Microsoft Office Specialist Success Stories
IC³ Success Stories


 
Joe Pepple
Computer Training Coordinator for Continuing Education

Certifications Offered
IC³ Certification
  Certiport Center
Lake Michigan College

Locations
Benton Harbor, Niles, and South Haven, Michigan
In his own words:

"In the past we’ve had students perform poorly in more advanced computer courses because they didn’t have the necessary foundation skills. “When a student is IC³ certified, we can be sure they have the background to succeed in more advanced and accelerated computer courses."

Department of Continuing Education Implements IC³

BACKGROUND
Established in 1946, Lake Michigan College is a two-year comprehensive community college located in the southwest corner of Michigan, serving Berrien County, Covert Township in Van Buren County, and adjacent areas of Michigan and Indiana.

PROCESS
The Department of Continuing Education at Lake Michigan College concluded its pilot IC³ course and began in the fall of 2002 to offer the certification to high school students, businesses, and the public.

CERTIFICATION SOLUTION
"We replaced the post-exam in our popular basic computer course with IC³," says Joe Pepple, computer training coordinator for continuing education. "It's a perfect fit because IC³ exams cover computer terminology and theory, basic software applications, and the Internet-everything that's in our course."

RESULT
"Concluding the course with IC³ is advantageous to students for many reasons," says Pepple. "For example, at the end of the course, students have an industry certification that ‘speaks louder' than a certificate of course completion. Additionally, IC³ gives students a point of entry into the information technology field and prepares them for other certifications by giving them a standard skill set."

Students aren't the only ones benefiting from IC³. Instructors appreciate having a benchmark by which to assess students' abilities. "In the past we've had students perform poorly in more advanced computer courses because they didn't have the necessary foundation skills," Pepple says. "When a student is IC³ certified, we can be sure they have the background to succeed in more advanced and accelerated computer courses."

IC³ also simplifies the exam grading process. Because IC³ exams are computer-based, instructors don't have to manually tally student scores; instead, the scores are immediately generated at the conclusion of an exam, saving teachers and students valuable time. Students and teachers are also able to view the results online through Certiport's Authenticated Digital Transcript Web site.

For more information about Lake Michigan College's Department of Continuing Education, visit www.lmc-ccd.com/ce/index.html.