Online Classes
A Leader in Providing Online Instruction
Foothill College is a leader in the field of online instruction and is recognized nationally for its success in creating instructional software and for offering one of the largest programs of online courses among community colleges. Foothill gained prominence early on, when in 1994, Instructor Michael Loceff developed one of the first online courses in community college history.
In 2004, Foothill continues to gain recognition under the leadership of Dean of Distance and Mediated Learning Vivian Sinou, as the college has joined the prestigious course management software (CMS) project named “Sakai”. As the only community college administrator participating in the project, Sinou is working alongside project founders from the University of Michigan, Indiana University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. With support from the Andrew W. Mellon and William and Flora Hewlett foundations, the group will publish a new open source course management software program to advance faculty and student access to Web-based learning nationally and globally.
Unlike traditional course management tools, Sakai promises to provide a flexible framework where students and faculty can convene to engage in active learning. “Educators who deeply understand teaching and learning principles are uniquely suited and best equipped to design effective virtual learning spaces,” Sinou said. For the full press release on the Sakai project, click here.
In January of 2004, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation awarded Foothill-De Anza Community College District a $124,000 pilot grant for the Sharing of Free Intellectual Assets (Sofia) project, an open courseware initiative that will encourage the publication and free exchange of community college course material on the Web. Foothill-De Anza will utilize the Sakai course management tools in the Sofia project. Sinou provided leadership in advancing this pilot program, which is still in its infancy. Program information is being provided to Foothill faculty, to take a leadership role in participating in the program.
Foothill College became one of the first community colleges in California to offer an online class in 1994, with CTIS instructor Michael Loceff’s Programming in C++. With more than 180 course offerings, Foothill now offers more online classes than any other Bay Area community college.
While Loceff taught his groundbreaking online version of Programming in C++ in the 1994-1995 academic year, a vision for a comprehensive program of online classes and services soon developed named “Foothill Global Access”. Loceff went on to author a course delivery software system, “Etudes”, which Foothill faculty adopted to produce a rapid proliferation of online classes. A Foothill Global Access team of faculty, staff and administrators met regularly to plan and execute the support of online classes and the development of an online registration and application system.
Foothill-De Anza began offering online registration in 1997. Recognizing the need for further leadership and development of online instruction, Foothill hired Sinou as Dean of Distance and Mediated Learning in 2000. Sinou took Foothill’s online program to new levels of sophistication and service, leading Foothill to offer over 180 online classes and support many more hybrid classes.
Sinou is now leading the conversion of ETUDES to Sakai, the next generation online course delivery software. Foothill has been recognized for its excellence in online instruction by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Both Loceff and Sinou were awarded the State Chancellor’s Office Technology Leadership Award; Loceff in 2001 and Sinou in 2002.
