In the center, the student found access to campus information, a satellite video receive site, the Internet access to take courses on-line, the business machines necessary to prepare and send homework to campus, and the Coordinator, who helped the students take classes and do business with the universities and colleges. The area residents who signed up for courses were generally excited about this new opportunity close to home. I feel as if I am also setting a good example. The Indiana College Network's learning centers are not only a place where adult students can take college classes off-campus or over the Internet or video, but also where communities can learn about many other postsecondary opportunities. Some public libraries have named their multimedia areas as learning centers, and several private firms offer personal tutoring assistance in their centers.
Technology can literally extend the horizons of Indiana citizens within their communities.
A growing number of ICN Centers, however, are located away from campus in public libraries, public high schools or vocational schools, or a community center such as Moores Hill in southeastern Indiana. New university centers, such as those in Versailles, Carmel, and Elkhart, can be found in growing populous areas where several universities and colleges offer on-site classes as well as distance classes in a single location. At an ICN Learning Center, an interested learner can receive instruction and use the ICN Schedule of Distance Education Courses and the ICN Web-based Database of Courses to learn about all the courses that can be delivered to the Center. The student can take courses on-site at the Center, or through various technologies. The ICN Coordinators themselves are in regular communication with one another, via phone, email, and monthly meetings that handle troubleshooting and professional development.