The University of North Carolina System’s 16 universities offer lifelong learners many eLearning opportunities, including continuing education, professional development, career advancement, and personal enrichment programs in areas of interest ranging from business and law to health care and wellness.Select this link to explore the available eLearning opportunities.
LEARN NC online professional development lets teachers earn renewal credit online. Courses are open enrollment which means that each course is offered several times throughout the year, although you need to start the courses at specific dates. You can take courses online, on your time, without having to go to a campus classroom.
* Also see: LEARN NC - Professional Development for Teachers's Home PageAlthough each University of North Carolina campus features a department or division of continuing education that coordinates programs for non-traditional students at that institution, many of its fifteen schools of education also offer specialized professional development programs online. Explore your eLearning options by selecting this link.
The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) awarded grants to fund three Virtual Learning Community (VLC) Support Centers funded over three fiscal years through 2010. The three centers extend the current VLC course development system to support the continual development, creation, storage, and sharing of digital learning resources through use of the North Carolina Learning Objects Repository (NCLOR) and to expand the scope of the VLC to include research, technology tools, and training for use throughout the system.
These grants were awarded to:
Surry Community College (SCC) for the Quality Assessment Center - This center conducts research to identify online design theories and technologies and determines professional development needs for the other centers. On the basis of these research findings, they create a set of standards for developing interactive distance learning courses and programs that match the needs of adult learners. Focus points include course design, instruction, and methods of communication.
Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) for the Technology Center - The purpose of the Technology Center is to enhance and enrich the distance learning experience while engaging the distance learner. This is accomplished by exploring and collaborating on current and emerging technologies that impact distance learning.
Wake Technical Community College (WTCC) for the Professional Development Center - The training developed by this center is available through NC-NET and the NCLOR providing all colleges access to these resources. Training is provided on how to use the NCLOR; how to enhance online courses using learning objects; training related to course management systems; and training about software applications used in distance learning.
NC-NET offers community college faculty in North Carolina a collaborative, statewide professional development system committed to sharing best practices, leveraging resources, and avoiding duplication. To encourage a comprehensive and balanced approach to professional development, NC-NET organizes its resources into programmatic strands such as:
• Teaching and Learning
• Discipline-Specific
• Career and Personal Development
• Classroom Technology
• Distance Learning
• College Tech Prep
Partnerships with statewide networks allow NC-NET to also offer resources on student development, cooperative education, and teaching students with limited English proficiency.