When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This is the mentality of Flint Hills Technical College President Dean Hollenbeck as it pertains to the institution’s use of online education over the past month.
During the recent installment of Tech Talk on Tuesday, Hollenbeck commended FHTC staff for their hard work in adjusting to the new online education models brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hollenbeck was joined on the program by FHTC Vice President of Instructional Services Steve Loewen and Dean of Instructional Services Kim Dhority who say the transition has been going well in recent weeks.
Dhority says their staff has “stepped up in a big way” with many commenting that the transition has been much easier than they originally thought it would be. This includes many of the programs which feature hands-on instruction.
Loewen says that instruction has been able to continue for the most part, thanks to the utilization of pre-existing virtual simulators.
This includes the welding program which, according to Loewen, requires students to complete their weld certification test inside of a weld lab. Loewen says they are continuing to teach the “theory and didactic” portions of the curriculum where possible.
During the segment, Hollenbeck stated “instruction will never be the same” even once operations get back to normal, however, that may not be a bad thing for the college in the long-run.
For more information on Flint Hills Technical College visit their website at FHTC.edu.
