of F2F and distance education, and (3) distance education only. During the 2000-01 academic year, the

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