STATE UNIVERSITY
OF WEST GEORGIA DISTANCE & DISTRIBUTED EDUCATION CENTER
Distance
Student Guide
This is
a guide of information particular to distance learning students at the
State University of West Georgia. To access the general UWG Student Handbook
for *all* UWG students, go here http://www.westga.edu/handbook/uncatalog.pdf
What
is Distance Learning?
A DISTANCE LEARNING
CLASS IS one in which the students are geographically separated from
the instructor. UWG offers two types of distance courses: videoconferencing
and online courses.
An online course
is web-based, and allows students to interact with the instructor
and other students through e-mail, real-time chatrooms, and bulletin
boards. Course notes, assignments, projects and grades are often
posted on webpages using an online course managment tool called
WebCT. Tests can even be taking online,
automatically graded, and provide instant feedback!
Each distance
course or program provides students with clear, complete and timely
information on the curriculum, course and degree requirements, nature
of faculty/student interaction, prerequisite technology competencies,
technical requirements, availability of academic support service,
financial aid resources, and costs and payment policies. Department
chairs ensure that syllabi and program websites include pertinent
information or links.
The Nature of
Online Learning:
The teaching
offered in this course is not designed to just instruct, but to
enable learners to fully participate in learning conversations.
Interaction between and among students provide the power for this
platform, thus students must take responsibility for creating a
stimulating and engaging online learning environment. This will
involve checking email on a regular basis, logging into the class
website regularly to keep up with assignments and participate fully
in online discussions, and scheduling regular blocks of study time
each week.
Online learning
generally provides considerable freedom, allowing students to often
choose when and where they'll participate in class activities. But
at the same time, students have the same kinds of deadlines and
structured responsibilities of a face-to-face class. In other words,
flexibility must be balanced by responsibility. Like a face-to-face
course, online courses require that assignments be completed by
due dates, attendance (via your logins to your course), involvement
in online discussions, and sometimes group collaboration. Most students
enjoy the active learning that online classes involve.
What
courses and programs are available?
Some courses are
taught completely through distance learning means, while others combine
the technologies with the traditional class, requiring students to
travel to campus for one or more class sessions.
The following
programs are offered completely or mostly online:
Admissions,
Registration, and Support Services
UWG is an accredited
institution with specific requirements for degree seeking students.
Students enrolling in distance learning courses must first be admitted
through the admissions office.
It is important
that students register for distance classes during early registration
whenever possible.
Step
1. Seek advisement on which courses you need to complete your program
of study.
The UWG Excel
Center provides academic advisors and online information, to help
undecided students explore various options and help them choose
a major best suited for them. Students can even "Ask Andy"(a
virtual online advisor) questions. Visit the EXCEL website here:
http://www.westga.edu/~EXCELCenter/pages/AcademicAdvising.htm
If you have
been told (by the Office of Admissions) that you need one or more
courses in developmental reading, writing, or mathematics or if
you have one or more high school CPC deficiencies, then you need
to talk with Ms. Francie Taylor in the Office of Learning Support
and Testing for advising. Call for an appointment at 678-839-6435
or
e-mail ftaylor@westga.edu.
Visit the Office of Learning Support and Testing here: http://www.westga.edu/~mcrafton/learnsup.html
If you think
that you may need a fully online core
course, contact the State University of West Georgia eCore™
Advisor: Janet Gubbins, 678-839-0630, jgubbins@westga.edu.
Be sure to visit the eCore website for more information: http://www.westga.edu/~ecore
The Online Graduate Catalogue and the Online Undergraduate
Catalogue are available at: http://www.westga.edu/documents/catalogs.php
More info about
getting an advisor: http://www.westga.edu/~mcrafton/advman.html
Step
2. Look to see if any of your required courses are taught via "distance"
technologies.
