Continuing Education Online Student Handbook Continuing Education
Online Student Handbook
Welcome
Welcome to the Continuing Education and to new explorations in learning. For some of you, this will be your first experience learning online and using Blackboard, and we want that experience to be positive and meaningful. For those of you who were with us in previous years, thank you for being online pioneers and for growing along with us in this new way of learning.
We think you’ll find that there are many benefits to learning online: flexibility, convenience, and the freedom to manage your time according to your schedule – a definite asset to busy lives! Online courses also tend to be very student-focused and encourage self-direction and responsibility.
Here are some other advantages:
· You can participate in an online class any time of day from wherever you have access to the World Wide Web
· Your classmates are adults of all ages, and most are working professionals
· You have direct and regular communication with your instructor and fellow students
Continuing Education online programs have been expanding with new courses being added each semester. It is now possible to earn several complete Continuing Education certificates online! We plan to continue to expand the number of courses offered online, so that you will have more choice as you plan your program of studies.
We are also proud to say that we have students from every province in Canada as well as other parts of the world.
Preparing for Learning Online
The Successful Online Student
Online classes are often very different than traditional face-to-face classes in terms of how the material is presented, the nature of the interaction among class members, and the overall learning experience. However, online courses have many things in common with traditional classes - there are still instructors, class members, course materials and assignments.
The online environment offers much more flexibility. And it requires more self direction and self discipline from students taking advantage of its offerings. Another significant difference between the online classroom and the traditional classroom environment is that in the online classroom most communication takes place through writing and audio presentations.
10 Tips for e-Learning
1. Make time for e-Learning. Set aside specific times to work on your course and stick to that schedule.
2. Pace yourself. Choosing your own study times is great, but make sure you don't fall behind in the course.
3. Prepare for the course. Review the introductory material to become familiar with the course structure, navigation, tools, and learning resources.
4. Be a strategic learner. Scan the learning outcomes and deliverables beforehand and keep them in mind as you go through the course.
5. Maintain a positive attitude. Acquiring new skills can be challenging, but the knowledge gained is well worth the pain.
6. Remember to use the Help screens. Very often the answer to your questions can be found through the Help function in Blackboard, so try them as a first resort.
7. Ask for help. Use e-mail and the discussion to take advantage of the expertise your instructor and fellow students have to offer.
8. Take the initiative. Get started and don't be afraid of making a mistake. Learning is a process. We don't expect you to be certain about every answer you send in.
9. Collaborate. Ask questions and answer them via e-mail and in the discussion.
10. Share your experiences. Ask yourself how the course material relates to your experiences and share those thoughts with other students.
The Technology
Online courses are highly interactive and often include various kinds of content and interactive media. In order for these resources to function properly, you will need to make sure that your computer is configured optimally to help you access the course itself as well as different kinds of files provided by your instructor.
To be successful as an online learning student, it is therefore important to have a computer system that can adequately support you in the tasks you need to accomplish. You'll need to have access to a computer system that meets the minimum technical requirements.
Computer Readiness
Technical Skills: Prior to taking any online course, you should have regular access to a computer and:
· Be comfortable working on computers
· Have reasonably good keyboarding skills
· Run the applications you need to use on a computer
· Create, save and manage files on your computer
· Use an Internet browser to:
· Move among multiple browser windows
· Search the internet for information using various search engines
· Navigate through online content
· Use a word processor (such as Word) and presentation software (such as PowerPoint) to
· Generate documents
· Edit documents
· Save documents in rich text format
· Print documents
· Paste text from a document into an email message
· Use an email package to
· Send messages and attachments
· Receive incoming messages and attachments
Computer Technical Requirements
Hardware Requirements
PC Minimum Configuration:
· CPU: 500MHz or better Intel Pentium III processor
· Memory: 256MB RAM
· Hard drive: 40GB hard drive
· Internet connection: A dial-up modem connection (a broadband connection is strongly recommended) with a 56 KBS modem or faster
· Operating System: Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, or Windows XP (preferred)
Macintosh Minimum Configuration:
· CPU: PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor
· Memory: 256MB RAM
· Hard drive: 40GB Hard drive
· Internet connection: A dial-up modem connection (a broadband connection is strongly recommended) with a 56 KBS modem or faster
· Operating System: Macintosh OS 9.2.2 or higher (OS 10.3 recommended)
Other Hardware:
Many courses today use multimedia resources to provide information and content to students. A sound card and speakers are required for quite a few courses. It is also recommended that you have a microphone or a headset with a built in microphone to participate in live sessions.
Software Requirements
- Internet browser: recommend MS Internet Explorer 6 or greater (other browsers such as Netscape 7 or Mozilla 1.3 may work but the University does not support Netscape 7 at this time)
- Word processing and presentation software: recommend Microsoft Office XP for Windows and Microsoft Office 2001 for Macs which includes Word and PowerPoint)
- Adobe Acrobat Reader: free download from Adobe at http://www.adobe.com/
- Viewers, Players & Plug-ins: Macromedia Flash Player and Shockwave Player are free downloads at http://www.adobe.com/, Java Plug In is a free download available at http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/
Settings and Preferences
For best viewing we recommend the following settings:
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Internet Explorer 6 and above:
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Java Enabled
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· Under the Tools menu, select Internet Options
· Click the Advanced tab
· Under Microsoft VM select both Java logging enabled and JIT compiler for virtual machine enabled
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Font Settings
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· Under the View menu, select Text Size
· Choose from the five sizes of text to meet your needs
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Virus Checker
It is essential to have up-to-date anti-virus software on your computer. If your employer provides a program for your workplace computer, you may also be able to access that virus checker for your home or laptop computer.
Logging On
· Type http://blackboard.ucalgary.cain your web browser’s address bar
· This takes you to the Blackboard Welcome page
· Enter your UCID in the Username field and the password you set in the Password field (NOTE: Passwords are only 8 characters)
· Click on Login
The Welcome Page of Blackboard will appear after logging in like the example below – only it will have your name where it says “Student15”. Under “My Courses, click on the name of the course in which you are enrolled. You will be taken directly into the main page of the course.
NOTE: Your course will not appear under “My Courses” until a few days before the start date. | 
