Admissions
Online Courses: Are They Right for Me?
Before you enroll in an online course, do a personal inventory to decide if it’s the best option. You should already know the importance of self-motivation and good organizational skills. You should know how to manage time effectively. You should accept responsibility for communicating clearly with faculty and peers.
Here are some additional guideposts for deciding between online or traditional classroom courses:
Q: How Do Online Courses Work?
In online programs, time spent in class is minimal. For example, some partially online (or hybrid) classes meet only two hours per week. Fully online classes do not meet at all.
Though online courses vary, some of the things that you'll do online include participating in "threaded discussions," which are completed whenever you have the chance to log on, doing research via the Web, writing journal entries, viewing PowerPoint presentations or getting lectures from instructors.
Visit our online campus at rmu.blackboard.com and try a sample course.
Q: What skills do I need to succeed in an online course?
A: Any online course experience will be enhanced by your ability to make good use of the online medium, interacting with a variety of primary source materials, media, outside experts and resources. Online courses may ask you to use appropriate research strategies for finding and evaluating the quality and credibility of web-based materials used in the online course.
Q: How well should I know my learning style strengths and weaknesses?
A: Each person learns differently, and should know something about their individual learning style. Any plan for online success should take into account your particular mix of strengths and potential weaknesses around such things as reading comprehension, written or spoken lectures and notes, testing and other factors.
Did You Know…
Some 3.5 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2006 term; a nearly 10 percent increase over the number reported the previous year. Nearly twenty percent of all U.S. higher education students were taking at least one online course in the fall of 2006.
(Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning: 2007, Sloan Consortium)
Q: What will be expected of me in an online course?
A: Online courses ask you to be an active, vocal participant in a learning community that includes both student-to-student as well as student-to-teacher interaction. You will need to follow-through on assignments and maintain a consistent effort throughout the course. You will ask questions early and often to keep clear about expectations, and to prove that you are an engaged learner, self-directed, and responsible for self-reflection, self-assessment and honing your critical thinking skills as part of course work.
Q: How are students graded in an online course?
A: Each online course will clearly describe how student performance will be assessed. The course syllabus will list all required assignments, weight given to each, due dates, and penalties for late submissions. Authenticity of student work will be verified.
Q: Will I still have student and faculty interaction in an online course?
A: Some online courses will ask you to collaborate online, and participate in online group activities. Respecting others, sharing responsibilities and communicating in a clear, professional manner at all times will facilitate the collaborative process.
Q: What technical specifications are required to enroll in an online course?
To enroll in online courses, you must have the following:
- Access to a computer
To access the Blackboard system, the following minimum system profiles are required:
PC Platform
Windows ME or 2000
128 MB RAM
56Kbps Modem
Apple Platform
MacOS 9.1 or better
128 MB RAM
56Kbps Modem
To take full advantage of the interactivity of the courses, the following minimum system profiles are recommended:
PC Platform
Windows XP or Vista
512 MB RAM or more
Broadband Internet
Sound card and speakers
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Apple Quicktime
Windows Media Player
Adobe Flash Player
Apple Platform
Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) or better
512 MB RAM or more
Broadband Internet
Sound card and speakers
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Apple Quicktime
Windows Media Player for Mac
Adobe Flash Player
Note: Courseware cannot be accessed using Web TV.
- An Internet Service Provider (ISP)
An ISP is a company that provides the software and access necessary to get on the Internet. You must have Internet access to take online courses.
- An RMU e-mail account
Upon acceptance to the University, you'll receive a Freedom Card number and information on how to set up your RMU e-mail account. It is essential that you check your RMU e-mail daily, since all messages from the University and information regarding online courses will be sent there.
- A Java-compatible browser
The following browsers are supported:
Microsoft Windows
Internet Explorer 6.0 or better
Firefox 1.x
Netscape 7.1 or better
Apple OS X
Safari 1.2 or better
Firefox 1.x
Netscape 7.1 or better
Apple OS 9
Internet Explorer 5.2 or better
