Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington is in the process of developing an online degree in which it is necessary to include some lab/science classes. Dr. Lorence, the dean of the Math/Science division suggested we implement the Online Weather Studies course through the Geosciences Diversity Program.

I have very little background in meteorology, so it has been necessary to learn the subject matter. “Taking the online course” gave me a wonderful insight into a student’s view of the presentation of the subject matter. I prepared a syllabus early in October, 2002, so that the Curriculum Committee could review and accept the course for transfer distribution. I also learned how to use WebCT to better communicate with my students; this required some workshops and lots of individual tutoring. The College Director of Communications advertised the course through the campus newsletter/bulletin and the local newspaper. This Fall quarter, 2003, there were announcements during the local TV networks’ weather reports, and I did a live interview on one of the local radio stations. The class is full!

This presentation will explore the steps taken to implement Online Weather Studies and will report on my first offering of the course this fall quarter.