Online learning requires different skills and study habits than traditional, face-to-face classrooms. I want you to be successful in this class, whether it is your first online course, or your fifteenth! The following tutorials were developed by California's Online Education Initiative (OEI) and I have found them useful and informative.

Recommended for Students New to Online Learning

Recommended for All Online Students

If you are ready, it is important your computer is ready too! After all, in this class, your computer is your virtual classroom. In this class, you will need reliable computer access to interact in weekly discussions, to complete weekly lessons, and to submit your projects. Since we have many short videos and other resources in this class, you will need an internet connection that will allow you to stream video. 

In a fully online class, your computer is not only an essential tool for getting homework and assignments done, it is the physical classroom! Just as campus classrooms should be designed and equipped for learning, your computer needs to be ready too. 

Both PCs and Macs work fine, as long as you have a reliable and stable internet connection. Many students also are able to use tablets and smart phones to complete their coursework. I have done my best to make sure the content in the course is available for all of these devices, so please let me know if there are any issues or if there is something I can do to make the content more accessible for your device. 

Canvas does provide information about supported browsers - you will need to ensure you are using a current version and have the correct plug-ins installed. Here is also a list of links to software you will need in order to read the learning resources and submit assignments. 

To Create Documents

• Microsoft 365 Free for Students

• Google Docs

• OpenOffice

For Reading PDFs

• Adobe Reader

Additional software resources

Please review the following resources to ensure your technology is up to the task of supporting your online learning: 

To help you learn about your virtual classroom we have set up a short set of tutorials to teach you about Canvas. It is important to start off on the right foot and these short video tutorials will help you learn how to get the most from this online environment, from reading content to posting discussions and submitting assignments. The tutorial videos can be viewed in any order. 

The videos will open in a new window. Total viewing time for all videos is approximately 35 minutes. 

For Additional Learning Resources

Please see the comprehensive Canvas Student Guide. 

For Technical Difficulties

If you need assistance, you can click on the Help button in the upper lefthand corner of your InsideCC login page. The KCCD Service Center can assist you with most technical issues. 

You are being supported by not only our district team, but also the developers at Canvas. If Canvas misbehaves, tell them about it. Click on the Help link in the Canvas navigation bar on the left side of the class site. 

Also, check that you have the correct technical requirements to ensure you can access Canvas successfully. 

Creative Commons License Info: 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

© 2016 Chancellor's Office, California Community Colleges 

These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. They are available to everyone and may be repurposed to meet the unique needs of educational institutions.