All courses
offered at a distance are noted in the published bulletin, on
Banweb (http://banweb.westga.edu/schedule.htm)
with a "D", "G", or a "N" beside
the section number, and on the Distance &
Distributed Education Center homepage(past, present &
future). An explanation of the distance technologies used and
other helpful information is also available off of the DDEC homepage:
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/
The written
bulletin also provides specific information about the type of media
used in the distance course, how often, and specific instructions
on how to get started -- but often Banweb does NOT.
Specifically:
At UWG a "G"
in a course section number means that
the course is taught COMPLETELY ONLINE through the University
System of Georgia. The course is either an eCore™ course
or a WebMBA course. Be sure to visit the eCore™ website for
more information: http://www.westga.edu/~ecore
or the WebMBA website at: http://www.westga.edu/~busn/webmba.html.
Some courses are taught completely through one or both of these
distance means, while others combine the technologies with the
traditional classroom, requiring students to travel to campus
for one or more class sessions. Both the written bulletin and
Banweb provide specific information about the type of media used
in the distance course, how often, and sepcific instructions on
how to get started. See the course listing on Banweb
(http://banweb.westga.edu/schedule.htm).
At UWG a
"D" in a course section number means
a course is taught as an online course. Some courses are taught
completely through one or both of these distance means, while
others combine the technologies with the traditional classroom,
requiring students to travel to campus for one or more class
sessions.
If a course
has a "N" in the section number, it is taught compleately
online.
If
a course listing has a "D" in the section and a location
listed as "INTNET", then you can be sure that the course
is at least 51% online.
If an questions
remain, after you have read over the Bulletin & Banweb course
listings, you may contact the Distance Education Department directly
for clarification.
Step
3. Decide if distance education is right for you....
AS A DISTANT STUDENT, you will have many advantages in that you
will be able to take courses at a place (and possibly time) that
is convenient for YOU. You will also have the opportunity to interact
with a variety of students from a dispersed geographical area, and
will have access to a greater number of resources and experts than
you might in a traditional classroom setting. Finally, you may find
that you are able to have greater control over the learning process,
and may be able to customize the course in a way that best suits
your specific learning needs.
However, the
distance nature of the course means that you must be prepared to
take on greater responsibility than those engaged in traditional
learning. You will need to discipline yourself to stay actively
involved with the course, and may find that you spend an even greater
amount of time reading and preparing for this course than you do
a traditional course. Also, since you may not see the instructor
face-to-face, you will need to communicate with him or her regularly
through your distance medium, be it videoconferencing, telephone,
or e-mail. Studies show that successful distance learning students
share the following characteristics:
Step
4. Apply to UWG online:
If you wish to attend as an undergraduate at UWG, you may apply
online. An Undergraduate
Application is available at http://www.westga.edu/prospective/admissions/index.php
If you wish to attend a graduate course at UWG, you may also apply
to the Graduate School. An Online
Graduate Application is available at:
http://www.westga.edu/prospective/admissions/index.php
Step
5. Plan ahead for financial aid...
The
same financial aid opportunities are available for distance students
as on-campus students.
Financial
Aid info can be found at: http://www.westga.edu/~finaid/
Step
6. Register and pay fees.
For
directions on how to register online, go to http://banweb.westga.edu/help/registerbanweb.htm
Questions
about registration may be answered most easily by the Registrar's
office website: http://www.westga.edu/~registra/
Distance
Course Fee Policy: Off-campus course students (section#s 40-99)
are not charged on-campus fees, accept for the Technology Fee. See
links below for specific and up-to-date fee structures.
Undergraduate
Fee information is available BUT
make sure you scroll down to the Off-Campus Fee section: http://www.westga.edu/~admiss/fees.html
Graduate
Fee information is available BUT
make sure you scroll down to the Off-Campus Fee section: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/gradfee.html
Registration
dates and fee payment deadlines can be found under IMPORTANT
DATES/DEADLINES or refer to the more inclusive ACADEMIC
CALENDAR website.
