| This Orientation is for the following courses: | |
| Instructor: Jim Burns Email: jburns@me.vccs.edu |
Courses: ENG 03, ENG 111, ENG 115 |
| Instructor: Tami Penley Email: tpenley@me.vccs.edu |
Courses: ENG 112, ENG 251, ENG 252, HUM 111 |
Instructions: Complete steps 1-6 of this online orientation as soon as possible after you register for the class. You will not be able to begin work in the course until you complete those steps. Complete steps 7-9 as soon as classes start for the semester. If you have problems with completing any part of this orientation or questions, email your instructor by clicking on the email link above. If you have not registered for the course, STOP this orientation and contact the Admissions Office at MECC or the Office of Distance Education for information about registering for courses. | |
Step 1: Read about How to be Successful in an Online Course To read about How to be a Success in your Online course, Click Here. To read about the Technical Requirements for your course, Click Here. |
Step 2: Learn about your Student Email/VIVA/Blackboard User Name and password and how to use Student Email. To learn about your Student Email/VIVA/Blackboard User name and Password, Click Here. |
Step 3: Learn How to Use Blackboard Blackboard is the software platform that we use for our online courses. If you have never used Blackboard at MECC or at another college, click on the following link for a brief tutorial in how to use Blackboard. Click here for tutorial. If you have previously taken a course in Blackboard, you may skip this step and move onto Step 5. | ||||
Step 4: Read Special Information about your Course. Click on the appropriate link below to read special instructions and information about the course you have registered for.
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Step 5: Check the Semester Schedule for the Course Start Date. The instructor will not make the online course available to you until the start date of classes for the semester. To check the day MECC will start classes for the semester you have registered for, click here. While you are waiting to hear from your instructor about starting work in the course, you may wish to visit the MECC bookstore to purchase the required texts and other materials. |
Step 6: Check your Email and Login to your Blackboard Course as soon as you hear from your Instructor. When it is time to start classes for the semester, the instructor will send you an email message indicating that the Blackboard course site is available for use. If you do not hear from your instructor by the day classes start, email the instructor immediately. To login to Blackboard and enter your course, click the link at the bottom of this box. Login using the User name and Password that you learned about in Step 2. Once inside Blackboard, look under My Courses and click on the link to the appropriate course. | ||||
Step 7: Email your Instructor from within Blackboard. As soon as you successfully login to your Blackboard course, click the Communication button in the Blackboard navigation frame and send an email message to your instructor from Blackboard email to let your instructor know that you logged in OK. Note: If you have difficulty logging into Blackboard or finding your correct course in Blackboard, email your instructor immediately using the email link at the top of this page. |
Step 8: Start Work in the Course Now that you have successfully logged into your course's Blackboard site, familiarize yourself with the layout and start working on the course assignments. Remember that you should log into the course frequently to check for new announcements and communicate with your instructor whenever you have questions or problems. Note: You should also bookmark the Blackboard Login page in your Web browser so that you can access that login screen quickly. You will also find a link to the Blackboard Login screen on the Students Page of the MECC Web site. |
You have now finished the orientation for your
Online English class at MECC. |