Online Classes
Dear Online Students,
Welcome to taking online classes at Northwest Indian College. We hope you will have a successful quarter with us. We are here to help answer any questions that you might have about learning online and work with you to help make your experience an enjoyable one.
Taking an online class can be just as rewarding as any other class, but it is important to remember that it is a little bit different. If you are new to online learning, it can be confusing at first as you learn to navigate the class and use the tools. It is important to remember that if you feel frustrated, talk to someone. Talk to your instructor, your advisor or another student you know who has taken an online class before. Just because the class is online, doesn’t mean you are alone. Once you get comfortable with how the online class works, your experience will be much more enjoyable.
To help you get started, here are a number of tips that will help make your experience online a positive one:
Getting Started
You will be able to access your class on the Moodle site (http://online.nwic.edu) during the week before the start of the quarter. When you first begin, it is a good idea to read through the syllabus and browse around the class. Try to get a feel for where everything is and how it works. Then, make contact with your instructor to let them know you are there and ask them any questions you might have. It is important to be a little bit proactive in communicating with your instructor. They are there to help, but when they don’t get to see you in person, it can be difficult for them to figure out what you need if you don’t tell them. Both the discussion forums in the class and e-mail are good ways to communicate with your instructor.
Learning Moodle
The online courses at NWIC use Moodle as the software that runs the online classroom. It is important to become comfortable with a few simple tasks to make sure you succeed. Use the tutorials available to you to learn how to:
- post to discussion forums and reply to others
- upload assignments
- check the course announcements
- check your grades
- take a quiz
- contact the instructor and other students
It is a good idea to go through the online tutorials before you start, to help make sure you are ready when the course begins.
Faculty Initiated Discretionary Drop
During the first two weeks of quarter if you fail to contact your instructor and/or turn in assignments for which you are enrolled, the instructor of same class can initiate a drop and count you as a NO SHOW. This is meant to be used only in the case of no-show/no-contact situations in order to prevent financial aid and billing difficulties, and to prevent adverse impact on transcripts.
Online Learning is not Independent Learning
Many students who have taken Independent Learning classes find it difficult to understand the difference with Online classes. They are not the same. With Independent Learning classes students work individually and at their own pace. With online classes, class participation is generally required. You will have weekly assignments with due dates and will be required to participate in online discussions with the rest of the students in your class. Participation is extremely important to learning online and therefore
Expectations
The details of how online students interact with the instructor may differ depending on the student, the instructor, and the class. Generally speaking, you will be expected to complete activities each week and participate in the online class discussions. Instructors typically enforce due dates for assignments and work may be penalized if it is turned in late.
Your best bet for success, no matter the course, though, is to get started on time and to work at the same pace as the rest of the class throughout the quarter. Also, keeping in regular contact with your instructor and the other students in your class is critical!
By turning in your work in a weekly basis, and being active in communicating with others in your class, you will receive consistent and frequent feedback to help you succeed. The importance of communicating regularly can’t be stressed enough. Learning online by yourself can be a lonely experience, but if you are participating in the discussions and communicating with your instructor regularly you won’t feel alone at all. It can actually be a lot of fun.
Succeeding
The timeframe for completion of Online courses is just like face to face courses. You have one quarter to complete all of the work. Incomplete agreements are given on a case by case situation. If you complete 70% or more of your work within one quarter, you can request an Incomplete from your instructor. If you and your instructor agree that this option is a feasible one, then you both will sign, complete, and send in an Incomplete form.
Please be aware that instructors have their own set of requirements regarding when work must be turned in, so please make sure to contact the instructor or read the syllabus carefully regarding turning in assignments.
Again please, if your syllabus is not clear about how to reach an instructor or if you have not gotten a response to your work, please call or e-mail one of us in the distance learning office for help in making contact.
And finally, academic integrity means being honest and responsible in your schoolwork. The policies on academic integrity, including plagiarism, are the same for students taking Online classes as they are for every other class.