National Distance Learning Week Celebration
This year, National Distance Learning Week (NDLW) is from November 3 to 7, 2025. NDLW was created to bring greater awareness to distance learning. At Montgomery College (MC), we want to recognize our leaders and faculty who are working together to give our students the best learning experience in their distance learning courses. Our online degrees have received numerous awards over the years, and many of our faculty have completed the Quality Matters (QM) program. The QM program is a national program that identifies online courses that have been reviewed and have passed the required standards to be recognized as a high-quality online course.
The reason distance learning has grown, especially here at MC, is because of the convenience it offers students from a scheduling standpoint. Distance education allows them to schedule classes and complete their study when they're working or when they're dealing with family issues. Distance learning offers flexibility in the students’ lives.
- MC has 39 fully online degrees and certificates (22 degrees and 17 certificates)
- 21,523 online and remote student enrollments in Fall 2025
- 585 online sections in 323 unique courses were offered in Fall 2025
- 539 remote sections in 355 unique courses were offered in Fall 2025
- 584 individual faculty in Fall 2025 teaching online or remote courses
- 11,583 students enrolled in 26 states + DC
Students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend the events for the week to celebrate National Distance Learning Week.
National Distance Learning Week On-Campus Celebration
Stop by our information tables to meet our staff members, enjoy some trivia fun, and grab free items as we kick off the NDLW celebration!
- 10:00-11:00 a.m., Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, Charlene R. Nunley Student Services
Center (ST) Atrium
- 12:00-1:00 p.m., Germantown Campus, Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard Student Affairs and Science
Building Student Affairs and Science Building (SA) Atrium
- 2:00-3:00 p.m., Rockville Campus, Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Student Services Center (SV) Atrium
Maximize Your Success: Exploring Learning Center Resources at Montgomery College
Facilitators: Shaline Kirkland, Daniel Umana, and Dilki Jayasekera
2:00-3:00 p.m., via Zoom
This dynamic, interactive workshop is designed to introduce students to the wide range of Learning Centers at Montgomery College and the essential academic support they provide. Through interactive activities and engaging discussions, participants will discover how to leverage tutoring, academic resources, and specialized programs to enhance their learning experience and achieve their academic goals. Whether you're looking for help with coursework or seeking additional study tools, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge to fully utilize all that the Learning Centers have to offer.
Student Registrationnew window | Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Supporting Mental Wellness in Virtual Learning Environments
Facilitators: Vincent Briley & Fabian Drain
1:00-2:00 p.m., via Zoom
Online students face unique stressors. This session prepares faculty to notice early signs of burnout, disconnection, or anxiety in virtual spaces. Participants will explore communication strategies and campus support partnerships to promote student well-being.
Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Earn and Learn! Unlocking Student Post-Completion Success with Career Coach
Facilitator: Dr. John Hamman
2:00-3:00 p.m., via Zoom
Participate in a live demonstration of Career Coach and explore its innovative features and applications. This workshop will include a case study demonstrating how Career Coach supports student career success. Participants will leave with practical knowledge on using Career Coach to help you or others discover career paths connected to educational goals. Open to all students, employees, and community members!
Student Registrationnew window | Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Digital Equity in Distance Education
Facilitator: Tia Roebuck
3:00-4:00 p.m., via Zoom
This session examines the digital divide and what faculty can do to promote equitable access to technology and learning. Participants will discuss low-bandwidth design, alternative assignments, and inclusive communication strategies.
Faculty & Staff Registration
new windoweFaculty Fellowship for Dual Enrollment Information Session
Facilitators: Shinta Hernandez and Akima Rogers
4:00-5:00 p.m., via Zoom
This session is designed to provide information on the eFaculty Fellowship for Dual Enrollment, specifically the goals of the fellowship, the application process and timeline, and the upcoming Colloquium Showcase on November 14 in which recent fellows will present on their work.
Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Making Courses Accessible with Blackboard Ally
Facilitator: Tom Cantu
1:00-2:00 p.m., via Zoom
The Accessibility Report in Blackboard Ultra includes powerful tools for creating courses that are accessible, mobile-friendly, and inclusive. Participants will learn to use the accessibility report to identify and fix accessibility issues, introduce students to the alternative format features, and create course content that it is easy to navigate, readable on multiple devices, and supportive of diverse learners. By the end of the session, participants will leave with practical strategies and resources they can use to make courses more inclusive and accessible.
Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT for Student Success: How to Start Using AI Effectively
Facilitators: Daniel Umana and Javon Inman
2:00-3:00 p.m., via Zoom
This workshop introduces students to the basic functions of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools and teaches them how to write effective prompts for academic tasks. Students will receive hands-on practice with ChatGPT to boost student confidence in using the tool for schoolwork. This workshop is sponsored by the Digital Learning Centers.
Student Registrationnew window | Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Quality Assurance & AI
Facilitator: Tia Roebuck
3:00-4:00 p.m., via Zoom
MC Online is hosting a faculty workshop focused on integrating artificial intelligence tools into quality course design. This interactive session will explore how faculty can use AI effectively—particularly by crafting strong prompts—to enhance teaching efficiency and improve student engagement.
Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Thriving Online: Student Voices on the Benefits of Virtual Learning
Facilitator: Online Students with Shinta Hernandez (Moderator)
12:00-1:00 p.m., via Zoom
This interactive panel brings together a diverse group of MC online students who want to share their experiences, successes, and opportunities in the virtual learning environment. Participants will hear authentic student voices about the reality of balancing school with work and family, navigating digital tools, and building meaningful connections in the virtual space.
Student Registrationnew window | Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Connecting Students to Academic and Technology Support
Facilitator: Anthony Solano
1:00-2:00 p.m., via Zoom
Faculty can proactively connect students to academic and tech support through their LMS. This session demonstrates building help links, resource hubs, and accessibility guidance directly into course orientation modules.
Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Critical Information Literacy: Teaching Students to Evaluate Sources Online
Facilitator: Christopher Verdak
2:30-3:30 p.m., via Zoom
This workshop helps faculty teach students how to critically evaluate online sources and recognize misinformation. Faculty will learn about tutorials, videos, and quizzes that can support their work on this topic.
Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
Inclusion by Design Summit, Fall 2025: Creating Spaces where Everyone Thrives
The Universal Design Center (UDC) at Montgomery College is excited to host the Fall 2025 Inclusion by Design Summit: a gathering of educators, industry professionals, and advocates dedicated to universal design, equity, and accessibility.
This semester’s summit, themed “Creating Spaces where Everyone Thrives,” will showcase emerging research, best practices, and innovative strategies for fostering inclusion across education, workplaces, and digital environments. Attendees will gain actionable insights through hands-on workshops, thought-provoking discussions, and dynamic presentations.
Visit the Inclusion by Design Summit websitenew window for more information.
Student Learning Resources: StudentLingo
Facilitator: Ella Akakpo-Montcho
1:00-2:00 p.m., via Zoom
This presentation will show students how to use the StudentLingo online tool, which is one of many free resources available to all Montgomery College students. The platform allows students to complete self-paced workshops with coaching action plans that will support them academically and personally. This presentation is sponsored the Achieving the Promise Academy.
Student Registrationnew window | Faculty & Staff Registrationnew window
In-person course formats offer the intimacy and familiarity of face-to-face learning and allow interaction among all those present.
This course format is the most flexible and easiest to implement, with one exception: training on-campus professors to make the shift to fully online classes. Because this has been done since the advent of online classes from campus-based institutions, many faculty have experience with doing this efficiently. Online classes offer all of the advantages of virtual education, including the ability to learn anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Self-paced study as well as the integration of virtual tools and online resources are just a few of the advantages. However, active learning with hands-on experiences are typically more difficult online, especially for students who learn best by doing.
Hybrid formats split time between on-campus and virtual environments. The hybrid format is not the same as the HyFlex format. Students attend on-campus classes at designated times and engage in virtual learning activities, which may be synchronous or asynchronous, at others. In this modality, coursework is intentionally designed to be delivered virtually for specific activities and in-person for others. For example, lectures are delivered via Zoom or other videoconferencing tools while learning activities, such as a labs/active learning projects, are delivered in-person.
The HyFlex (hybrid flexible) course format is designed to accommodate individual students’ preferences for in-person or online learning, and to approximate the in-person experience for those who chose the online option. Instructors must build a course that originates in the classroom and is broadcast for online learners, with open expectations as to how students will attend. Each class is held on campus but is also recorded for synchronous (live) and asynchronous (available when student is ready) delivery online. Essentially, the intent of HyFlex is to offer an equivalent experience regardless of selected modality of participation.
*Information taken from 4 Types of Education Modalities: On-Campus, Online, Hybrid and HyFlex (examsoft.com)new window.
Montgomery College has students taking online classes from various states that include California, Hawaii, Ohio, Missouri, Texas, and Washington. View a map of our online studentsnew window!