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National Distance Learning Week

Flexibility and Accessibility of Online Learning

This year, National Distance Learning Week (NDLW) is from November 4 to 8. NDLW was created to bring greater awareness to distance learning. At Montgomery College (MC), we want to recognize our leaders and faculty who are working together to give our students the best learning experience in their distance learning courses. Our online degrees have received numerous awards over the years, and many of our faculty have completed the Quality Matters (QM) program. The QM program is a national program that identifies online courses that have been reviewed and have passed the required standards to be recognized as a high-quality online course.

The reason distance learning has grown, especially here at MC, is because of the convenience it offers students from a scheduling standpoint. Distance education allows them to schedule classes and complete their study when they're working or when they're dealing with family issues. Distance learning offers flexibility in the students’ lives.

MC Online Learning Quick Facts
  • MC has 39 fully online degreesnew window and certificates (22 degrees and 17 certificates)
  • 980 online and remote sections in 393 courses were offered in Fall 2024 
  • 476 individual faculty in Fall 2024 teaching online or remote courses
  • Students representing 16 states and the District of Columbia took online or remote courses in Fall 2024
Events Calendar

Students are invited to attend the events for the week to celebrate National Distance Learning Week.

Election Day! Make Your Vote Count!!!

National Distance Learning Week Info Table

Stop by our info table for a chance to play fun trivia and win small prizes!

  • Takoma Park/Silver Spring, 10:00-11:00 AM, ST Atrium
  • Germantown, 12:00-1:00 PM, SA Atrium
  • Rockville, 2:00-3:00 PM, SV Atrium

Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT for Student Success: How to Start Using AI Effectively
Facilitators: Daniel Umana and Javon Inman
2:00-3:00 PM

This workshop introduces students to the basic functions of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools and teaches them how to write effective prompts for academic tasks.  Students will receive hands-on practice with ChatGPT to boost student confidence in using the tool for schoolwork.  This workshop is sponsored by the Digital Learning Centers.

Zoom Registration Linknew window

Student Learning Resources: StudentLingo
Facilitator: Najah Mills
12:00-1:00 PM

This presentation will show students how to use the StudentLingo online tool, which is one of many free resources available to all Montgomery College students.  The platform allows students to complete self-paced workshops with coaching action plans that will support them academically and personally.  This presentation is sponsored the Achieving the Promise Academy.

Zoom Registration Linknew window


Earn and Learn!  Unlocking Student Post-Completion Success with Career Coach
Facilitators: Dr. John Hamman and Ken Nelson
2:00-3:00 PM

Participate in a live demonstration of Career Coach and explore its innovative features and applications.  This workshop will include a case study demonstrating how Career Coach supports student career success.  Participants will leave with practical knowledge on using Career Coach to help you or others discover career paths connected to educational goals.  Open to all – students, employees, and community members!

Zoom Registration Linknew window


Maximize Your Success: Exploring Learning Center Resources at Montgomery College
Facilitators: Shaline Kirkland, Daniel Umana, and Dr. Dave Bergtold
3:00-4:00 PM

This dynamic, interactive workshop is designed to introduce students to the wide range of Learning Centers at Montgomery College and the essential academic support they provide. Through interactive activities and engaging discussions, participants will discover how to leverage tutoring, academic resources, and specialized programs to enhance their learning experience and achieve their academic goals. Whether you're looking for help with coursework or seeking additional study tools, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge to fully utilize all that the Learning Centers have to offer.

Zoom Registration Linknew window

Four Types of Education Modalities

In-person course formats offer the intimacy and familiarity of face-to-face learning and allow interaction among all those present.

This course format is the most flexible and easiest to implement, with one exception: training on-campus professors to make the shift to fully online classes. Because this has been done since the advent of online classes from campus-based institutions, many faculty have experience with doing this efficiently. Online classes offer all of the advantages of virtual education, including the ability to learn anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Self-paced study as well as the integration of virtual tools and online resources are just a few of the advantages. However, active learning with hands-on experiences are typically more difficult online, especially for students who learn best by doing.

Hybrid formats split time between on-campus and virtual environments. The hybrid format is not the same as the HyFlex format. Students attend on-campus classes at designated times and engage in virtual learning activities, which may be synchronous or asynchronous, at others. In this modality, coursework is intentionally designed to be delivered virtually for specific activities and in-person for others. For example, lectures are delivered via Zoom or other videoconferencing tools while learning activities, such as a labs/active learning projects, are delivered in-person.

The HyFlex (hybrid flexible) course format is designed to accommodate individual students’ preferences for in-person or online learning, and to approximate the in-person experience for those who chose the online option. Instructors must build a course that originates in the classroom and is broadcast for online learners, with open expectations as to how students will attend. Each class is held on campus but is also recorded for synchronous (live) and asynchronous (available when student is ready) delivery online. Essentially, the intent of HyFlex is to offer an equivalent experience regardless of selected modality of participation.

*Information taken from 4 Types of Education Modalities: On-Campus, Online, Hybrid and HyFlex (examsoft.com)new window

Student Online Learning Experiences

MC students talk about their experiences with online classes at Montgomery College.

MC Online Learning Map
montgomery college online learning map

Montgomery College has students taking online classes from various states that include California, Hawaii, Ohio, Missouri, Texas, and Washington. View a map of our online studentsnew window!