Alternative Instructional Methods - Distance Learning


Distance Learning refers to courses offered outside of a traditional classroom setting using a variety of technologies for delivery. Navarro College provides several types of distance learning classes to help fit the needs of our students.

Online (Internet) Courses

Online courses allow students to take courses from virtually anywhere, anytime of the day or night. Students taking online courses must have reliable access to a computer and an internet connection. These courses are NOT self-paced as they are scheduled to run concurrent with on-campus courses during the standard fall, spring, and summer, and mini semesters, and the courses contain daily or weekly assignments and due dates. Students will gain access to their classes through Navarro College’s Canvas learning management system.

Hybrid Courses

Hybrid courses are defined as courses in which a majority (more than 50 percent but less than 85 percent) of the planned instruction occurs when the students and instructor(s) are not in the same place. In hybrid classes, a significant amount of the course learning activity is moved online, which allows for a reduction of time spent in the classroom. Hybrid courses provide course materials online, while at the same time providing interactive time with their professor and classmates.

DigiTex (formerly Virtual College of Texas, or VCT)

DigiTex is a consortium of Texas community colleges that offers courses to students who are unable to find a specific course at their area college. If a course is not offered at Navarro College, a student may reserve space in a class at another DigiTex college. Credit for the class will be transcripted through Navarro College onto the student’s transcript

IMPORTANT NOTE: All DigiTex course syllabi and faculty qualifications must be approved by the appropriate Department Chair and Executive Dean prior to registration,

which may take some time If the course and/or professor has not been approved, to the student may not register for the class.

Interactive Web Conference Courses

An Interactive Web Conference is a class in which a professor teaches at one location while students in another location receive live, two-way audio and visual instruction via a web conferencing application. The professor and students at the remote location can interact in real time, and each location can hear and see each other.

State Authorization of Distance Learning Program

Navarro College is a member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA); therefore, we are authorized to provide distance learning courses to students whose official residence is located in a U.S. State or Territory which is outside the State of Texas.

SARA is a voluntary agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs and is overseen by a National Council and administered by the four regional education compacts (Midwestern Higher Education Compact, New England Board of Higher Education, Southern Regional Education Board, and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education).

For a complete listing of member institutions and more information regarding this agreement, please visit the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) website at http://nc-sara.org.

For more information about Navarro College’s Distance Learning Program, please visit https://www.navarrocollege.edu/online-campus/index.html or contact the Office of Online Instruction at (903) 875-7422.