How to pay fees
can be found at: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/online/fees.html
Getting
Your Books
UNLESS YOUR INSTRUCTOR
tells you otherwise, you can generally plan to order your course
texts
from the UWG Campus Bookstore. The bookstore can take your order
by
phone or online and have your books
shipped to you immediately. You will need a major credit card number
available when you call. The number is 678-839-6523. If you do not
have a credit card, you may pay by check, but the process will take
a little longer. To order online, visit the bookstore at http://www.bookstore.westga.edu/.
There is a flat fee of $4.95 for all orders delivered via UPS.
FREE
e-Mail Account
Every UWG student
is assigned an FREE e-mail account. To activate your e-mail, call
the computer center at
678-839-6587 *or* you may also activate your
account online by following these steps:
- Log into Banweb
<http://banweb.westga.edu/>
- Select "Personal
Information" from the Main Menu.
- From the next
screen, select E-mail Accounts.
- The Authorization
Release Form will be displayed and may be agreed to by simply clicking
"Continue". Once the terms have been agreed to, the Email Password
option should be displayed.
- Type in a password
as prompted. It should at least 6 characters in length and contain
both alpha and numeric characters.
- Once the password
is accepted, the account ID will be displayed. The password will
be active in two hours and the student may begin using the email
account.
- NOTE: On this
same Banweb/ "Personal Info"/ "E-Mail Accounts" page, you
will also have the option to forward all UWG mail to
a different preferred e-mail address!
Library
Services
IF YOU ARE A GEORGIA
RESIDENT and a student at the State University of West Georgia, you
may use the library services of any college or university within the
university system of Georgia. Also, as a student in the University
System, you can search nearly 100 databases through GALILEO, the statewide
virtual libraray. These databases enable you to identify books, articles,
dissertations, government reports, etc. - on any subject. Once you’ve
identified the materials you need, check the nearest academic library.
If there are some materials you can’t find, call the Ingram Library
at
1-800-295-2321, or e-mail offcamp@westga.edu.
Click
here to access the UWG Distance Library Service page
Support
Services for Online Students
WebCT
is jointly supported by Distance
& Distributed Education Center &
Information Technology
Services. Staff from both organizations
are available to assist UWG faculty, staff and students in using WebCT.
Need
help?
1.
The WebCT Vital
Information Page provides basic directions,
links to tutorials, and an online orientation.
2.
The
WebCT
Student Tutorial helps users learn by
doing. If
prompted for a username and password use "guest" for both.
3.
Try troubleshooting using our WebCT
Troubleshooting
Guide or answers to frequently
asked questions are available.
4. A printed
Distance Student Success Guide is available through the UWG Bookstore.
5. In-class
student assistants are provided to facilitate videoconferencing
courses & help students with the using the multi-media equipment
6. Online and
in-person Student Orientations
are available, see: http://www.westga.edu/~online
7. For help
with Campus Email, Banweb, and other online services offered by
the University, please visit the TechLife
homepage, here: <http://www.westga.edu/~techlife/>
Still
need help?
E-mail
WebCT support for help, using http://webct.usg.edu/support/westga/
M-F
8am-5pm help by phone:
Call the UWG DE Helpline @ 678-839-6248
*After-hours
help by phone:
Toll Free Number: 1-877-855-3238 *
Service hours:
Monday-Friday 9:00AM-9:00PM EST
Saturday & Sunday 12:00PM-10:00PM
EST
*Make
sure you mention that your course is hosted on the University of
West Georgia's WebCT Server at
http://webct.westga.edu
Registrar: 678-839-6438
Admissions -
Undergraduate:
678-839-4000
Admissions - Graduate: 678-839-6419
Bookstore: 678-839-6523
Library: 1-800-295-2321
This is a guide
of information particular to distance learning students at the State
University of West Georgia. To access the general UWG
Student Handbook for *all* UWG students, go here http://www.westga.edu/handbook/uncatalog.pdf
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