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WebCT trailblazing MUSC on-line courses by Kathy Gatten College of Health Professions The very nature of the Undergraduate Health Sciences program in the College of Health Professions brings with it challenges: The program is offered statewide to credentialed health professionals, who can combine their work experience with academic course work to earn an undergraduate degree.  This unique curriculum is very much in demand, but with faculty and students spread out across the state, communication was becoming increasingly difficult. In 1997, program director Richard Hernandez, DrPH, RRT, began looking for a solution. The World Wide Web seemed promising, but faculty lacked the expertise to convert courses to an electronic format, and hiring an outside source was cost-prohibitive. Fortunately, the University of British Columbia, in Canada, was developing a new software called WebCT, a user-friendly interface that enables faculty to develop their own on-line courses. Hernandez agreed to participate as a beta testing site for the software and so began his trailblazing journey of offering web-based courses. For spring semester 1998, Hernandez developed a web component—a syllabus and an electronic bulletin board—for one of his courses and solicited voluntary student participation. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Today all bachelor of health sciences courses include some web components and entire content is offered electronically in several electives.  Since then, Hernandez has become one of a handful of WebCT experts at MUSC, giving frequent demonstrations and training sessions on the software. Last October, he presented his innovative approach to education at the Association for Applied Interactive Multimedia conference in Myrtle Beach. In the audience was Joan Assey, Ed.D., South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges’ technology advisor, who saw an application for the software in the state’s K-12 schools. “Governor Hodges feels that technology is an important vehicle to accelerate learning,“ said Assey, “and it provides a way for children in rural areas, where there is a teacher shortage, to have the same educational opportunities as those in larger cities.” Eager for more information, Assey came to MUSC, bringing with her a group of information technology representatives from school districts across the state. Along with faculty member Lilless Shilling, Hernandez explored with the group the process of adapting courses to the Internet, discussed MUSC’s experiences, and examined the benefits of reaching out to students electronically.  Now that Hernandez and others have paved the way, South Carolina schools are beginning to follow the trail. The Horry County School District plans to offer WebCT training sessions to their faculty, who will gain valuable skills and earn graduate credit at the same time. The district recently met with Hernandez and Thierry Bacro, Ph.D., (from the college’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences), suggesting that Hernandez and Thierry participate as guest faculty.  The work of a trailblazer is never done, and in this case has long-lasting benefits to students and faculty across the state.