WAVERLY - Michelle Rowell's life is a balancing act.
The two children she watches every other week in her home-based day care arrive at 5:45 a.m. While caring for them, the single mother makes sure her son and twin daughters wake up and get ready.
A little girl arrives after Rowell has sent off the other five children to school. When the kids return, she still is watching the preschooler.
Once parents have picked up the children, she stays busy preparing supper and spending time with her kids. It is not until they are tucked into bed that Rowell can get to her Hawkeye Community College classes. Fortunately, all she has to do is log on to the Internet and click the mouse.
She is among a growing number of HCC students taking classes online. The college is offering them for the third year.
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"It's a lifesaver," said Rowell. "It frees up so much time; you can do the work whenever you want."
In the fall of 2002, when it was first offered, 252 students enrolled in 13 online courses. During the first year, 36 courses enrolled 730 students. That number increased to 70 the next year with 1,545 students.
"So then that means it's a 94 percent increase in courses and a 112 percent increase in student enrollment," said Dawn Fratzke, HCC's online course coordinator. This fall, 680 students are enrolled in 31 courses.
Online courses are becoming more popular for the convenience they offer nontraditional students like Rowell.
The 35-year-old began considering college this summer but didn't look into online options until her van started having problems requiring an expensive repair.
"I didn't have reliable enough transportation to get there and back every day," said Rowell. "Never mind the fact that it was impossible for me to attend college and not work at some point."
She is majoring in computer network analysis and engineering. Rowell finds time to do her class reading and research throughout the day while the preschooler she cares for plays or watches a video. She logs onto her class discussion boards, takes timed online tests or e-mails completed assignments when everyone else in the house has gone to sleep.
Although it is different from the classroom, HCC instructors strive for an equal experience. Patrick Ashwood, who is teaching two online classes, creates Web-based activities for students and has them read more books.
"I believe they're getting the same quality," he said. "To me, they have to do more in the Web classes than in the lecture.
"I think these online students, they have to be much more on their own and more independent," he added. "I don't think it's for everyone, by any means."
"I think that online learning can be just as rigorous and just as challenging as face-to-face classes," said Cherie Dargan, who teaches two online courses at HCC.
However, instructors must create a content-rich environment online with links to various resources and require student interaction through discussion boards. Dargan said that "creates community" and gives "students an opportunity to reflect on their learning."
Rowell said the interaction with students and instructors has been an important part of her learning process. It has been such a good experience that she may keep taking online courses next semester - even if her van is fixed.
Andrew Wind can be contacted at (319) 291-1507 or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.