Online Learning
Heartland Community College offers a variety of online courses led by experienced faculty to help students achieve their educational goals.
Online Learning InfoOnline Learning
Whether you’re earning your first college credits, completing a degree, or building new skills for your career, our online courses make education flexible, accessible, and personal. Online courses at Heartland are delivered via the Canvas learning management system (LMS).
Online Course Formats
Heartland offers several online learning options to fit students’ schedules and learning preferences. Online and hybrid courses have the same workload (homework assignments, quizzes/exams, and deadlines) as in-person classes. Our faculty are specifically trained to teach in online and hybrid formats, ensuring that courses follow pedagogical best practices and provide students with robust, engaging learning experiences.
Fully Online Courses
Fully online courses are completed entirely through Canvas, giving students the flexibility to learn where and when works best for them. Most fully online courses at Heartland are asynchronous, which means there are no scheduled class meetings. Instead, students will complete assignments by the due dates set in Canvas. In fully online courses, faculty interact with students through Canvas announcements, discussion boards, assignment feedback, email, and office hours.
Online Courses with Additional Requirements
Some online courses have additional in-person requirements to meet course objectives. These requirements may include:
- Exams that must be completed in-person in a proctored testing environment
- Speeches that must be delivered in front of a live, self-generated audience (see the COMM 101 Course Guide for additional information about online speech classes)
- All other coursework is completed online through Canvas. Online courses with additional requirements are clearly noted in the class schedule to ensure students know what to expect before registering.
Hybrid Courses (HY)
Hybrid courses are a combination of in-person and online learning. Students attend scheduled class sessions on campus in addition to completing coursework online through Canvas.
Open Learning Courses (OL)
Open Learning courses at Heartland offer flexible, self-paced learning experiences for students with strong time-management skills. Students have the opportunity to move through coursework at their own pace and may even finish the course before the end of the semester. Although students work independently, they have access to one-on-one support through the Business Technology Learning Center, available in-person and via Zoom. All coursework is completed online through Canvas.
Guided Self-Paced Courses (SP)
Guided Self-Paced courses allow the flexibility to work at your own pace while meeting established deadlines and checkpoints throughout the semester. All coursework will be completed online using Canvas with support from instructors and Business Technology Lab Facilitators. Lab hours can be completed in the Business Technology Learning Center, or virtually through Zoom. The Microsoft Office Certification exam for Level II and Level III courses must be taken in-person in the Business Technology Learning Center. An onboarding session is required prior to starting the course.
Finding Online & Hybrid Course Offerings
Students can search for online, hybrid, and Open Learning courses by navigating to the Class Schedule and choosing the mode of instruction from the “Course Type” drop-down menu. (This is how the Class Schedule page works on the current website, but it may look/work differently on the new website.)
Recommendations for Online Courses
Online coursework can be accessed by mobile devices; however, a computer is recommended for online assignments and quizzes.
Suggestions for student computers include:
- Running an updated web browser like Google Chrome
- The ability to stream music and videos
- Access to a dependable Internet connection
Students should also have experience with email, web browsing, and word processing software (Microsoft Word, Google Docs).
For Canvas and technology help, please contact the Technology Learning Center (TLC), located in SCB 2401: HCCTLC@heartland.edu
Success in Online Courses Guide
Accreditation & Memberships
Our online majors and courses are accredited through the Higher Learning Commission and are recognized throughout the state for their quality. Heartland Community College is a member of Illinois Community Colleges Online (ILCCO).
Online Student Complaint Procedure
Students taking online classes at Heartland Community College who are from out-of-state should attempt to resolve any issues or complaints with the College first. If after following the College's process for addressing Student Disputes & Appeals an issue cannot be resolved internally, students may file a complaint about Heartland Community College with the Illinois Community College Board or with the Higher Learning Commission. Students who live outside of Illinois may also file a complaint with the state in which they reside. See Student Complaint Information by State (PDF) for more information.
