1.4: 1.4 Important College Vocabulary

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Throughout your time in college, you will hear common vocabulary words that relate to the college experience. Some of these words may be used universally at every institution, such as the term “syllabus,” and some words may be more specific to HACC or your transfer institution, such as HAWKMail (your HACC email account). Let’s discuss some important terms that you will need to know as you start your college journey.

A syllabus is a document which contains all the class policies and expectations plus the learning outcomes of the course (what you are expected to learn). Students are expected to be aware of everything written in the syllabus. We suggest that you carefully review every course syllabus during the first week of the class. As you review the syllabus, highlight important details such as the instructor’s policies on late work and absences. Many professors at HACC also include a course schedule with due dates in their syllabus. If your instructors provide that course schedule, print that portion of the syllabus out and cross off items as you go. Using this method will ensure you stay on track and you do not miss important dates.

Office Hours are dedicated hours an instructor sets aside for their courses to provide help outside of class time. Please see your instructor’s specific course syllabus for the time and location (in-person, Zoom, etc.) of office hours. If the instructor’s office hours do not work with your schedule, and you need extra course help, please email your instructor and explain the situation so that you may come up with a mutually agreeable time to meet.

A rubric is a scoring matrix which shows you how your assignments will be critiqued or assessed. A rubric lists the specific grading criteria for how your score will be computed for a project, paper, or assignment.

Brightspace (D2L) is the learning management system that HACC uses, and every class at HACC has a Brightspace (D2L) shell. Think of your Brightspace (D2L) course shell as a mini-website for your course. You can access your course shell by going to your myHACC homepage. Once on the homepage, click on the orange Brightspace (D2L) button on the top left of the homepage. Once inside Brightspace (D2L), make sure the correct semester is selected. Under that semester heading, you should see all your current courses. Every instructor utilizes their Brightspace (D2L) shell differently so please check with your instructor on their expectations for your course.

A modality is the way a course is offered. HACC offers courses in many different modalities. This variety can be confusing to students when registering for upcoming semesters. You need to recognize the modalities that best fit your schedule and learning style. The most common course modalities HACC offers are: in-person, remote, online (virtual), and blended. You are able to take courses in multiple modalities so that means if you are taking four courses, for example, you could have one online class, two remote courses, and one in-person class. You can make a schedule that best suits you and your specific needs. Courses with a live component (whether in-person or remote using Zoom) are called synchronous, which means meeting in real time. Courses that have no live component (fully online courses) are called asynchronous.

In-person courses are live face-to-face courses (synchronous) that are held at a physical HACC location. Some courses at HACC, due to their specific requirements, are offered only in an in-person modality. If there is a specific subject with which you have struggled, you may do better in an in-person or remote setting where you can ask your instructor questions or for help in real time.

Remote courses are live classes that are offered over Zoom (synchronous). You do not have to attend physical class at a HACC location, but you must attend the live Zoom sessions at the scheduled day/time for the course. Some students enjoy the convenience of Zoom classes and not having to travel to a physical HACC location while still seeing their instructor live. Other students find focusing on a Zoom class difficult when there are distractions in the surrounding environment such as pets, children or family members in the same location. You need to find the best fit for you.

Online courses are fully online with no live component (asynchronous). You can log in and out of the course based on your schedule. You will not see your instructor in real time and will be able to communicate with them only by contacting them directly (email or phone). Some students love the flexibility of online courses and having no set time during which they must be on their computer or inside the course. Other students find it hard to motivate themselves without their instructor’s live presence. HACC has award-winning instructors who teach online and in-person. Online courses are not of lesser quality than in-person and in fact can be very rigorous. Again, you need to know your personal preference and what works best for your learning.

Blended courses have both a live component over Zoom or in-person at a HACC physical location (synchronous) and an online component with no live attendance required (asynchronous). For example, you may take a blended English course that meets one day a week over Zoom or in-person at a HACC physical location, and the rest of the week, online work is assigned at your own pace with a specific due date. Blended courses are a great option for students who would like to see their instructor in real-time but would like to limit the amount of time they have to attend live class.