| FAQ Frequently
Asked Questions |
- What
is an Odessa College Internet course?
- What
is a Virtual College of Texas (VCT) Course?
- What
is the difference between an Internet and an Internet-Enhanced
course?
- What
are the typical requirements to enroll in an Internet
course?
- Can
AOL be used to participate in an Internet course?
- How
can I enroll in an Odessa College Internet course?
- How
can I
purchase my textbooks?
- What
other resources are available to Odessa College Internet
students?
- What
rules should I follow when naming files to be sent
to my instructor?
- How
do I access my OC student email account?
Also
see Blackboard FAQ |
| 1.
What is an Odessa College Internet course? |
An
Odessa College Internet course is a college-credit course
that is either presented via the Internet. While most Internet
courses do not require classroom attendance, some require
that you go to as little as one class on campus or take
the exams at a supervised testing center.
A common misconception is that an Internet course is self-paced and follows
no set plan. While the course may not have established meeting times,
assignments and exams are listed and must be completed on schedule. Each
course has it's own set of specific guidelines, so prior to enrolling
in an Internet class be sure to read over the course syllabus.
Another misunderstanding is that an Internet course will require less
effort than a traditional class. Many instructors require that you check
their course site at least every other day, participate in online discussions,
submit research papers, and complete individual or group projects. Students
need a high level of dedication to participate in an Internet class to
carry it to successful completion. Click here to find out if Distance
Learning is Right for You.
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| 2.
What is a Virtual College of Texas (VCT) Course? |
Virtual
College of Texas courses, also known as VCT courses, allow
students to take a class from another college if the academic
course they need is not offered by Odessa College. These
courses are offered via the Internet or Two-Way Audio-Video
depending on the format the college offers a particular
course. Starting and ending dates may also vary and will
be discussed at the time of registering. Students interested
in taking a course through the VCT may access the course
information at www.vct.org or
www.odessa.edu/virtual/vct/. VCT courses may require an
additional fee.
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| 3.
What is the difference between an Internet and an Internet-Enhanced
course? |
An
Odessa College Internet course is completed online with
no required classroom attendance. However, an instructor
can require that students take exams at a supervised testing
center to be arranged with the instructor in advance. All
other work is submitted via e-mail, surface mail, or by
digital dropbox to the instructor.
Odessa
College Internet-Enhanced courses require some classroom
attendance, ranging from a single, initial meeting with
the instructor at the beginning of the course; to weekly
class attendance for supportive labs. Again, every Internet
course will vary, so be sure to thoroughly read the syllabus
prior to registration.
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| 4.
What are the typical requirements to enroll in an Internet
course? |
Students
must have access to the Internet from home, or work, or
at a library or educational institution. Microsoft
Internet Explorer© is the web browser required
to take online tests as Netscape Navigator is incompatible
with the testing software used by Odessa College. A valid
e-mail account and e-mail client is mandatory, as is access
to a printer and the ability to save coursework on a hard
drive or diskette.
Some
Internet courses require that you listen to audio lectures,
view visual presentations, or print documents in Adobe
Acrobat© PDF format to return to the
instructor via surface mail. Supporting software for
these applications is free of charge but must be downloaded
and installed. If you are accessing your Internet class
through a library or other school, check with that institution
to ensure they will be able to install the software you
require to complete the course.
Student
can access their OC email at https://studentmail.odessa.edu/.
Login information can be found at https://studentmail.odessa.edu/src/help.htm.
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| 5.
Can AOL be used to participate in an Internet course? |
America
Online has presented a number of problems for Internet
students. The AOL browser is not compatible with Blackboard,
Odessa College testing software, nor does it support some
codes used in Odessa College web pages. In addition, America
Online limits research access by directing search results
to only their advertisers.
You
can use AOL to participate in an Internet course, but
must download Microsoft
Internet Explorer© to
use instead of the America Online browser. This will
allow you to view the web pages as they were designed
to be seen, take tests online, and not be limited in
your research capabilities.
Many
local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer complete
Internet access services at a discounted rate for students,
some at less than one-half the price for AOL service.
Look in your telephone book under Internet to see what
companies are available in your area. Be sure to tell
the ISP if you currently use AOL or have used it in the
past so they can assist you in removing AOL's block on
using another Internet Provider Service.
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| 6.
How can I enroll in an Odessa College Internet course? |
If
you are not already an Odessa College student, you can apply
for admission online. Once you have been accepted
for admission, you must register in person at the Odessa
College campus. If you reside away from Odessa, please
contact the Admissions office
at 432/335-6432 or e-mail Deirdre
Nesmith, Assistant Director of Admissions, for information
on enrollment.
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| 7.
How can I purchase my textbooks? |
All
Internet courses require that you use the assigned textbook
for that course. Textbooks and other assigned texts are
available through the Odessa
College Bookstore. You may order
your books online or by calling 432/335-6655. E-mail books@odessa.edu with
any questions you may have regarding textbooks for a particular
course.
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| 8.
What other resources are available to Odessa College Internet
students? |
Odessa
College has a wide array of student services to assist
you in pursing your secondary education. From your initial
correspondence with Career
Services and Counseling to
decide which Internet courses are right for you, to financial
aid assistance through Student
Financial Services, Odessa College can help. Research
assistance is provided through the Murry
H. Fly Learning Resource Center, Online Tutoring is
available through the Student
Learning Center and
complete testing services are available at the Odessa College Testing
Center. Take some time to browse through the Odessa
College web site and see what services the college has
to offer.
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| 9.
What rules should I follow when naming files to be sent to
my instructor? |
When
sending files via email to instructors the following rules
enable applications to create and process valid names for
files:
- Do
not use a period (.) in your file name.
- File
names cannot contain the following reserved characters: < > :
; " / \ | # , ( ) @ { } [ ] ' = - ^ ! ? & %
- Avoid
using spaces.
- It
is best to only use alphabetic or numeric characters.
Such as:
- Numbers
(0,1-9)
- Letters
(A-Z, a-z)
- Do
not end a file with a trailing space or a period. Although
the underlying file system may support such names,
the operating system does not.
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| 10.
How
do I access my OC student email account? |
To
access your OC student email account go to https://studentmail.odessa.edu.
Login instructions are located at https://studentmail.odessa.edu/src/help.htm.
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