Online Study Overview
Online courses at Cayuga are generally completed entirely online. Lab courses either use computer simulations or require students to purchase lab kits to conduct experiments at home. However, some courses, like math, require a proctored exam. If you live in the area, you can make appointments to take the tests on campus (Auburn or Fulton) in the Learning Commons – Academic Support, or instructions in the course will explain how to find a proctor at a local college, school, church, etc.
Like on-campus courses, online courses may require extracurricular activities, such as visiting a local court in a Criminal Justice class or attending an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting in a Health course about addiction.
Most fully online courses are asynchronous, which means you may sign on at any time of the day or night, wherever you have internet access. Others are online in real-time, meaning you must sign in at a specific time to attend class. Please consult the course schedule for details on synchronous online courses. An instructor actively leads them, and there are deadlines. Typically, a semester course will consist of one- to two-week modules. In each module, you will be expected to read the textbook and other materials, read faculty lectures online, submit your answers to questions, complete other exercises or assignments, and participate in online discussions (e.g., reading short notes posted by other students and posting your own responses). In a 15-week semester, students on average are expected to log on to the website about three times per week to complete their work.
