Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library

Frequently Asked Questions About

LearnOnline Adult Education

How do I take a Distance Learning Course On-Line?

Take a course on the Internet Super Highway	Travel often on business? Kids at home? Transportation a problem? These courses could be perfect for you! The content and requirements for on-line courses are the same as for the courses taught on campus - only the delivery method is different. Lecture notes, essays, assignments, exams, and other materials will be exchanged by computer over the Internet.
Computer Online Courses	The computer on-line courses bring you classes via e-mail and the Internet. Using any computer with a modem and communications software, computer course students will dial into the Internet for assignments, lecture notes, and discussions with the instructor and other students. Essays, exams, and all other materials will be exchanged by computer. You can take the course from home, from work, or from anywhere in the world where you can access the Internet.
Questions and Answers	How do these courses differ from a traditional course? The only difference between a Distance Learning Course and a traditional course is the method of delivery.  As with any adult education course, you must complete reading assignments, take tests, and participate in other activities.  The video or audio program is really just the "lecture" part of the regular class. Can I repeat a module or lecture during the course? Yes. You can repeat any part of a course, as many times you feel it is necessary to learn the material. All courses will be closed 1 week after the last day of class.  Then your password will be deactivated.  Check your Homeroom area for your expiration date.  That is the date your password will be deactivated. Will I receive a certificate indicating that I have taken a course at BOCES? Certificates of participation are issued to all continuing education students in instructor-led courses who have successfully completed a course. To be eligible for a certificate, you must participate in 80% of the on line class sessions and have an instructor’s recommendation stating that you have completed all other course requirements with an average grade of 80%. Your certificate will be mailed to you. Can these courses be used for Employee Tuition Reimbursement? A: It is solely up to your employer. We will provide you with a receipt upon payment for the class.   Q: How long are your courses? A: Each course length varies from 1 week up to 12 weeks. Check the on-line catalog for the length of the course you are interested in. Q: What happens if I'll be away on business/vacation during part of an instructor-led class? A: No problem!  There's a ten-day grace period built right into each of our quizzes and final exams.  As long as you can live with that ten-day time frame, you can read each lesson at your leisure, and complete each assignment when it is convenient for you. That's the beauty of taking an online course--they're designed to fit your schedule--not your instructor's! If you start to fall behind, Western Suffolk BOCES is more than willing to grant you an automatic two-week extension at any time. You are not required to attach a reason to your extension request, but BOCES can grant no more than one extension per course.  You will be given instructions on how to request an extension when your course begins. Q: How will I receive my lessons, quizzes and assignments? A: Each course comes complete with an online Homeroom. You will be able to use your web browser to access the online classroom and obtain your lessons, tutorials, demonstrations, reference materials, quizzes, and assignments. Q: What happens if I have a question? A: For Instructor-led courses your homeroom area has a message board area attached. When you need help with a lesson, all you have to do is post your question or inquiry in the appropriate course discussion area, where the instructor, his or her teaching assistant, or one of your fellow students will respond. You also can send an email to your instructor or participate in a live chat session. Self-paced Tutorials - E-mail only. Q: May I respond to other students' discussion area questions? A: Western Suffolk BOCES is firmly convinced that the best way to learn a new skill is to teach it to others.  If you know the answer to a discussion area question, you are strongly encouraged to offer your assistance. Q: Your classes all seem to require the Netscape Navigator, Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser. What about the browser that comes with America Online? A: If you're using America Online version 4 (or greater), you'll be fine. Otherwise, it depends on the class. The old browser that came with AOL version 3 is acceptable in most classes, except 'Web Page Design', 'Advanced Web Design', 'JavaScript', 'Java Programming for the Web', and 'Creating Web Graphics'.  If you plan on taking one of these classes, you should download the free Netscape or Microsoft browser, or you can install the free version 4 upgrade that AOL should have sent you by now. Q: Do we get a letter grade for our assignments and final? A: No.  This is a non-credit course, so no letter grades are given.  You will either receive a "Complete" or an "Incomplete". Q: How is taking an Internet course different from reading a computer book? A: Like books, much of the information in our Internet courses will be conveyed to you in writing.  But the similarities between books and our Internet workshops end there.  Specifically, we believe that computer skills are best acquired by incorporating hands-on experience with information and expert advice. Each of our lessons comes complete with a quiz that has been carefully designed to reinforce the material covered in your lesson.   Each quiz will be evaluated instantly and returned to you.  In addition, many of your lessons will be accompanied with assignments that are designed to give you practical hands-on experience with the material covered in your course.  