Orientation for Internet Students

The following orientation is required for all students enrolled in Internet courses. This is an orientation to Internet-based Distance Learning at TCC. Please note that your instructor may have an additional required course orientation.

Part 1: Are You Suited for an Internet-based (online) Distance Learning Course?

The term distance learning is a generic term that refers to any learning that takes place when instructors and students are not in the same location at the same time. Internet-based or online learning is a form of distance learning that primarily uses the Internet for content delivery, communication, interaction, and assignment submission.

Learning with the Internet as the primary source of contact with the instructor and the course content means that the student must have certain skills and work habits to be successful. Please take the following online self-assessment to help determine your suitability for online distance learning.

Click here to access the online self-assessment. It will open in a new window. After completing the self-assessment, close the self-assessment window to return to this page.

Part 2: What Should You Expect from a TCC Online Course?

The following items outline important facts about the nature of Internet-based distant learning. You should be aware of these facts before enrolling in a distance education course.

	Distance learning (regardless of the type: online, telecourse, or tapes-at-home course) requires the student to be an independent worker. Some students relish this independence while others are less comfortable with it and miss the face-to-face experience.
	Freedom from appearing for face-to-face class sessions is a double-edged sword. Although this freedom is liberating, it also requires more self-discipline on the student’s part than a campus-based class experience. Some students find it difficult to create their own work schedule to keep up with weekly class work.
	The time allowed to complete a distance-education course is often the same as the time allowed to complete a face-to-face class (e.g., 16 weeks per semester). Because most distance education courses require a lot more reading and writing, students in distance education courses may find them to be more time-intensive to complete.
	Distance education courses often require students to use a variety of technologies. All tools can be frustrating when you first learn how to use them. If technology frustrates you and you find temporary problems or inconveniences overwhelming, this might be a difficult classroom environment for you.
	Some distance education courses require a significant amount of student-to-student interactions; however, these interactions are quite different from the ones that occur in face-to-face classes since they are usually done in writing. Some students find written interactions difficult, while others find them more rewarding than the kind of communication that occurs in a traditional classroom.
	Most distance-education courses require a significant amount of written instructions. Some students find this appealing because instructions are displayed clearly. Other students find this difficult because they learn more from hearing a teacher explain directions and because they find it tedious to read so much.
	Distance education learners need to know how to ask for help. In other words, distance education students should be assertive enough to send an email to the course instructor (or to another student), post a question to the class discussion board, or pick up the telephone when questions arise that must be addressed.
	Some students will put off the work in a distance course when personal or professional obligations arise. They feel that the distance course can be done "anytime" and that these other obligations are more important. It is really important to set a time aside to work on your distance course, making your class schedule a priority that cannot be deferred.
	Some students find it difficult to remember that there is really an instructor connected with every distance education course. Even if you don’t ever meet your professor face-to-face, that person is an integral part of the course, wanting your interactions and awaiting your participation in class.
	Expressing yourself in writing becomes very important with most distance-education courses. Almost all course communication occurs through writing. If you are not a particularly good typist or if you don't like to write, then you might find distance education courses an uneasy fit for you.

Information from UAA Online: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/

Part 3: What Are the Technical Requirements for a TCC Online Course?

TCC Internet Classes Require:
Internet access A valid email account Internet Explorer 6 or greater (available free on the Microsoft site) The browser MUST have 128 bit encryption. intermediate Internet skills intermediate word processing skills	PLEASE NOTE: Specific course requirements are included within the course syllabus and will supersede these general course requirements.
Click here to view the specific requirements.

Part 4: How Will You Communicate with Your Instructor? (MyTCC EMAIL!!)

TCC Provides Email

TCC provides free email for students. (mytcc.tulsacc.edu) Your MyTCC email address is automatically entered in your Blackboard courses. All communication from your instructors will be sent to this email address. You will not be able to change your email address in the Blackboard system. Follow the link below for information on how to access your MyTCC email account.

The Quick Start document:
http://www.tulsacc.edu/dl/faculty/tcc_email_student1.doc

Part 5: How Will You Know What Your Assignments Are? How Will You Turn Them In? (MS Office)

Your assignments and all other course information will be found in the online classroom (Blackboard). How your assignments are delivered and how you submit them will vary from class to class depending on your instructor.

Viewing Your Assignments

Submitting Your Assignments

Some assignments will be HTML documents that can be read with your web browser (like you are reading this page), others will be documents created with a word processor, spreadsheet, or presentation software.

Assignments must be submitted in a file format that can be read by your instructors. Each course will have its own specific requirements, but generally documents that can be read by the Microsoft Office software is required.

In general, Microsoft WORKS, WordPerfect, Wordpad, and Notepad WILL NOT WORK for viewing or submitting assignments. Please check your instructor's requirements!!

Microsoft Office is a free download for TCC students.

Login to Blackboard
Go to Organization tab
Search for: software
Click Enroll button and follow on-screen instructions

Part 6: When Can You Access Your Class?

Sixteen week classes will be available on the first day of the semester as published in the course schedule. Classes that meet fewer than 16 weeks will be available on the date published in the course schedule.

Course instructors are responsible for making their classes available to their students. Some instructors "turn on" their courses before the date published in the course schedule; some do not.

Part 7: What is the Online Classroom Like? (Blackboard)

The Blackboard Student Orientation will familiarize you with the online classroom so that you will be ready to begin your course work.

TCC's Blackboard site is a secure site. It has the same level of security as the Student Web. You will need to use Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater (available free on Internet) The browser MUST have 128 bit encryption.

Complete the Blackboard Student Orientation:
Click here to go to the Blackboard Student Orientation. You will be logged on as a guest user. In order to see your courses, you will need to logon according to the directions below.

Part 8: Where is MY Online Classroom? (Blackboard)

To Logon to the Blackboard Course Site:
The online classroom (Blackboard) can be accessed at https://bb.tulsacc.edu. It will be helpful to bookmark (make a favorite) this site.

Once you get to the Blackboard site, you will see a login area. You will need to login to access your individual course sites. You use the same information to login to Blackboard that you use to login to the Student Web.

USERNAME: your 8-digit student ID (the same number you use to log on to the Student Web)
PASSWORD: the same password you use to access the Student Web - the default password is your 6-digit birth date (MMDDYY)

Remember: your courses may not show up on your "Course" list until the first day of classes as published in the course schedule. You may double-check your enrollment status on the Student Web.