The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) awarded grants to fund three extended Virtual Learning Community (VLC) centers funded over three fiscal years through 2010. These grants were awarded to:

 

• Surry Community College (SCC) for the Quality Assessment and Subject Coordination Task Force Center
• Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) for the Technology Center
• Wake Technical Community College (WTCC) for the Professional Development Center.

 

The three new centers will expand and extend the current VLC system to support the continual development, creation, storage, and sharing of digital learning resources and courses through use of the North Carolina Learning Objects Repository (NCLOR). The NCLOR is a digital library of shared resources that can be searched, imported, and exchanged between institutions. The VLC Extended Centers will partner with the University of North Carolina (UNC) system and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to create a seamless and coordinated K-20 distance learning experience.

 

Dr. Janet Hobbs, director of the Professional Development Center, has contracted with three partners: Catawba Valley Community College, Cape Fear Community College, and Fayetteville Technical Community College. The training developed by this center will be available through NC-NET so that all colleges have access. Training will be conducted on using the NCLOR, disaggregating Blackboard courses to create learning objects, placing those objects in the NCLOR, and rebuilding courses as learning object-based courses. The objects can be used in any course management system.

 

Bob Ervin, director of the Technology Center, has created partnerships with Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Carteret Community College, Craven Community College, Rockingham Community College, Sandhills Community College, South Piedmont Community College, and Wake Technical Community College. The purpose of the NCCCS Technology Center is to enhance and enrich the distance learning experience while engaging the distance learner.  This is to be accomplished by exploring and collaborating on current and emerging technologies that impact distance learning. The Technology Center and its partners are responsible for identifying the technologies and sharing them in a manner that is understandable and accessible to all faculty and staff in the NCCCS.

 

Candace Ring is the director of the Quality Assessment and Subject Coordination Task Force Center at Surry Community College. The director and staff of this center will conduct research to identify online design theories and technologies and determine professional development needs for the other centers. On the basis of these research

findings, they will create a set of standards for developing interactive distance learning courses and programs that match the needs of adult learners. Focus points will include course design, instruction, and methods of communication.

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