Cascadia launches online degree

After trips to three campus offices yesterday morning, Cascadia Community College student Helen Khin finally sat at a computer in the school's lab.

She tried to log on four times.

"It's not recognizing my password," Khin said. "I think I need some help."

It was a typical first day of classes, complete with long lines and computer crises.

But it won't be a usual day for Khin.

The 22-year-old student will spend most of her freshman year learning — and stressing about computer problems — from home.

Beginning this fall, Cascadia Community College students can complete an associate's degree in integrated studies entirely online.

The Bothell college has offered online courses since it opened four years ago, but this is the first degree available via the Internet.

The associate's degree fulfills the course requirements needed to transfer to most four-year universities.

"We're trying to meet the needs of working adults and people who need flexible classes," said Suzanne Ames, spokeswoman for the college.

About 19 percent of the nation's two- and four-year institutions offer online degree programs, according to a study published in 2003 by the National Center for Education Statistics.

More than half of the schools offer some courses online, even if they don't offer an entire degree, the study reported.

Cascadia computer-lab employees assured frazzled students yesterday that the online-course system is easy to use.

After logging on to a Web site, students link to their classes, where professors have posted lecture notes and assignments.

Math instructor Tinia Hansen said teaching online is more work than teaching in the classroom.

"You have to think a lot more from the students' point of view because they're not going to be able to ask you lots of questions," she said.

Hansen hosts live "blackboard" time, when students can send in questions and she can answer them immediately.

That can be difficult to schedule, though, she said, because students take online courses so they can learn at the time that suits them.

Though Cascadia's enrollment is down by about 145 students from last year, the number enrolled in at least one online course has increased. Of Cascadia's 1,988 students signed up for classes yesterday, 513 were taking one online. In fall quarter last year, 497 students took an online course.

The school doesn't know how many students plan to finish the integrated-studies degree entirely online.

The flexibility of learning in pajamas or before work is the draw of such courses, Ames said.

"Think of a working mom, with two kids, who has to balance work with picking kids up from soccer practice," she said. "Online learning is always there waiting for you, and you choose when to access it."

Tiffany Gould, 19, took full advantage of that last spring. She traveled to Australia for two weeks and still finished an accounting course.

"I was able to look ahead on the syllabus, see what my assignments were and turn them in early," Gould said.

Khin, who wants to study nursing someday, enrolled in two online courses this fall so she could juggle her two part-time jobs.

She's taking a math class on campus.

Fidgeting with her course-registration packet, she said she hopes the online courses work for her.

"I mean if I can actually do it, I'd rather do [the whole degree] online," she said.

Kelly Kearsley: 206-464-2112 or kkearsley@seattletimes.com