About Distance Education

At Muskegon Community College, an online class is defined as “a class where there is no scheduled seat time and where both teaching and learning take place over the Internet."   Although it is defined as 100% virtual, some instructors do require proctored on-campus testing.

At Muskegon Community College, a hybrid class is defined as “a class where part of the class is conducted on campus and part of the class is conducted online.”   In most cases, the ratio is 50/50.   It is important to know if you are registering for a hybrid class format.  (See the section on How do I know if my class is Online, Hybrid, or Traditional?)

Blackboard is Muskegon Community College’s virtual learning management system.   It is a website where instructors maintain online and hybrid courses.  Students use Blackboard on a regular basis to access their online and hybrid courses.  Many instructors of traditional (also referred to as "face-to-face") courses also utilize Blackboard for posting of syllabi, posting of grades, and for other class information.  All students have Blackboard logins.