Online learning requires certain skills, behavior, study habits, computer equipment, and discipline in order to be successful. Therefore, students enrolled in online courses through RODP/ROCE are encouraged to complete an Online Mastery Test each semester and e-mail the Proof of Completion to all their online instructors using the WebCT e-mail attachment in each class.

Computer Skills for Online Learning

Basic Skills Overview

Basic Skills 1: Mouse and Keyboarding Skills

Basic Skills 2: Study Skills, Reading Comprehension, and Work Habits

Basic Skills 3: Internet Navigation

Basic Skills 4: Word Processing Files

Basic Skills 5: Saving Files

Basic Skills 6: Email

Computer Equipment 1: Hardware

Computer Equipment 2: Internet Browser

Computer Equipment 3: Anti-Virus Software

Computer Equipment 4: Email Software

What Terminology should I know?

Basic Skills Overview

In order to take online classes through RODP, you will be expected to have the following skills.

1. Using a computer:

• turn on a computer, its monitor, and its printer
• start up programs or switch between programs to complete tasks
• move a mouse to specific points on the screen and use it to activate commands, to reveal menus, to move (drag) screen elements
• use a mouse or commands to open, close, or resize windows on the computer display
• become familiar with the layout of a standard keyboard and use keys (hunt and peck is okay) to enter characters (text), to erase (delete) text, and to move the cursor around the screen
• know how to insert and remove a floppy disk and/or a CD-ROM
• shut down the computer appropriately
• a tutorial of Macintosh and Windows basic computer skills has been developed by the Albuquerque, NM Public School System. This document is written for an audience of teachers, but it covers the basics in a step-by-step, easy way: click here to take a look at it

2. Using word processing software:

• use Microsoft Word to create a new word processing file and save the file to an appropriate disk use
• keyboard commands and the mouse to highlight text, delete (cut) or move (paste) text, and format text (for example, make it bold or change its size)
• use a spelling checker and recognize its limits (A spelling Czech ken sea know airs inn this sentence.)
• retrieve an existing file and save changes made to the file
• print a word processing document

3. Gaining access to the Internet:

• Use a browser such as Internet Explorer for Windows or Safari for Macs to access the World Wide Web
• enter an Internet address (URL such as http://webct.rodp.com) to view a specific site
• use a search engine such as http://www.google.com or http://www.webcrawler.com to locate sites for specific information
• print information gathered from Internet resources
• save on a disk information gathered from Internet resources
• save a favorite or bookmark to save the address (URL) of a site you may need to visit again

4. Using email

• know your own email address
• send, receive and reply to email
• print and/or save email messages
• understand that email has limited privacy

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Basic Skills 1: Mouse and Keyboarding Skills

You should have the following mouse skills:

• pointing and clicking
• dragging the mouse to select text or elements of the screen
• manipulating the cursor with the mouse

There are two good tutorials for mouse skills. The first is meant for someone who has never used a computer before. It was put together by the Northville Public Library in Michigan: click here to visit the site.

The second mouse skills tutorial is a little more fun, but assumes that you can already move the mouse and can click on links; click here to try it out.

Because most of the work and communication you will do in an online course is written, lacking good keyboarding skills can be a serious drawback. You need not know how to type using a formal typing style, or even be able to type very fast, but imagine having to hunt-and-peck your way through an online exam that has a time limit of one hour. The more slowly you enter information, the less time you will have to double check your work and to think critically.

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Basic Skills 2: Study Skills, Reading Comprehension, and Work Habits

Three of the most important basic skills that you will need in order to be successful in online courses have very little to do with computers. Students who learn best in online courses are good at these three skills:

1. Study skills: are you able to take notes based on a textbook and a printed lecture? Can you anticipate the kinds of questions and problems that your instructor will likely ask? Do you prepare your own study guides for tests and projects?
    
