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How It Works
Online Courseroom | Computer Requirements | Technical Support | Online Demo
Overview
IWU's online programs deliver courses via the Internet using a state-of-the-art learning management system (LMS) powered by Blackboard™, the leading provider of learning management software. When students logon to the Blackboard™ interface, they will see their current and prior courses listed. Selecting a course takes just a click of the mouse. Each course is entirely self-contained, with an easy-to-follow navigation system of clearly-labeled buttons and links that provide access to the course syllabus, workshop-by-workshop explanations of all assignments, online discussion forums, a team project area, an assignment handler for submitting completed coursework, faculty information, and links to the Off-Campus Library Service (OCLS), technical support, student services, and a variety of other helpful information.
What if I've never used Blackboard™ before?
The set up is easy. Students receive complete, detailed instructions along with their Username and Password a few days before the first course begins. Once logged in, the syllabus and assignments contain complete instructions. Our friendly, proactive technical support team guides students through any technical problems they may encounter, and the faculty are ready and willing to provide any needed clarification and guidance with assignments.
Each program has either an orientation workshop or devotes part of its first course to acclimating students to the Blackboard™ LMS and the framework of online courses. Our faculty, staff, and technical support team are all sensitive to "first course jitters" and stand ready to assist, if needed. Students universally report that they settle into a comfortable routine after the first few weeks of their programs.
Online Courseroom
IWU's Blackboard™ learning management system provides students with a robust "online courseroom" in which to interact with faculty and fellow working professionals on a broad range of academic issues. While the specific structure of the online courseroom can vary slightly by degree program, they all share a number of basic features and functions:
- Course Material: This section contains the course syllabus, workshop-by-workshop explanations of all assignments and activities, and information about the faculty member facilitating the course.
- Discussion Forums: In this section students and faculty participate in asynchronous discussions of key course topics.
- Project Teams: Some courses utilize team projects to develop communication, collaboration, and leadership skills and to allow students to produce comprehensive projects that exceed the ability of an individual to produce in the timeframe of a single course. The Project Teams areas provide a user-friendly combination of asynchronous discussion forums, synchronous live chat interface, whiteboard collaborative software, and file exchange server to facilitate and coordinate team interaction.
- Assignment Manager: This serves as the facilitator's online inbox and outbox, where students submit their completed assignments and receive them back with feedback and grading. Each student has access only to his or her own assignments and feedback for complete privacy.
- Gradebook: The online gradebook shows each student the grades he or she has received on all assignments, so students know where they stand in the course at all times. As with the Assignment Manager, complete privacy is maintained, so that students can only view their own grades.
- Student Support: Links to the Off-Campus Library Services, Student Services Office, Technical Support, Student FAQ, and numerous other services are provided in each online courseroom.
With these online resources all conveniently located within each online courseroom, students are literally only a mouse-click away from their classmates, faculty, and university administrators. Everything students need - whether academic, technical support, or student services - is kept at their fingertips in the online courseroom.
With this combination of communication and learning technologies, Online students enjoy a rich, vibrant educational experience that connects them with other highly motivated working professionals and knowledgeable, experienced practitioner faculty. Past students routinely comment on the surprisingly strong bond that develops with their classmates and faculty in the online courseroom. It is an equalizing environment where students are judged by the value of their contribution and the strength of their ideas rather than their appearance, personality, or the car they drive to class!
See for yourself. Click here for a brief demo of the online courseroom.
IWUOnline Computer Requirements
You don't need any special equipment or advanced technology to enroll with IWU's distance learning degree programs. All you need is a computer with Internet access and basic office applications.
You don't have to be a computer whiz either. You'll be working on a simple distance learning website that is a virtual classroom. Workshops, seminars, classroom discussions, class work submissions, and communications with your instructors all happen in one place. Even if you do have a question, IWU offers a technical support staff that specializes in distance learning to help you in the event you have trouble. You need never worry about where to find answers to your questions; we have them ready for you. To contact technical support, call 1-877-489-5678.
Apply now to one of IWU's degree programs.
Effective July 1, 2008 the minimum hardware and software requirements for IWU's distance learning degree programs are:
- Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2
- Microsoft Office 2003 Standard (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)***^
- 1 GHz CPU
- 512 MB RAM
- 30 GB Hard Drive
- DVD-ROM
- Sound card and speakers
- 1024x768 resolution monitor
- Internet access with 56K modem (Broadband highly recommended)
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0, Netscape 7.1 or Firefox 2.0.x
- Administrative access to a PC (in order to have the ability to install course-specific software)
***All students will need to be able to open, read and edit documents in both Office 2003 and Office 2007.
***A.S. in Computer Information Technology and B.S. in Information Systems students need Microsoft Access 2003 or later. MED students must have Microsoft Office 2007 by the second course in the program.
NOTE: Apple/Mac users will need access to a PC with Microsoft Windows because course textbooks have supplemental CDs/DVDs that WILL NOT work on or install to Apple computers.
Technical Support
When you take an online course from IWU, the Online Support Team is available to make sure you get your technical questions answered quickly and accurately. Our helpful staff understands the kinds of issues you might encounter as you access your courses on IWU's Blackboard Learning System. When you have technical problems, we are dedicated to getting you back to the business of learning as quickly as possible.
Click here to visit the IWU Support website.
Welcome to the IWUOnline Demo
This brief, yet comprehensive introduction to online learning will show you what to expect in an online course and will provide you with an environment that demonstrates the use of technology to deliver course content. Our online courses and degree programs are designed to enable you to come to class whenever and wherever you choose.
Blackboard™ is the Learning Management System used to deliver and manage online courses at Indiana Wesleyan University. The demo course is designed to acquaint you with the major navigation features of the Blackboard™ software. The demo course will allow you to experience how a typical online course is designed and to explore the common features of online learning.
Click here to launch the demo. (Requires: Macromedia Flash Player ).
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