Getting Started in Your Online Course
Once you have completed everything in the previous sections, you are
ready to start work in your class.
Start by logging into Blackboard and reading the announcements.
If your instructor has posted specific instructions on how to get started
in your course, follow those instructions. Otherwise, the next thing
you should do is read and be sure you understand the course syllabus
and course calendar.
You should spend some time exploring the course to be sure you
can find everything you'll need throughout the semester.
Using the syllabus and course calendar, determine what your first
weeks assignment is and begin working on it.
Communication with your instructor
Your instructor will give you specific information as to how you are
to communicate him/her. Most instructors communicate with students using
a combination of the announcements area, the discussion board, and email.
Instructors strive to respond to email from students within 48 hours,
excluding weekends. Many instructors prefer to communicate with students
using the discussion board, as this allows other students in the class
to "see" the conversation and also benefit. In some cases,
instructors may ask students to refrain from sending email to them unless
the information is of a personal nature. This is to promote frequent
and active communication in the discussion board.
Each instructor has their own policy for communicating with students.
Be sure you understand your instructors' policy.
Online instructors still have "Office Hours". These office
hours may be conducted in-person, in the chat room, or by phone. Your
instructor will inform you of his office hours in the syllabus.
Be sure you understand Internet Etiquette (Netiquette)
From the OnlineNetiquette.com
site, netiquette is defined as using technology effectively to communicate
with others both personally and professionally with knowledge, understanding
and courtesy.
Please remember the following basic rules of netiquette when communicating
online, whether it is by email, the discussion board, or some other
means (courtesy
of Wor-Wic Community College):
1. Do not type in all capital letters. THIS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING
OR YELLING ONLINE.
2. Start your emails with a salutation like Dear or Hello and make
sure your name is at the end of your email. Type in complete sentences.
You are not jotting down notes, you're communicating with another person.
3. Always type the reason for your email in the subject line. This
gives the receiver a heads up and helps in locating saved messages.
4. Don't submit a discussion comment when you are very angry. If you
post an angry message to someone (called flaming) it will stay in your
class for the rest of the semester for you and your classmates to view.
5. Don't expect an answer to an email or discussion question immediately.
Ask your instructor about their guidelines for responding to emails
and posts.
6. Be patient with other people's mistakes. For some students, distance
learning is a new experience. Everyone makes mistakes. Experienced students
should share their knowledge with those who need a little assistance.
7. Check your spelling and grammar before sending or posting online
communications:
"If a emale is writon with speeling mestakes and gramitckal
errors, you mite git the meening, however, the messige is not as
affective, or smoothly redable. Poor writing is equivalent to someone
speaking with spinach stuck between their teeth. Listeners and readers
concentrate on the spinach; not what is being said." (OnlineNetiquette.com)
For more information about netiquette, refer to the following websites:
The Core
Rules of Netiquette
Top
Ten Most Important Rules of Email Netiquette
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