Online courses provide considerably more freedom than face-to-face courses, allowing you to choose when and where you participate in class activities. However, you will have the same kinds of deadlines and structured responsibilities of a face-to-face class – assignments must be completed by due dates and regular participation in online discussions is necessary to fully engage in the learning process.
You will find that online learning can be very powerful because of the interaction and creativity of the students. If you are a self-directed and independent learner, you are willing and able to communicate ideas and projects in written format and you can navigate in the web environment, you will succeed in this learning environment. It is highly recommended that you read the Scoring Guides for the different assignments so that you are familiar with the details of the expectations for each.
Academic Regulations
Every student is responsible for knowing the academic regulations and for observing the procedures that govern his or her relations with Oregon State University. Unless otherwise specified, these regulations apply to both undergraduate and graduate students. Any question regarding these regulations that cannot be answered by a student’s academic advisor should be referred directly to the Office of the Registrar. Additional information regarding Graduate School policies should be addressed to the Office of the Graduate Dean. http://catalog.oregonstate.edu/ChapterDetail.aspx?key=75
Participation Requirements
Plan to spend 10-12 hours per week on each course – reading, conceptualizing, preparing assignments, posting your ideas and research on the Discussion Board, and responding to the postings of other students. The course content is organized by the week, but you should login to the course site on Blackboard each day to keep up with the ongoing discussions. Most students who drop out of online courses do so because they fall behind and become lost and disconnected. Don’t let this happen to you – check in daily!
Instructor Assistance
Your instructor will also login to the course site on Blackboard daily (unless otherwise noted) to monitor the activities and respond to discussion items. You can expect your instructor to respond to your specific emails within 24-48 hours.
Netiquette
Remember that your fellow students will read everything you post, so please be accurate, appropriate, and courteous. Your readers cannot see your emotions or tone, so be careful to clarify humor, irony, and sarcasm so you won’t be misunderstood. Also remember that the course is a professional academic setting, so your postings should reflect your graduate level standing. Use complete sentences and proper grammar, cite your sources, and offer your best thinking. On the other hand, please be forgiving of typos or incompletely developed ideas. We all make mistakes, we are all learning, and we all deserve more than one chance to express evolving positions and opinions. Be kind with criticism – and your classmates will be kind with theirs. And finally, concise and focused is better than long and rambling. You will read dozens, if not hundreds, of posted comments during this course, and it takes time to download them – let alone read them all.
Plagiarism
You are expected to submit your own work in all your assignments, postings to the discussion board, and other communications, and to clearly give credit to the work of others when you use it. Academic dishonesty will result in a grade of “F”.
Incompletes
There is no effective way to make up an online class. Once the class is over, potential for discussion, which is an integral part of the grade, is gone. Please do not expect or request an “incomplete” grade unless there are extenuating circumstances, and note that any request may be denied.
Withdrawals
Students may withdraw from a course with a W grade after the tenth day of classes and through the end of the seventh week of classes. After the seventh week of classes, students are expected to complete the program attempted and will receive letter grades (A, B, C, D, F, I, S, U, P, N) for all courses in which enrolled unless they officially withdraw from the university. Procedures for withdrawal from individual courses are outlined in the term Schedule of Classes.
Blackboard Assistance
The different sections of the course are accessible through the navigation buttons. Please explore! You must learn how to post messages, cut and paste text from your word processor, save and print Blackboard pages, and access and send emails. If you have questions about how to access the course content or submit assignments, contact your instructor. If you are having difficulty with OSU Helpdesk, don’t have an ONID or Exchange email account, or require immediate assistance, please call OSU Computer Helpdesk, during work hours, at (541) 737-3474 or go to Technology Support Services at http://tss.oregonstate.edu/OCH/
“Ask Ecampus”
For a variety of general questions, go to “Ask Ecampus”. Type in a question and get an immediate response from the online Knowledge Base.
Disabilities
If you have a documented disability and need accommodations, please consult with your instructor at the beginning of the term. Course content will be made available to you in an accessible format upon your request.
Course Evaluation
We encourage you to engage in the course evaluation process each term – online, of course. The evaluation form will be available toward the end of each term, and you will be sent instructions by Ecampus. You will login to Student Online Services to respond to the online questionnaire. The results on the form are anonymous and are not tabulated until after grades are posted.
