The instructional program at Windward Community College recognizes that people differ in interest, motivation, ability, and learning styles. Thus, alternatives are stressed in the kinds, levels, and ways in which courses are offered. Courses offered are intended to meet the needs of individuals:
- intending to earn an Associate in Arts degree;
- intending to earn an Associate in Science degree;
- intending to earn a Certificate of Achievement in a vocational program;
- intending to earn a Certificate of Competence in a vocational program;
- intending to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor’s degree;
- interested in taking courses for personal enrichment;
- interested in acquiring skills and knowledge needed for employment in selected occupational fields;
- interested in reinforcing basic learning and study skills, e.g., reading, writing, note taking, memory skills;
- interested in updating skills and knowledge for employment in certain vocational fields
Modes of instruction also vary; students may enroll in group-learning, lecture-oriented classes, highly individualized classes, or independent study projects. Some classes take an interdisciplinary approach to a topic or problem.
Learning communities are also offered. Here, instructors offering courses integrate their courses together.
A pre-test may also be given in some classes. This is intended to help identify the knowledge and skills already possessed by students, thus enabling instructors to tailor the instruction to meet the special needs or interests of the class. (Pre-tests are not used in grading students.)
General Education Mission Statement
Windward Community College provides an open door to a comprehensive general education through which students enhance basic tools of inquiry for understanding themselves and the world around them, develop their capacity to expand and apply knowledge, and cultivate more creative and meaningful lives. With an orientation to Hawai‘i and its unique heritage, general education at Windward Community College includes Global and Cultural Awareness, Critical Thinking and Creativity, Communication, and Information Literacy.