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Frequently Asked Questions
. . . About taking courses online
- You say I can take an Internet College course "any time."
What exactly does "any time" mean?
ACC courses aren't self-paced. "Any time" means that
you set your own schedule for working on your course - within
ACC's semester calendar for offering courses and your own instructor's
deadlines for completing readings, homework assignments, and tests.
So you might work on your course online every weekday evening
from 9 PM to 10 PM, while one of your classmates works early every
morning. Your instructor, your classmates, and you are all working
asynchronously, that is, not at the same time.
Plan to begin "attending" your online
courses immediately at the beginning of the semester, just as
you would a classroom-based course.
- You say I can take an Internet College course "anywhere." What's that mean?
You can work on an Internet College course anywhere in the world
you have access to a computer with a onlineion to the Internet.
The computer could be in your home, your place of work, your
public library or community center. If you plan to travel, check
with your hotel about the availability of Internet-ready computers
(or onlineions for laptops) or call ahead to the local library
to find out if it has a computer you can use.
- Is an online course the same as one I would take on campus?
Online courses are equivalent to their campus counterparts in every way: online courses are taught by the same
instructors who teach them on campus; the same books are used; and the same course outline, content, and objectives
apply. Instructors typically give the same assignments to their online and classroom-based students, with the same
deadlines, and apply the same evaluation standards.
- What minimum equipment do I need to get started?
You'll need a PC computer with a minimum of a Pentium II processor,
64 MB RAM, a 56K baud modem, and a web browser such as Netscape
(6.2 or higher) or Internet Explorer (5.5 or higher). Macintosh
users must have at least a G3 and System 8 or higher. To online
to the Internet, you need an Internet Service Provider (an ISP).
You'll also need a word processor for written assignments. Microsoft
Word 6 or higher is recommended. Microsoft Works is not recommended
for online courses.
- Can I use Web-TV to take online courses?
No.
- Do I really need my own computer and Internet
service?
To be successful in an online course you should
plan to work online a minimum of four or five hours a week per
online course. The best guarantee that you will have a computer
with an Internet onlineion available when you need it
is to own it. You will also probably need to work on a computer
another couple of hours each week to write papers or other homework
assignments.
If you cannot afford you own computer, check out the availability
of Internet-accessible computers at your public library or community
center. If you live near ACC's main campus in Queensbury, NY,
you can use a computer in our Student Computing Lab in the Scoville
Learning Center. It's opened Monday - Thursday from 8 AM to
10 PM, Fridays from 8 AM - 4 PM, and Sundays from 1 PM to 9
PM. The ACC Wilton site also has open lab hours on Monday -Thursday from
8 AM to 1 PM and then from
3 PM to 10 PM. If you own a suitable computer but are concerned about Internet costs, look for a cheap
Internet service provider (ISP) with phone numbers in your area. These companies charge as little as $9.95
a month for unlimited use - with no installation or startup fees. You can begin service at the start of the
term and cancel service when the term ends.
- How well do I need to know my way around a computer
in order to work in a web-based course?
Can you do basic word processing, open and close software programs,
and follow basic directions when you are instructed to click on
such-and-such a button or use menu commands? Do you know how to
send e-mail with attachments? If so, you'll do just fine
in an online course. If you have never used a computer in your
life, you should probably stay away from online courses until
you acquire some basic computer user skills. If your computer
skills are limited to knowing how to open programs and save files,
but not much more, you should consider enrolling in ACC's online
course BUS100: Word Processing in Windows. This course
doesn't require that you know how to type.
- How many hours a week should I plan on working
in my online course?
The general rule of thumb for any college course is that for every
hour you spend in class you should plan on working a minimum of
two hours outside of the classroom. For a three-credit online
course plan on working at least nine hours a week (3-credit-hours
= 3 "classroom" hours + 6 additional hours). Much of
this time you will be working online as you participate in discussion
threads, post your homework assignments, take exams, and so on.
Again, this is only a minimum guideline. Murphy's Law #129 of
home repair also applies to college studies: everything takes
twice as long to finish as you think it will.
- Will I be doing all my coursework online?
No. Normally, you don't do all your coursework in a classroom
when you attend classes on campus. The same is true of online
courses. You "attend" class online but you should still
plan to do a lot of work offline, work such as reading textbooks,
writing assignments, and possibly doing research in a brick-and-mortar
library.
- How do I access my online course?
When you register, you will receive an information packet that includes
instructions for obtaining an SLN student account and password, buying books, and getting technical help.
- What is the key to succeeding in an online
course?
Self-discipline. Self-discipline. Self-discipline.
Self-discipline and a little organization. If you don't keep
to a regular schedule and work to the deadlines your instructor
has set, you will quickly fall behind and never catch up. When
you aren't required to show up in a classroom on a given day
at a set time, it's all too easy to get derailed by all the
other parts of your life demanding your immediate attention.
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