After you complete each assignment, you will be provided with all the information you need to self-evaluate your work and assess your own strengths and weaknesses. What’s more, our workshops are crafted to exploit the interactive nature of the Internet, virtually ensuring that all of your course-related questions are answered!   During the course, you will remain in contact with your instructor, his or her teaching assistant, and your fellow students.  Although most computer books are great at force-feeding you expert advice, none can give you the practical experience and level of interaction delivered by just one of our Internet workshops!  Because of the frenzied rate of change in the computer industry, keeping up with technology is becoming exceedingly difficult.  Since many computer books are written many months before they are published, much of the material in these books is often out-of-date by the time the books hit the store shelves. The dynamic nature of the Internet makes it easy for us to frequently update the material you receive so that our Internet workshops are as timely, topical, and up-to-date as today’s newspaper! Q: How is taking an Internet course different from classroom instruction? A: In today’s fast-paced world, many of us find it difficult to take time away from work and family to attend school.  One of the primary advantages of our Internet workshops is that you can "attend class" in the comfort and convenience of your own home and office.  All you have to do is log into your online classroom when you are good and ready to read your lessons, complete your quizzes and assignments, or communicate with your instructor and fellow students.  Our Internet courses fit into your schedule: you can take them before breakfast, during lunch, late at night, or at any other time you find convenient--the choice is yours!  Please understand that online courses are not for everybody.  Although you will remain in constant contact with your instructor and your classmates through the course discussion areas, learning over the Internet is essentially a solitary activity.  If you crave face-to-face interaction or cannot take the responsibility to complete your lessons in a timely manner, you will probably fare better in a classroom environment. Q: How is taking an Internet workshop different from video-based instruction? A: Again, our Internet workshops are designed to exploit the dynamic and interactive nature of the Internet, ensuring that our courses are more up-to-date and more relevant to your needs than video-based instruction.  In addition, the material covered in, for example, any of our six-week courses are far more detailed and comprehensive than any information that can be delivered in a one-hour videotape costing roughly the same amount. What is the refund policy? There will be no refunds unless the class is cancelled. What are the system requirements I will need to take an on-line course? System System Requirements Minimum requirements: 90MHz Intel Pentium processor or equivalent, 16MB of RAM, 28.8Kpbs modem (video), 16-bit sound card and speakers, 65,000-color video display card (video), Windows 95 operating system, Internet connection and web browser. Supported Browsers To get the most benefit from the course, it is recommend that you have a World Wide Web browser installed. The World Wide Web browsers listed below are currently supported. For the best performance, please use the latest browser available. The following list of browsers have been tested this is the minimum requirement: Netscape Navigator 4.5+ Note Netscape 6.0 is not support as of yet. America Online for 4.0+ Microsoft Internet Explorer 4+ Plug-Ins Our on-line courses require 3 plug-ins and all of the plug-ins are free.  To see if your browser is ready, put it to the test by clicking on the “Sample Lesson and Browser Test” link at: http://www.careerlearn.com Information For AOL Browser Users If you are running AOL 4.0+ You should be okay.
Register for a Course	How do I register? If you are interested in taking a distance-learning course, you may register in person at the Information Desk of the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library. Money orders only will be accepted. Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library 407 William Floyd Parkway Shirley, N.Y. 117967 631-399-1511, ext.: 240 What do I do after I register? 1. Within a week after you register at the Library, you will receive via email, a welcome letter, which includes your username, and your password. 2. Log on to the Internet and type in the following Internet address http://www.communitylibrary.org/rasd/Learn Online/ This will take you to the Online Education portion of the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library site. Then, click the "Registered Users Login Here” At the Blackboard Welcome Page, click on the “Login” button to the upper left. 3. Enter your username and password. This will bring you to the next page where you will then click the "Continue" button. 4. When you are ready to take your course, click on the "Homeroom" button. Enter your username and password, and then click the "Log me in" button. 5. The homeroom is where your student information is located. If you scroll down the page you will see the course(s) you registered for. Click on the name of your course to begin a lesson.  Click on "Course Details" to bring up your transcript.   All test grades are posted here. 6. The student handbook (in the lesson section) will outline how to take a course online. It is suggested you read this section; it will clear up any questions you may have. Pay special attention to the browser plug-ins that you will need to take an on-line course. 7. If you ever get lost click on the "Home" button to begin again. Don’t forget to read the System Requirements section located in the navigational bar on the opening page marked "OS requirements" to make sure you have the proper software installed on your system.

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