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Review Learner Portal for Complete List of Assignments Due Each Week, Assignments are due every Monday @ 6 pm →
Table of Contents
What's covered in each section of this page
Tech Orientation, Learner Portal, Coursera, Slack, and Stonly
What to do when you have a question about the technical coursework
Answers to frequently asked questions about Merit America
Who to contact at Merit America based on the type of question you have
Gmail filters, Learner Portal tutorial videos, Google Docs, and Google Calendar
Our Platforms
Our Platforms
Having trouble accessing any of our platforms? Refer to Tech Orientation Recording + Slides and any of these guides: Learner Portal | Coursera | Slack. If you have any other questions or concerns regarding these platforms, you can also schedule a 1:1 meeting or email Merit America Tech Support (include screenshots and please allow for 24 hours for a response).
Your technical, professional, and administrative assignments in the Learner Portal are due the following Monday @ 6 pm in your time zone.
Always follow the Learner Portal weeks/timeline rather than Coursera's timeline.
Each week you'll see a box listing the Learning Objectives for technical and professional assignments, you do not need to submit anything for these.
The only assignments that require submissions are those with checkboxes next to them. Here's how you will track your progress in the Learner Portal:
✔️ completed or present during meeting ( ☐ around the check means it was manually entered by staff)
❌ absent from a meeting
☐ incomplete or not yet checked off by staff
[Staff Check] assignments will be manually checked off by Merit America staff following Monday deadlines (starting on Tuesday), so if you already submitted the assignment please be patient for that to update.
You will complete your technical coursework in Coursera (think of their "weeks" as "chapters") and then submitting the screenshots or URLs in the Learner Portal during the appropriate "week" of the program.
You are NOT following the Coursera timeline.
Coursera is not owned by Merit America. The fastest way to reach Coursera's helpdesk is to click the live chat icon in the bottom right when you're logged in.
At some points you may need to contact Coursera using the blue chat bubble in the bottom right if:
your quizzes are appearing in a foreign language and you need to request an update (temporary solution: use Google Lens to help you translate)
your courses modules/quizzes are locked
you're having trouble verifying your ID
your name is spelled wrong on your Coursera certificate (you may also need to request a name change)
your "Google IT Support Professional" certificate is not appearing under Accomplishments upon completion of all 5 courses
clearing your cache & cookies doesn't help with incorrect/missing Accomplishments or course progress
FAQ: Do I follow the Merit America timeline or Coursera timeline?
Answer: Follow Merit America's program weeks!
Think of Coursera's "weeks" as chapters of a book where you'll complete 3 Coursera chapters each Merit week and complete each course every 2 weeks.
In Coursera there are 5 distinct courses (see left image) and by the end of Week 11 in Merit America's program you'll earn the full Google IT Support Professional Certificate.
FAQ: Do I follow the Merit America timeline or Coursera timeline?
Answer: Follow Merit America's program weeks!
Think of Coursera's "weeks" as chapters of a book where you'll complete 3 Coursera chapters each Merit week and complete each course every 2 weeks.
In Coursera there are 5 distinct courses (see left image) and by the end of Week 11 in Merit America's program you'll earn the full Google IT Support Professional Certificate.
Download the Slack app and turn on notifications so you don't miss any important announcements during the program.
You may find the following functions in Slack useful for staying organized and communicating with others:
Slack channels you'll be added to:
#it22-10-squad-b is specific to our squad with Coach Judy (announcements, reminders, etc.)
#it22-10-tech-collab is to ask questions related to the technical material, specifically the Google IT Support Certificate, Coursera, and Qwiklabs (monitored by Tech Support and Tech Trainers will post when they're online)
#it22-10-ticket is to submit tickets for support on any issues related to our tech platforms (Learner Portal, Coursera, Slack, etc.) NOT for help related to technical coursework
#it22-10-all-learners is for communication with learners across all squads in the same cohort (e.g. event announcements)
#it22-10-groupfun is for team-building, camaraderie, and all things fun
See if you can find the answer to your question here first before resorting to asking others for help using the steps outlined below.
Merit America's knowledgebase contains info about:
Getting started with the Learner Portal, Slack, Coursera
QwikLabs troubleshooting (e.g. exceeded quota, check progress isn't updating, lab won't start, etc.)
Tech support fundamentals + notes for each course in Coursera, including links to supplemental tools like flashcards (under "Additional Resources")
Technical Troubleshooting
Technical Troubleshooting
As an aspiring IT professional, you can put your troubleshooting skills to the test by using the resources available here before asking for help! Follow these steps if you need technical support related to Coursera, Qwiklabs, or technical material (don't panic and allow time to receive an answer in between each step):
Try to find the answer yourself in the Learner FAQ, Stonly Knowledgebase, or Google!
See if your question has been asked/answered already in the #it22-10-tech-collab Slack channel. If not, please share screenshots when asking for help from your peers or tech trainers.
Meet with an alumni Tech Trainer during Office Hours or schedule a 1:1 (use the links below ↓ )
You may need to contact the respective platform's help desk (Coursera, Qwiklabs, etc.) if it's an issue with the content (e.g. appears in a foreign language, locked out, etc.)
Update Coach Judy if you are still having difficulty completing an assignment on time
Thurs @ 10-11 am & 6-7 pm ET (Zoom link / Passcode: 356774)
Sun @ 7-8 pm ET (Zoom link / Passcode: 356774)
Drop in anytime or stay as little/long as you want. During these group sessions, you can ask questions and receive support related to Coursera, Qwiklabs & technical material. Learn from the Tech Advisers and/or offer to help your peers (a great way to flex those troubleshooting skills)!
Schedule 1:1 with a Tech Adviser (15 min)
Our alumni will announce in the #it22-10-tech-collab Slack channel when they're online and available to help with QwikLabs & Coursera technical material. You can also use their respective links in advance:
Find the answers these FAQs about Merit America:
Who do I contact at Merit America?
Who do I contact at Merit America?
We have a whole team of staff at Merit America working hard to ensure you have a great experience. Have a question but not sure who to contact? See the information below to ensure you contact the right team for a timely response. I recommend adding these emails to your contacts in case you need to reach out and/or so you don't miss important emails/invites regarding the program! You can also learn how to set up a Gmail filter below in the Tutorials section.
You will be receiving weekly emails from our Operations Team notifying you if you're "on track" or "falling behind" on assignments as well as phase progression updates every 4 weeks. Make sure you add this email as a contact so these updates aren't filtered to your spam folder.
You'll be receiving Google calendar invites from this email, please click "yes" if you know you'll be attending! Some events may be optional or required, and usually these will be recorded unless otherwise noted.
Learn about paying for the IT program through Ascent Funding. If you have any questions or call Ascent Funding at 877-279-2614.
Email our Tech Ops team if you have any issues accessing our platforms (include screenshots and allow 24 hours for response).
Tutorials
Tutorials
Hover your cursor on the top right side of any videos/documents and click "pop out" to view the tutorial in full screen.
Gmail: To ensure you don't miss any important emails from Merit America, please follow these steps:
Gmail: To ensure you don't miss any important emails from Merit America, please follow these steps:
Go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create New Filter
Follow the screenshots below (from left to right) to Create Filter
01-merit-america-portal-overview.movHow to Upload a File & Submit an Assignment.mov
Google Calendar: Respond to invites to confirm your attendance
Related to your Week 1 assignment Accept Recurring Squad Invitation via Google Calendar
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