Welcome to the orientation for online students. This orientation will answer the following questions:
How do I log in?
When will I see my classes?
What software/hardware do I need?
How can I prepare my web browser?
Are there any “gotchas” I can avo
To log into the system, use the web address (URL) www.pstcc.edu/online
Before you log in each semester, you must change your password. There is a link on the page to take you to the password change page.
Students who have registered before the start of classes will see their courses in the online environment the day classes begin. Students who have registered late or added a class after the start of the semester will see these changes in one business day.
You will need a Computer – PC or Mac
For the PC, you can use the following operating systems. Windows 98/ ME / 2000 / 2003/ XP, which is recommended /Vista
For the Macintosh, you can use MacOS X (up to 10.4)
You will need a web browser, this is the software you use to access any page on the world wide web.
For PCs, you can use Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7,, Firefox 2.0
For the Macintosh, you can use these browsers Firefox 2.0 (recommended), Safari 2.0, Safari
For most web courses, you will certainly need a Word Processor. The campus standard is Microsoft Word. If you have something different, consult with your instructors about formats that will work for them.
For many of our courses, you might also need to have flash and Sun Java installed. If you need them, the links will be provided.
There is some software that is required for specific classes. Some examples include
SPAN – audio recording software
DPSM – math software
OST – TOM/SAMS
WEB – course specific
READ THE SYLLABUS for specific cours
Visiting the specs page mentioned earlier will give you other settings to check on your browser. Javascript, popup blocking software and screen resolution are the most important things to check.
The easiest way to check is to use the Browser Check link located on the specs page and the course log in page.
Let’s look at some gotchas that past students have shared with us. We have both technical and non-technical gotchas.
From a technical standpoint, there are a few gotchas. A very common gotcha is using Microsoft Works rather than Word. It is important to note that faculty cannot open Microsoft Works files. These files end with a .wps extension rather than a .doc extention. You can get around this by using the Save As command to save your file as Word or as a Rich Text Format. This tip works for all word processors as well.
While we are migrating to the new version of Office on campus, there are still faculty who do not have that version yet. You may be asked to use the Save As function inside Office 2007 to create Word files that can be opened by older versions of Word.
If you have taken online classes before using WebCT or Blackboard, this system has a different approach to email than those systems. It is important that you set up your email at the beginning of the term to make best use of the system. Below this presentation is a link to a Student Quick Reference card. Download the Student Reference Card and follow the Set up instructions for email.
The calendar is also a bit different. The default view is the daily view. If nothing is scheduled on that day, it can make the calendar appear to be empty. Use the tabs at the top of the calendar tool to move between weekly and monthly views for both course and college calendars.
Successful online students have told us that the secret to their success was developing a good work habit towards their courses. Procrastination will really hurt you online. Even though the schedule is flexible, you still will need a schedule. Plan study time
Stick to schedule
Keep up in class
Assignments
Communication (email/discussio
The Support Site for Online Teaching and Learning has handouts, video tutorials and more information to help you be successful in your online courses. The site is www.pstcc.edu/online/
Good luck with your online classes!!