Online Orientation
The online orientation is designed to guide you through the registration process, and provide the student with useful information to be successful in online programs for the School of Management at Texas Womans University.
Online courses require a different approach to learning in that they require students to be proactive.
Students meet three Saturdays in the traditional face-to-face meeting format with the remainder of learning at times convenient to your personal schedule.
Keep in mind, however, that you are not free of any time restraints.
Online courses have specific deadlines for assignments and tests.
You cannot be silent in an online class and expect to do well. Also, the online environment can be very different from the face-to-face world.
Proper "netiquette" can help us conduct ourselves in a respectful and polite manner.
When it comes to learning, it is our commitment to provide you with the necessary tools to be successful.
Tips for success -
Quickstart Tips
Orientation Booklet - 3pages
Quickstart Guide - 21 pages
Online Interaction -- Introduction
A significant difference between the online classroom and the traditional classroom environment is that in the online classroom most communication takes place through writing.
What does this mean to you, the online student?
This shift in classroom communication can have many benefits:
the written communication you share with your classmates and instructor can actually lead to better relationships and higher quality learning.
Written communication can enable you to get to know your instructor and classmates on a deep, rather than just a superficial, level.
Additionally, communicating through the written word enables you to think through your ideas thoroughly before presenting them.
You have the opportunity to not only revisit your ideas and modify them, but also to spend the time to make sure your communication expresses exactly what you want to say.
Some writing skill is required to take advantage of these benefits.
You must feel comfortable expressing yourself in writing.
If your writing abilities are limited, you may need to take some additional writing classes before or as part of your online learning experience.
It will also be helpful for you to be familiar with the various online communication tools:
chat, the discussion board, and email.
Additionally, you should also be familiar with Netiquette--the way one communicates on the web.
Orientation Booklet - 3pages
Quickstart Guide - 21 pages
Discussion Boards
Many online courses utilize a discussion board.
Discussion boards are a form of group communication that enables you to participate when it is convenient for you rather than at a scheduled time.
The discussion board in Blackboard is text-based and enables students and instructors to post and reply to messages.
The discussion board groups messages (threads) that relate to the same topic into forums.
Each forum consists of discussion threads and replies to those threads.
Everyone's response is displayed for everyone else to see.
Perhaps you are interested in a response written by one of your classmates.
You can post a message that relates to what your classmate has written and engage in a dialogue.
Don't be surprised if you discover responses to what you've written from several of your classmates!
Chats, discussion boards and email make online classes a truly interactive way to learn - often more interactive than participating in a traditional class.
Orientation Booklet - 3pages
Quickstart Guide - 21 pages
Virtual Chat
Some classes will take advantage of a form of online (live) communication called chat sessions.
You will be given complete instructions on what to do if your class will be participating in chats.
A chat session is like a classroom discussion because the instructor and students are all participating at the same time.
But unlike a classroom discussion, you are all working in separate locations from your own computers.
As you can imagine, this can sometimes be a little confusing.
You will need to think on your feet (or fingers) and type quickly to express your thoughts as you're thinking them.
Chats can be hard to follow.
Since each contribution displays when its writer finishes typing, it is easy for conversations to be out of order.
Experienced instructors find ways to remedy this: for example, your instructor might ask students to indicate when they have something to say and then call on them to speak (type) so the conversation can be more easily followed.
The advantage of chats is that they allow people in separate locations to communicate with one another in real time.
Orientation Booklet - 3pages
Quickstart Guide - 21 pages
Email
Unlike chat sessions and discussion boards, email is normally used to communicate with individuals rather than groups.
Email is a great way to communicate at times that are convenient both for you and the person to whom you're writing.
It is almost a certainty that you will be using email to communicate with your instructor and classmates.
Email does have its limitations.
It takes some savvy to use it well.
Here are some things to keep in mind about email.
Double check to whom you're sending email. It can be embarrassing when an email that you meant for one person ends up being read by others. It goes without saying that you will want to avoid this mistake.
Using all capital letters in email is equivalent to shouting. Avoid it whenever possible.
Make sure that you use a meaningful subject line so that your readers will have a clear idea of what your message contains.
Don't forward others' messages without asking first. While you should always write your email messages assuming others whom you don't know may see them, it is considered very rude to forward someone else's message without asking their permission.
Recognize that misunderstandings are more common with email than other communication methods.
Email is best for the dissemination of facts. When you're dealing with an emotionally charged area, you may want to use the phone instead.
Check your e-mail frequently. Instructors send important course information via email.
Keep copies of your e-mail correspondence, either on paper or stored on a disk. You can use it to review an answer to a question without having to send another e-mail to your instructor.
Orientation Booklet - 3pages
Quickstart Guide - 21 pages
