| Question |
Answer |
| What is
online learning? Which courses are offered online? |
Just like traditional on-campus courses, all online courses are
taught by an instructor with whom you communicate on a regular basis.
Most courses also have textbook requirements. Most courses require you
to log into Blackboard frequently to read content and presentations, submit
assignments, take quizzes, tests, and exams, participate in discussions,
and more. You should expect to log in several times each week.
In general, online courses fulfill the same general
education and transferability requirements as regular courses, but
the courses are delivered via alternative modes such as the internet, video,
CD-ROM, or any combination, sometimes with on-campus meetings. Coursework
can be completed at the campus, at home, or almost anywhere--flexibility
is key. Students don't necessarily need to be technical (although for
fully online courses you should be at ease using the internet and have
an email account), but they do need to have the discipline
to complete their coursework according to the guidelines set by the instructor.
To view a current schedule of all distance education courses, return to the Online Learning homepage, then click on
the appropriate menu link on the left. |
|
Whom do I contact/Where do I go if I need help
with online courses? |
|
| Do online courses fulfill General
Education requirements? Are they transferable? |
In general, online courses fulfill
the same general education and transferability requirements as regular
courses, but there are exceptions.
To
find out if a specific course meets GE or transferability requirements,
check the Counseling office GE and transferability lists. |
| Would an online course
work for me?
Are online courses easier than regular courses? |
Students
often have the misconception that online courses are easier than regular
on-campus courses or do not require textbooks. Not true! Online courses
go through an additional review process and can
be just as demanding, if not more so, than regular courses. Just like
traditional courses, the level of ease/difficulty of the course depends
on many factors, such as how the instructor designed the course and
and the learning style of the student.
To be successful in an online
course, students must have the discipline to stay on track with coursework.
You don't necessarily need to be very technical to succeed in an
online course, but you must have
your own email account. You also need to be able to
navigate the Internet
and know how to send email with
attachments.
To learn more about taking online courses,
you can also:
|
|
How does an online course work?
What is a hybrid course?
Will I ever need to come to campus? How
do I enroll/begin? |
You must have an email account
and internet access to take an online course. Students
log into a web-based course management system such as Blackboard several
times a week to submit assignments, take quizzes, and communicate with
the instructor and classmates (usually in a discussion board).
You log in at your own convenience, though at least twice a day is
advised.
Most importantly, you need self-discipline
to log in several times each week,
study your textbook(s), and complete all assignments and quizzes as
directed by your instructor.
It is possible that you will not need
to come to campus at all unless you are enrolled in a hybrid course that
requires several on-campus meetings per semester. Other online courses
may have two required on-campus meetings (an initial orientation as well
as a final meeting). Check the schedule of classes for
dates, times, and locations.
How to Enroll:
During the regular registration
period, you register just as you would for a regular class, online through
CLASS-Web. If the class if full,
read How do I contact the instructor?How to Begin an Online or Hybrid Course:
-
Review the details of the online course(s) for which you are registered. Make
sure that you:
- Verify the start date (some are late-start classes!)
- Check for any required on-campus meetings or any other
requirements.
- (Optional) If you are trying to find out information about an online
course before the term begins, you can check to see if your instructor has a website that you can access before the
class begins--this is prior to logging into
Blackboard. If you don't
know your instructor's name, locate your course and the instructor name in
CLASS-Web.
Note that
many instructors won't have a website to
view before you will login to Blackboard. In that case, don't worry about it;
your instructor has probably put all readings and other information you will need on the course's Blackboard site,
which you will be able to access once the course begins.
- Then, on the date your course is scheduled to begin (or a few days
before, if the instructor has made the course site available) follow the steps for
Logging in to Blackboard.
Please be sure to only bookmark this page
http://clpccd.blackboard.com. Bookmarking this page will prevent
common login problems.
|
|
Access Codes / Instructional Materials Fees |
Some instructors require students to purchase an access code (often
along with the required text book) that unlocks digital resources
required for the class. Example include resources from McGrawHill
Connect, Cengage, and MyMathLab. These resources will then become
available either within Blackboard or on the textbook publisher's web
site throughout the semester. Most instructors, however, do not require
an access code.
Should your instructor require one, students typically have some
options on how to purchase it (these differ according to the publisher):
- The code often comes shrink wrapped with a new text, or
- It might be purchased separately from a used text at the
bookstore, or
- It might be purchased separately on the publisher web site with
a credit card.
If there is an access code fee for your course, your instructor will
let you know at the beginning of the class.
|
I'm trying to add, but the class is full or has
already begun. What can I do?
|
Prior to the class starting,
you will have to keep checking CLASS-Web
in case any students have dropped the class. Once the course begins, you
can contact the instructor to find out if
he or she is adding additional students. If the instructor is adding
additional students, he/she needs to provide you with a four-digit
add-authorization number which CLASS-Web
will ask for when you try to register for the class. If it is an online
course, you can try emailing the instructor. If it is an on-campus
course, try attending the first class meeting.
|
|
I'm enrolled in a course, so why isn't there a link to it when I login to Blackboard? |
Not all instructors use Blackboard sites for their courses. For
example, you may be enrolled in one class that has a Blackboard site
and two classes that do not.
If your instructor never mentions a Blackboard course site, most
likely your course does not have one. |
| Are there computer labs on campus available for me to use? |
The
Chabot College Library offers an open computer lab for ALL Chabot
students. While use of this lab is free, you must have your W number.
The fee for printing is 10 cents per page via the GoPrint pay-for-print
system.
Please note: The
Disabled Students Resource Center (DSRC) also offers a computer lab
for students who require the use of adaptive technology. The DSRC is
located in building 2400. |
|
Does Chabot offer discounts to students to purchase computers or
software? |
Students may purchase
academic or educational versions of many popular software titles at the
Chabot College Bookstore. The Bookstore also has computers and
accessories (such as USB Flash Drives) available for student purchase.
The
bookstore partners with JourneyEd, where you will find great educational
discounts saving up to 85% commercial software list prices. For more information, please visit the
Chabot College Bookstore located in building 3800.
|
|
How do I find books for my online class? |
Your instructor will let you know what textbooks to use
(if any) by contacting you before the course officially
begins or once the course has begun, usually via the
syllabus.
The easiest place to find your textbook for a
class at Chabot is the Chabot College Bookstore. You can
order most books and supplies online. For more info, you
should contact the
Chabot College Bookstore.
If you have online classes from another college
(particularly Las Positas, which is part of the same
community college
district as Chabot), you should know that the Chabot and Las Positas
Bookstores operate independently. In other words, you
may not be able to find books you need for a course at
Chabot in the LPC bookstore.
|
|
What is the drop policy for online/hybrid
courses? |
Policies and procedures for dropping online/hybrid
courses are the same as for regular classes, as detailed
on page 41 of the 2010-2012 Chabot College Catalog.
For complete information on drop
policies and procedures, please consult the
Chabot College Catalog. |
Student Email | College Index