2. Reading comprehension: are you able to select the main idea from each paragraph you read? When you read, do you write down unfamiliar words and concepts? Do you sometimes have difficulty in understanding passages from your textbooks, or are things usually clear the first time through? Do you re-read passages that seem to be important, so that you remember them well?
    
3. Good work habits: can you set aside a quiet place in which to study and work, away from potential distractions? Are you willing to work hard by yourself, and if you have questions or concerns, are you willing to wait sometimes as long as two or three days for a response? Can you devote at least six hours a week for each three-credit class you take online? Is the time you plan to devote to online courses "stolen" from your other responsibilities, or do you really have the time every week? Many students who end up dropping out of online courses do so because they thought they could squeeze an online course into an already busy life!

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Basic Skills 3: Internet Navigation

If you are new to the Internet, you can get some experience in how to move from one place to another by visiting the "Surf the Web" page at Learn The Net: click here. Also, take a look at the "Web At-A-Glance" section.

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Basic Skills 4: Word Processing

Much of the coursework for the Regents Online Degree Program can be completed off-line in a comfortable period of time; so, typing skills may not be critically important. However, some assignments and tests must be completed in a fairly short period of time. During these assignments and tests, a degree of typing facility and fluency is encouraged. If you would like to brush up on your typing skills, please visit one of the following sites:

• http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/
• http://www.learn2type.com/
• http://www.typeonline.co.uk/

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Basic Skills 5: Saving Files

To learn how to save files from the web onto your computer, visit the "Downloading Files" Page at Learn The Net.com.

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Basic Skills 6: Email

Learn The Net.com has a wonderful web site set up that explains how email works and how you can manage your own email, click here.

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Computer Equipment 1: Hardware

In order to be successful in your courses, you will need access to a computer with these minimum requirements:

• A computer running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, a CD-ROM drive, and access to a letter quality printer (Macintosh systems should be running at least the 10.3 Panther or 10.4 Tiger operating system)
   
• Microsoft Word (or other word processing software capable of saving files as a ".doc" file type)
   
• A Dial-Up, DSL, or Cable connection with an Internet Service Provider, public web access such as at a library (ask first about availability) or a local computer lab.
   
• Access to email. While enrolled through RODP, each online student has a free email account in WebCT. However, you can not access this in-class e-mail with your external e-mails accounts such as Hotmail, Yahoo, or AOL, etc.
   
• Microsoft Internet Explorer or Safari browser. These browsers may be downloaded free from the Internet. Macintosh users should have the latest version of the Safari browser. We do not recommend the use of Netscape or Firefox web browser.
   
• The course syllabus will list any additional software or plug-in requirements for specific courses.
   
• For the collaboration tools, such as the Chat Room, to work properly, Java must be installed and running.

For additional tutorials on how to choose computer hardware and software programs, see the list put together by the Central Kansas Library System: click here.

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Computer Equipment 2: Internet Browser

Please have one of the following minimum Internet browser configurations:

For additional tutorials on how to use Internet browsers, see the list put together by the Central Kansas Library System: click here.

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Computer Equipment 3: Anti-Virus Software

Because online courses require you to send files and messages across computer networks, it is VERY IMPORTANT to have anti-virus software installed on your computer. Remember, too, that anti-virus software is ineffective if it is not kept current! Two of the major anti-virus software companies are McAfee (http://www.mcafee.com) and Symantec (http://www.symantec.com). RODP strongly encourages you to have anti-virus software installed on your computer and to keep it updated regularly.

For additional tutorials on how to select and use anti-virus software programs on your computer, see the list put together by the Central Kansas Library System: click here.

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Computer Equipment 4: Email Software

It is to your advantage to have an email account that you can check from anywhere. Our online students often do their work for class from different places at different times (at work, at home, even on vacation), which makes having a web-based email account useful. You must have a working email account in order to take online classes through RODP. You can use your own, or use the free college email account.

For more information on your college email account go the Getting Started document or click here.

For additional tutorials on how to use email, see the list put together by the Central Kansas Library System: click here.

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