The Online Classroom

Your online classroom is where you will normally access course materials, complete class activities, engage with your peers and instructors, submit your assignments, and even take tests in your eLearning course. The online classroom is usually organized in modules by week or topic. In each module, you will be directed to module materials and be asked to accomplish certain tasks related to the materials individually or collaboratively with your peers.

As in face to face classes, you are responsible for completing your readings and staying on track with the tasks as instructed. Getting familiar with your Learning Management System and knowing how to navigate your online classroom should be on your top priority list during the first week of the class. Make sure you read the course syllabus and instructions for each task carefully and do not forget to check the course announcements. Whenever you have questions or problems, don’t hesitate to ask questions either by emailing your instructors or by posting in the course Q&A forum. Below are some examples of what you might be asked to do during a typical module:

  • Read the materials online or in the textbook
  • Watch videos, animations or PowerPoint slideshows or listen to audio clips online
  • Perform certain tasks, such as work through online tutorials, simulations, search for information, etc., online individually or with others
  • Reflect and comment on the materials
  • Answer discussion questions
  • Take a quiz or self-diagnostic test
  • Complete module activities or assignment online
  • Have real time chat with your peers and/or the course instructor in a chat room
  • Record and reflect on your learning process in a journal
  • Discuss and communicate with others on certain topics in the discussion forum
  • Work with peers to plan and finish certain tasks/projects

The York University eLearning Environment

eLearning EnvironmentAt York, our eLearning environment supports courses that are face-to-face (F2F), blended or fully online. When you learn online at York, you will find your course information here even if other websites, software or online resources are used.

 

Features include:

  • Notifications/Announcements
  • Personalized dashboards
  • Assignment submissions
  • Discussion forums
  • Collaborative tools and activities
  • Calendar

To access your course you will need to log in using your Username and Password. Please keep this information safe.

Quick Start Guide to your Online Learning Environment

Instructions for accessing, logging-in, navigating, and managing your learning environment profile can be found in the Quickstart Guide.

Instructions on how to use different tools in your learning environment can be found in student resources.

In addition, be sure to read the course outline/syllabus for information about any additional requirements for the course and how to access the tools and support when needed.

Workload

WorkloadIt is a reasonable expectation that you will spend more time working on an online course than in a face to face course. Learning online in itself is a learning process, particularly for those who are new to eLearning. Depending on what tools you will be using and your individual confidence and technological skills, you might need to spend some time just to get used to the interface and the technology and to download the required software and materials.

In addition, most tasks, even communicating and interacting with your peers, take more time to finish online! And it is common that an online course might have more materials to read and tasks to finish than a face to face class. It would be unwise to assume online learning means less work. In most online courses, you are expected to spend more time, take more responsibilities, and play a more active role in your learning than in traditional learning.

Active Engagement and Participation

Attending an online course does not change the fact that your active engagement and participation is essential to your success in the course. As in a face to face class, it is critical for participants in an online course to actively interact and collaborate with their fellow students and instructors so that a learning community can be established and maintained throughout the course. Though you might be contributing to the learning community using new methods and tools, of which you might need some time to get used to, an online course is in no way an isolated learning experience for students. Quite the contrary, an online course is where students are expected to have more rich, in- depth, and reflective interactions and collaborations with the learning communities via multiple means.

 

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