HOW IS ONLINE DIFFERENT FROM ON CAMPUS?

There is not much difference between a traditional, classroom-based course and an online course. Both types of classes run for about 15 weeks. You will do many of the same activities online that you would do in a traditional class: read texts, take notes, answer questions, write papers, and have discussions.

The significant difference between the two types of classes is that, instead of meeting in a classroom at a specific time each week throughout the semester, you, your classmates and your professor will be connected via the University's Blackboard Learning System CE 6 (BLS CE6). The fully online courses offered by the University at Albany are asynchronous. "Asynchronous" means "not at the same time." In an asynchronous environment like Blackboard, conversations are posted, one at a time, so that each person sees what all the previous participants have written. This differs from the "synchronous" environment of the traditional class session. Therefore, you will not have to "go" to your online class at a scheduled time each week, but you will have to meet scheduled deadlines throughout the semester. Asynchronous learning is not "self-paced" learning. Progress through each section or "modules" of the online course is scheduled throughout the semester. You will have to finish each module on time. Although you can complete your assignments at any time of the day, you must complete them by specific dates during the semester.

Each online course and online instructor will be different. As a general practice, plan on spending at least 12-15 hours a week on each of your online classes. You may prefer "going to class" early in the morning or after dinner. You may even find yourself logging on at different times each week. As long as you progress through each module on time, it doesn't matter when you do your coursework during the week.

WHAT  DO I NEED?

You will need:

• Any computer with an operating system that allows you to connect to the internet (Windows, Mac, etc).
• An Internet connection to the web (high-speed preferable).
• A BLS CE6 certified/compatible web browser--click here for details: http://www2.blackboard.com/tuneup/viewpage?name=tuneup_browser_tuneup_information#supported .
• Word processing software installed on the computer for creating documents. It must have the capability to save files in Rich Text Format (RTF)
• Completion of the BLS "Check Browser."  You may need to adjust your browser and personal firewall settings for the bls.its.albany.edu website
• Optional: A printer will allow you to print out documents, such as the syllabus, course schedule, or assignments.
• Course specific software/hardware: Check with your online course professor to determine whether course assignments may require you to use additional software and hardware. (i.e., Office2000, Office2003, or equivalent in Mac OS software), scanner, spreadsheet software, etc. Some professors include this information within the View Course Information area of the BLS login page.

The ITS HelpDesk staff are available to answer your technical questions. You can contact the HelpDesk by phone (518-442-3700) or web (http://www.albany.edu/its/help).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please visit the following link for further information about Blackboard:

http://www.albany.edu/its/bls/index.htm