Online and Hybrid Courses
A fully online course
"It's the first day of the new semester, I'm ready - now what?"
Unlike in a traditional in-seat class, you won't have a specific time and place to "meet". You will use Blackboard as your classroom, and when you log-in, you may be the only one access the course site at that time - or you may not know if anyone else is also logged-in. If you are new to online learning, this may feel strange at first, but you'll soon realize that it's one of the advantages of taking an online course: most of the time, you can access the course materials and discussion when it is convenient to you. Online learning provides for flexible scheduling.
| Find your course |
A fully online course will not have a specific "start" time the same way a traditional on-campus meeting class will. You should access your course site in Blackboard no later than the first day of the new semester and look for the announcement and any instructions from your professor. Your professor should guide you to the course syllabus and any directions for getting started.
Be sure to check your GVSU gmail account in the days before the new semester begins!
You may receive an email from your professor with instructions prior to the course beginning. If you do not receive pre-class correspondence from your professor, don't panic! Go to Blackboard and log-in with your username and password. If it is the first day of a new semester, you should see your course listed and can click on the link to access your course site. There you will find instructions from your professor for getting started. If you are registered in Banner and do not see your course before the first day of classes, feel free to email your professor if you are concerned, or wait until the first day of classes to look again.
| Meet your classmates |
You may be asked to post an introduction on the course discussion board (learn about the discussion board). That will be a great place to "meet" your classmates, so be sure to check back often as new classmates join you. This is all typically done at your convenience, which is the value of the online course. Although your course will likely be paced similarly to an on campus course, you have the flexibility of being "in class" when it is convenient to you. This means that you can access the course content, the class discussion, and other aspects of the course at any time, 24/7.
| "Live" Classroom |
Your professor may request one or more "synchronous" class meetings. This means that, using an online technology, such as Wimba Classroom, you will log-in to the course site at the same time as everyone else and access a link to a "classroom." If you have participated in any online webinars, you will find that this is similar. If you have a webcam, then your professor and your classmates will be able to see you when you talk. You will be able to see others who have webcams when they talk. With a microphone, you can speak and be heard. Although a microphone is recommended, there is also text-chat available. Links for previewing this tool are available in the Blackboard tutorial. There are also resources to walk you through this process and a 24/7 Help Line should you need it. You will probably find the technology to be very useful in your online learning experience.
| Next |
What can I expect from a hybrid course?
Page last modified June 14, 2010
