How can a student apply?
The program is only open to North Carolina resident high school students applying to start their junior year. Students interested in applying only to NCSSM Online must follow the online NCSSM application process via the online NCSSM
Admissions page at http://onlineapp.ncssm.edu/.
Is
this program opportunity an option to all students
who apply to NCSSM?
Yes, by Invitation. In addition to students who
apply only to NCSSM
Online, those highly qualified students who cannot be accommodated in
our residential program because of space constraints will be offered an invitation
to accept admission to NCSSM
Online.
Is there any orientation program or other required events
that students must plan to attend?
A mandatory NCSSM Orientation Weekend is scheduled on the Durham NCSSM campus in late July/Early August.
Students are asked to make every effort to attend this important event, as it
provides a unique
opportunity for developing a sense of community with other NCSSM Online students.
It is also the time for meeting teachers and for learning about course and program
expectations. Onsite, hands-on activities (including labs) will be conducted
with students in each course. Students will receive their picture NCSSM
Online ID, allowing them access to the NCSSM campus. Students will also receive textbooks, materials, and a 1GB flash drive for use with the program.
Students who have irreversible conflicts with previously
scheduled events must contact NCSSM Online administrators as soon as possible
to schedule a makeup session. A schedule for the NCSSM
Online Orientation Weekend is published by January of each year.
Are students required to come to campus?
In addition to the summer orientation, NCSSM
Online students are required to come to NCSSM on two Friday-to-Sunday residential
extended weekends during each semester they are enrolled in a course(s). These
weekends provide additional opportunities for students to network with their
teachers and fellow NCSSM
Online students. The weekends will also be used to complete mandatory laboratory or collaborative activities. Students stay overnight on campus during these weekends. The dates of these events are determined prior to the start of the school year.
Does living at a great distance from Durham and NCSSM's
residential campus present an obstacle to participating in
NCSSM Online?
No. NCSSM Online is designed to
minimize issues of geographic distance and access. Essential contact with NCSSM's
residential
campus is limited to the NCSSM Online Orientation Weekend and the
two extended
weekends mentioned in the previous question. NCSSM Online is a virtual community
and is its own "place". The program includes online, collaborative
activities,
and provides spaces for students to "gather" and discuss their classes
and their
NCSSM Online life with their fellow students.
Can students who live in or near Durham visit the NCSSM
residential campus freely?
NCSSM Online is its own place, so contact with the residential school is not essential except on the NCSSM Online Orientation Weekend and the two required weekend experiences per semester. NCSSM Online has developed a visitation policy for the residential campus that provides equitable access for all NCSSM Online students, both those who live nearby and those who live far away.
Why is NCSSM Online a two-year program?
The structure of NCSSM Online mirrors the structure of the residential school. The courses that NCSSM Online offers are consequently designed to provide a two-year, sequenced experience that is more than a catalog of courses. Students of NCSSM Online acceptthe higher challenge of becoming "decidedly different learners", who use their powers of mind and spirit to learn how to solve problems and think independently within the context of a virtual community made up of dedicated, highly qualified teachers and gifted students.
Must students participate both years of the NCSSM Online program?
The students invited to participate in NCSSM Online are asked to accept the invitation as a two-year commitment. Students may not wait until the senior year to accept the invitation. Courses offered to junior students can also be taken during their senior year. With the growth of the program, additional courses will be offered, as well. The NCSSM Online transcript provided to students reflect their level of participation in the two-year program.
Do the courses meet on a schedule?
NCSSM Online brings students together in a virtual environment, therefore NCSSM Online's courses are in some ways freed from the constraints of the schedule. Instructors make themselves available to students at a variety of times during the school day. Instructors may also schedule online collaborative activities for all students on some evenings or on the weekends.
Do students participate in their NCSSM Online courses while
they are at school?
As indicated above, participating in NCSSM Online course is different than attending a traditional class. An NCSSM Online counselor will work with counselors and staff at local schools to determine whether facilitated time in a computer lab can be worked into students' schedules during or immediately before or after school.
Students should remember that NCSSM Online courses are challenging, as well as exciting. The freedom that comes with the flexibility of online learning also entails significant responsibilities. Students will need to study and complete course material at home, and they will need to be prepared to engage in collaborative learning activities in the evening and sometimes on weekends.
Are NCSSM Online courses for high school or college credit?
At present, NCSSM Online's courses are being offered for Honors or AP credit. An NCSSM counselor will work with local schools to allow school credit toward graduation requirements. Students will receive a separate transcript from NCSSM Online reflective of their participation in the two-year program. Students can request this transcript be forwarded to college during the application process.
NCSSM is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System and it is currently negotiating an articulation agreement with the UNC System that would award both high school and UNC college credit for some of its online courses. This agreement has not been finalized at this time.
How many classes can a student take in the NCSSM Online program?
Students may take one class per semester. Students may be able to take more than one class if their local school supports/has facilities for the student to complete the coursework during the school day.
How do students know which courses they can take and how many they can take through NCSSM Online?
As part of the admissions acceptance process, students will be informed of what courses they are academically prepared to take during their junior year. These suggestions are tailored to each student's needs and academic background. Depending on the strength of their academic record and course availability, students may enroll in one to two courses per semester. Successful completion of first-year courses taken is required for enrollment in second-year courses. Most students will have a larger variety of courses to choose from for the second year, as more prerequisites will have been met, and as more courses will have been added to the program.
