| • Self- Assessment • Computer Skills and requirements |
I Just Signed Up for An Online Course —Now What?
What is an Online Course? An online course is a recognized college credit course delivered to the student completely over the web. By accessing a password protected web site the student receives directions for proceeding through the course and is able to communicate with the instructor and other students in the course.
Is it easier than a regular course? No. In fact it may be harder in some ways. It requires the student to have the self-discipline to keep up with the work, completing assignments and turning them in on time. If you fall behind, there will be no time to catch up. A good estimate of time spent on coursework is an averagepof about 12 hours (nine to 14 hours is a realistic range) per week in most cases if you expect to succeed. If you do not log in and turn in assignments, your instructor may drop you from the course just like an in-class course.
Do I need to be at my computer on specific days and times instead of attending a regular class? No - not usually. Most internet-based courses give students a series of assignments and deadlines that students accomplish at a flexible pace (but not self-paced -- you must meet your deadlines).
What do I do after I register? You should visit the distance education web pages at http://www.ccp.edu/de and see who your instructor is. That will be found on the list of meeting schedules. While most online courses do not meet, a few do require that exams be face-to-face. You instructor and their email is listed. You can also check the Syllabus page where links to instructor’s web pages can be found. Instructors should have their course syllabus posted so that you can see the general requirements for the courses. Assignment details will be found online in the course itself.
Books. Use the information from the faculty web pages to go to the College bookstore and buy your course materials (books, CDs, etc) as described in the course syllabus during orientation week or sooner.
A good idea. It is best to send an email to your instructor just to introduce yourself and let them know that you have signed up for their course. In that way if they have any additional material to send you, they will now have your email address. In most cases you should look at your instructor’s public web page first.
How and when to I login and start the course? Instructions for logging in can be found here. If you try to login before your student account is created, you will get a "login failure" message. Student accounts will be created at two points in time. (1) After the last regular registration day (the Friday before orientation week) — the student lists will be used to create initial accounts for all who are registered by the end of the day on Friday. This will be done over the weekend. (2) If you register during first contact week, you will again have to wait until the week is over. This is usually the drop-add period. It is wise to register early so that your student account and password are active and not wait until the drop-add period. This is really the first week of class when you should be logging in and becoming familiar with the online environment.
How about testing? Some instructors hold meetings at scheduled times for exams while others do their testing entirely online. Check the meeting schedule online to see what your instructor does. If you cannot make a scheduled meeting, then communicate with your instructor in advance to make other arrangements.
Is my home computer powerful enough to handle an online course? It depends on what supplementary software your instructor is using. However, on the "Student" page of the distance web pages there is a self-assessment. In the left margin of that, there are also links to a computer skills assessment as well as hardware and software requirements.
What if I still have questions? You probably registered through the regular registration process. However, Academic Advising located in W1-1 is extra well-informed about distance courses if you have any questions. You can stop in or call them at 215-751-8777. For questions not answered by these web pages or Academic Advising, send an email to distance@ccp.edu with your question. You will get a response within 24 hours, usually much sooner. (Please - address all registration questions to Academic Advising.)