What is it like to take a class online?
There are three main differences between taking a class online and in a classroom:
1. You can attend class when and where you choose.
2. You interact with your instructor via internet.
3. You type your discussions rather than speak and everyone is required to participate.

Faculty may post lecture notes either written or via audio or video streaming. You will carry on discussions with the instructor and classmates using a threaded discussion board that is similar to sending email to a group of people. You can speak with faculty via email or the phone and you can watch movies from the website or check them out from a library or store. You will be required to read a text book and prepare assignments that are turned in to a digital drop box - just like attaching a document to an email. During the class, you may be referred to other websites outside Blackboard to gain resource materials, just like going to the reference room at the library.

How much time to I have to complete the course assignments?
Every course is different; some are a fairly typical learning experience where you read a text, answer questions or write a paper. Others are organized around a research project. For example:

Faculty may post the assignment on Friday night and require that you complete the tasks by the following Friday at 5 p.m. The assignment may be to read certain chapters from the text or read articles posted on the class site or some other website; then write a paper on the topic and or discuss the three subjects on the discussion board. The discussion board assignment may be that you respond to each topic once and three times to your classmates.
OR
Faculty may provide a list of research topics at the beginning of the quarter. A timeline is presented that you must select your topic within one week determine your resources two weeks later and have a first draft two weeks after that. You then have three weeks to refine your research and prepare a presentation to the rest of the class during the last two weeks of the quarter. After you select your topic the faculty becomes your mentor to guide you through the research and preparation of the project and presentation. The Blackboard system allows you to make presentation using PowerPoint, or streaming a video or simply by posting a paper – whatever you want to do the system will accommodate.

What kind of hardware or software do I need to take an online class?
All that is required to access Western Washington University’s online course portal is Internet access. There are no software requirements except that you have a compatible operating system. The latest upgrade to Black Board is compatible with the following browsers.
 
What kind of hardware or software do I need to take an online class?
All that is required to access Western Washington University’s online course portal is Internet access. There are no software requirements except that you have a compatible operating system. The latest upgrade to Black Board is compatible with the following browsers.
 

Key
þ = Certified – fully tested and supported
C = Compatible – key application areas tested
N/A = Not tested – specified Browser is not supported for the Operating System

* All configurations marked as Compatible and have undergone a limited engineering analysis to test areas of the Blackboard Academic Suite that may have browser issues. Additional information on known browser issues may be found in the Knowledge Base.

** Microsoft Windows 2000 supported configurations are considered compatible when run on Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME.

*** Gecko is the shared rendering engine at the heart of the Firefox 1.0, Netscape 7.1 and Mozilla 1.5 browsers, which are all considered compatible browsers. Only Firefox has undergone testing that qualifies it as Certified.

**** The Safari Web browser and the Gecko browsers for Mac do not currently fully support the Live Connect technology used by some features in the Blackboard Learning system. The equation Editor, Collaboration tool and SCORM Content type may experience issues when these browsers are used. See the Knowledge Base articles 181-2429, 181-2428, 181-2431 for detailed information

***** The Visual Text Box Editor is only available to users with Microsoft Internet Explorer.

What if I have technical difficulties?
A student manual on how to use the various features of Blackboard is posted on every class site. Additionally the university provides technical support through its Academic Technology Users Services Help Desk. This resource is available either via the phone or e-mail. And when you get really stuck or frustrated you can always contact the Emergency Management Certificate Manager for assistance. If she can’t help you herself she’ll get you to the people who can.