Jacksonville State to offer third 'Try It' course

Ashley Morrison, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·2 min read

Aug. 8—Area residents seeking a glimpse of the college experience can do so for free at Jacksonville State University, according to a recent university press release.

JSU is offering a free college-level course to anyone hoping to gain a bit of knowledge or a few extra credit hours.

The course is titled "Making Sense of a Complex World" and will be on a "pass or no credit" basis, meaning students will either earn enough to pass the course or receive no credits for the work, the press release said.

"This year's topic will assist students in thinking about complex issues — from using Facebook as a news source to understanding school violence to advocating for oneself in the medical sector," the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, Dr. Staci Stone, stated in the release.

"The course also introduces students to a variety of disciplines, professors and potential majors. Ultimately, we hope it helps people become lifelong learners," Stone continued.

JSU has put on similar courses in the past, with this year's try-it course being the third. The class is online, self-paced, and is "designed for the adult learner in mind," the press release said.

"Try-it" courses allow potential students to "sample" higher learning with none of the risk or financial costs, the release stated. The course is good for those who are working full-time jobs or otherwise have busy schedules, according to JSU's director of enrollment initiatives, Kelly Martin.

In addition to the time factor, Martin said, the online format helps potential students familiarize themselves with what that style of learning is like while still gaining college credit hours.

The course will have two overseeing instructors but the modules inside the course were designed by instructors across a broad range of disciplines, Martin said.

Students can expect those modules to include information on "using search engines and trusting sources, managing social media, understanding language used in marketing and political advertisements, advocating for oneself as a patient, deciphering stocks and Bitcoin, analyzing statistics," and more, according to the university's website.

Admission to the course has already begun and class starts Aug. 24. Martin said those who do not already attend JSU will apply to the course differently than current students, and can do so on the website at https://www.jsu.edu/tryit/index.html