Frequently Asked Questions

Online courses are developed and taught by the same faculty teaching on campus. Normally, one professor will teach both a face-to-face (or "on-campus") and online section of a course at the same time, so students can receive the same education experience.

Yes. Northeast Lakeview College has strict requirements that all online courses meet the same qualifications as their on-campus counterparts. Distance learning courses are, in essence, identical to campus-based classes. Students have access to the same class content, course materials, academic resources, and faculty; therefore, they may combine both online and on-campus courses to complete their degree requirements.

Admission requirements are identical for online and on-campus students. For full admission details, visit the Admissions section of the Alamo Colleges District website.

Online students need to feel comfortable using a computer and have basic email, office, and Web-surfing skills. If they use a computer at work or at home, they should be able to successfully participate in any distance learning course. For technical support details, visit the Technical Help  section of the Current Students page.

Each online course can be accessed through Northeast Lakeview College’s website, and students have the ability to access their courses on a 24/7 basis. Online students start and end the college semester at the same time as on-campus students, but they have the flexibility of deciding when during the week they want to study their lessons. There are due dates, mostly by week, that students must follow in order to stay on track with the online course.

Through communication channels such as email, discussion boards, chat rooms, and web conferencing, students regularly talk and develop a rapport with professors and fellow classmates. In fact, many of our distance students say they participate more in their online classes than they did as on-campus students.

No, registration for online courses is the same as registering for on-campus courses. Simply log in to ACES. When searching for courses, select the Session Type as "Online" to locate online courses. For full registration details visit the Registration link.

New, returning, and transfer students can find a variety of Hybrid/Blended and online courses available through Distance Learning. We offer courses necessary to acquire an Associate degree, receive Certification, and developmental courses to continue your education. For full listing of available courses offered this semester, please visit the Online Courses page.

We offer courses for an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Arts in Teaching. For more information on our degrees, visit the Degree Information  page of the Northeast Lakeview College website.

It depends on the course. Any course that requires you to go to the college has made adequate note of such in the course description in the course information text. You can find that information at the time you register for the course. Some instructors require that you come to the college for testing, group work, speeches and other learning activities.

All distance learning courses are conducted in asynchronous environments or not at a set time or place. The course content, assignments, communications, and interactions are conducted over the internet within a secure Learning Management System (LMS) called Canvas. Neither faculty nor students are present in the LMS at any specific time unless you participate in a conference. These are scheduled, but occur at your computer.

Online students have access to all areas of the college such as Admissions, Bookstore, Registrar, Library, Career Development, IT Help Desk, and more. These functions are equipped to serve all students electronically, either on-campus or online. Also, the Distance Learning staff is available to assist students who cannot come to the college campus to gather information or solve issues.

Classes are often divided into project teams to virtually work on projects and assignments — similar to the real workplace. Distance learning students, who are often geographically separated, employ the same tools used to deliver the course (e.g., online discussion forums) to meet virtually instead. However, students could choose to meet together at the same time and place.

If you are new to online courses, you are required to enroll in a free Orientation to Online Learning (OLRN-0001) mini-course prior to the start of the term. The orientation takes about 90 minutes to complete, and you can choose to participate online or sign up to attend an on-campus session.

The purpose of this orientation is to prepare you for the online learning environment. It contains:

• An introduction to Canvas, the Alamo Colleges' Learning Management System (LMS)
• A Self Assessment quiz that will help you determine if you are ready for online courses
• Characteristics of Successful Online Students
• A "Getting Started" file that shows you where to start once you log into your course
• An Example of a Week which shows you how your course will be organized
• Various tools in Canvas and how to set your class notification preferences
• Technical Support information
• Contact information for the Distance Learning Centers in the Alamo Colleges District
• BioSig-ID Enrollment

You will also complete a series of five activities to show your proficiency in the related online tasks. In order to receive credit, you must complete all of the activities by the first week of class and achieve a score of 85 or higher.