Who teaches the courses?
All courses will be taught by faculty from NCSSM.
All NCSSM faculty who are teaching NCSSM Online courses hold a minimum of a master's
degree in their field of study. Many also hold doctorates. Most of the online
course offerings are also taught in the residential program.
Is there a cost for NCSSM Online?
All NCSSM Online courses are tuition-free. NCSSM Online will also lend students textbooks at no cost and will also provide any necessary specialized softwareNCSSM Online will pay for students' room and board during theon-campus residential events.
Do students need computers?
Students will need a computer at home, in addition to whatever computer is available to them at their local school. Having a laptop computer is ideal, as it provides students a greater degree of flexibility than a desktop computer and allows them to bring their own computer to their local schools for work on NCSSM Online courses and to events on NCSSM's residential campus. However, owning a laptop is not essential for participating in NCSSM Online. NCSSM Online provides students with a list of technical specifications and requirements for their personal computer. NCSSM Online also assistsstudents who have met the Federal guidelines for financial assistance (commonly known as free or reduced lunch) in acquiring access to a computer.
Do students need to have an internet connection at home? What if students don't have access to an internet connection at home?
Having a computer and minimum dial-up internet access with 56K capability at home is required for participating in NCSSM Online. A major component of this online program is in online synchronous chats or web conferencing, which are accomplished with dial-up access. However, for full, online functionality at home, NCSSM Online recommends that students have access to a high speed internet connection.
To accommodate the varying levels of internet connectivity around the state and to facilitate total mobility of student access to a course, NCSSM uses an innovative course management system which permits access to an online course without being connected to the internet. It transfers functionality of the course to the student's computer (or flash drive), allowing the student to work offline. Later, when the student re-connects to the course via the internet, all offline work is "synched up" with the online course management system. All course materials, testing tools, homework tools, etc. will function offline or with a minimal dial-up internet connection. Additionally, some course materials can be sent to students on CD/DVD by request. Students who meet Federal guidelines for financial assistance (commonly known as free or reduced lunch) and can document the need will be assisted in acquiring a computer.
What is it like to take an NCSSM Online course?
Students complete their assignments using a course management program that is provided by NCSSM Online. Some assignments are completed using online testing tools. Other tests are supervised by a proctor to ensure test security. Online courses are divided into "lessons." Each lesson may contain text, video, or audio files, animations, pictures, and interactive exercises. Instructors also assign extended assignments, which are done individually or in groups online. These are completed using the course management system mentioned above or through web video chat. During the NCSSM Online Orientation Weekend and on two subsequent visits to campus each semester, students participate in laboratories, field trips, collaborative group research, or problem-solving activities.
How do students communicate with their teachers at NCSSM
Online?
Students meet their teachers when they visit NCSSM's residential campus for the NCSSM Online Orientation Weekend, and during the two required weekends on campus each semester. They are able to communicate with their teachers through various features of NCSSM Online's course management program, as well as through instant message, e-mails, and by phone. Teachers hold collaborative group sessions online with their classes on some evenings or weekends.
How are lab exercises conducted online?
NCSSM emphasizes the importance of laboratory and collaborative activities in all academic areas, and particularly in the sciences and mathematics. NCSSM Online instructors draw on existing and new technologies to provide state-of-the-art laboratory and collaborative experiences. Colleges and high schools are integrating more virtual, interactive laboratory components into science courses. All courses have hands-on, laboratory or collaborative activities that are completed on NCSSM's residential campus. NCSSM Online may be able to work out arrangements for completing some labs at students' local schools.
How are tests taken in online courses?
Major tests are always proctored, and are conducted under the supervision of a designated facilitator at each local school. NCSSM Online works with students and with local schools to identify proctors. The course management system and additional software tools allow students to complete and submit homework online.
Do the NCSSM Online students qualify for the UNC Tuition
Grant?
At this time, the tuition grant is only available to students who graduate from NCSSM's residential program.
How will NCSSM Online better prepare students for college?
NCSSM's residential program has prepared students to be independent thinkers and leaders for more than 25 years. NCSSM Online makes it possible for an ever-increasing number of students to share in this experience. Courses at NCSSM Online during the first year of the program enhances students' ability to reason their way to innovative solutions to problems in the sciences and mathematics.
In the second year, students have the opportunity to take a humanities class that helps explain why and how science developed alongside the idea of the uniqueness of each individual in Western culture. The NCSSM experience, whether residential or online, provides invaluable preparation for college, along with the opportunity to study and learn in a virtual community with other accomplished students. Students also receive a transcript that certifies their work at NCSSM Online, along with an NCSSM Online GPA. Students can request copies of their NCSSM transcripts be sent separately with any college admission application. Additionally, if needed the NCSSM Online counselor is available to assist students with the college selection and application process.
How will participating in NCSSM Online affect students'
grade point averages (GPAs) or class rank in their local schools?
NCSSM Online has worked with the state Department of Public Instruction to allow local public schools to count NCSSM Online classes towards local school requirements. NCSSM Online works with local schools to determine how NCSSM's courses can be calculated in meeting local graduation requirements and in determining quality points and GPAs.
Is NCSSM Online a component of the distance education
videoconference course program provided to public schools from
the NCSSM residential
campus?
No. NCSSM Online is an online education program that is offered only to those students who applied to NCSSM. The NCSSM distance education videoconference course program is a separate program that is provided to high schools around the state.
|
