FAQs

Unless otherwise stated, you must complete all course requirements for an online course by the end of the semester. Many instructors will place the final deadline several days before the end of the semester. The extra days are needed for grading purposes.

Unless otherwise stated, you may not begin the course before the start of the semester. Keep in mind that the system will automatically enter you into the course database at the beginning of the term.

Some instructors do require you to come to campus to take all the exams, some of the exams (i.e. midterm and final) or they let you take them all from home. The instructor will let you know what the guidelines are in the course syllabus.

Generally, the online courses are setup in units with assignments from each unit due by a specified date. Reading assignments are still based on your textbook. Your quizzes and other written assignment are done online. Discussion is an important part of many classes. The discussion feature is like a bulletin board where there is a record of all postings. You may be expected to post your own comments as well as respond to other students' ideas and opinions. You may email your instructor any time if you have a question.

When surveyed, students responded that an online course is just as much work as an on-campus course and that it may even take more time to do the actual coursework. However, they also responded that the convenience of working at home and on their own schedule was well worth the extra effort.

When you enter your course on the first day of class the first place you should check is the content area and read the syllabus.

Most communication in an online course is done through email and the discussion board.

• The discussion board is like raising your hand in class and speaking. The entire class can read what you have written on the discussion board.
• Email is like having a private conversation with your instructor or another classmate. Only you and the person/persons you email can read what you have written.

Your instructor, the library, and instructional technology department can provide you with tips and instructions on specific course related research.

Not all learning styles suit all adults. Those students who are typically most successful at online course work are self-motivated and comfortable using a computer. If you do not mind being physically separated from other students and find your busy schedule makes it impossible to attend a traditional classroom setting, then online learning might be just right for you.

You may click on the document link to open the document. However, the best way is to right-click the link and open it in a new window, or save the file to your computer and open it (with PowerPoint you must save the file to your computer to view the PowerPoint).

You can purchase your books on campus or you can purchase them online at the DCTC Bookstore.

Your instructor should indicate the preferred method for submitting assignments. Within D2L, assignments are usually given and submitted through the dropbox. Some instructors accepts assignments via email, but remember the instructor and the course has a preferred method and may not accept them in another way.

Your instructor has the option of testing in a variety of ways. An online course might use online testing and allow off-campus testing or require that you attend campus at a specified time. Each course will indicate the requirements for testing based upon the instructor's preference. Just like the assignments in the dropbox, each quiz has a specified date and timeframe for taking.

Online courses follow the standard DCTC calendar and are usually scheduled for 16 weeks, which is the same for traditional courses. Some classes are designed to have a shorter time or have a later start date. You will want to check the master schedule on the web to verify your class's actual start and end dates. Depending upon the course however, the student may have the option of accelerating completion.

Check the course syllabus. Each course is administered as per instructor preferences. Some may require daily assignments while others may require weekly. It is important to follow the guidelines in the course syllabus.

The method used to evaluate students and procedures vary between instructors. Please review your course syllabus for grading guidelines.

Online course content is the same as a traditional course. Students tend to feel online courses are more challenging because there is no traditional class time scheduled.

The main advantage of taking an online course is the ease of attending classes anytime and anywhere.

Each course has performance expectations determined by the instructor. A basic study guideline for a traditional course is that for every hour spent in the classroom you should allow two hours outside of class for study. A three credit course would equal three hours of traditional in-class time and six hours outside of class for study purposes, a student should allow a minimum of nine hours for this course per week. The same guidelines exist for an online class.

It is the student's responsibility to meet class deadlines. Tardiness in the online environment is essentially the same for a traditional class. The instructor sets deadlines and penalties for late assignments, if they allow late assignments.

If you need to print any course documents it may work best if you have the documents by right-clicking on them and saving them to your computer. You can then open the documents and print them that way. If you are printing from PowerPoint make sure you are printing handouts with 3-6 slides on a page.

Studies have shown that failure rates in online courses are proportionally higher than in the traditional classroom due to the level of self-motivation required. With this statistic in mind, you need to remain focused on your class work and not procrastinate.

Course content questions – Instructor

• Library resource questions – Library - Michael.Kirby@dctc.edu or 651-423-8406
• Connecting to your course – Instructional Technology Center – online@dctc.edu or 651-423-8657
• Online learning questions – Instructor or Instructional Technology Center – online@dctc.edu or 651-423-8657
• Connecting to the internet – Your internet service provider (ISP)

An instructor sets the pace for an online course. Some courses are more open to students working ahead, but for the most part there are weekly assignments/quizzes/postings that need to be done.

Online courses are best suited for students who are self-motivated and independent learners. The student who needs a lot of interaction with the instructor and other students will not do well in an online course.