Student Guide to eLearning at York
Table of Contents
What is eLearning?
The York University eLearning Environment
eLearning policy for students at York
What to expect when you study online
Netiquette – online etiquette
Being a successful online learner
Additional resources
References
What is eLearning?
At York, eLearning is defined as
… the development of knowledge and skills through the use of information and
communication technologies to support interactions for learning including
interactions with content, learning activities and with other people (York
University, Common Language for eLearning, 2014).
The University's common language for eLearning also classifies and defines six modes
of course instruction.
Face-to-face
A "traditional" lecture or seminar format is used without technology.
Classroom aids
A traditional face-to-face lecture format is supplemented by the use of presentation or
online tools such as PowerPoint slides, videos, "clickers", etc.
Computer labs/laptop instruction
Face-to-face instruction occurs in a setting where every student has access to a
computer (lab or personal laptop) and the computer applications or online materials are
integral to the instruction.
Web-enhanced learning
A face-to-face lecture delivery format is utilized where learning is supplemented by web
materials, resources or activities. Web-enhanced courses will use a learning
management system (LMS) such as Moodle to make lecture notes and recordings
available, provide links to resources, online quizzes, discussion forums, etc. Usual faceto-face instruction time remains the same in these courses despite the addition of a web
component.
The flipped classroom is a form of web-enhanced learning which involves the practice of
giving students access to lectures electronically and using the face-to-face class time for
interactive activities.
Blended learning
In the blended mode, also known as ‘hybrid’, class time is a combination of face-to-face
and online delivery.
Face-to-face instruction is replaced by online instruction for one third of the course, while
one third of the course is delivered face-to-face. The remaining third may be any
combination of online or face-to-face.
Total course contact hours will remain the same as a traditional face-to-face course.
Fully online
Students do not physically attend classes. All lectures and course activities are delivered
online. The student may be required to come to campus (or another location) to write
tests or exams.
Course directors may create opportunities for students to come to campus but
attendance is not mandatory.
York University’s eLearning Environment
At York, our eLearning environment supports courses that are face-to-face (F2F),
blended or fully online. When you learn online at York, you will find your course
information here even if other websites, software or online resources are used.
Features include:
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Notifications/Announcements
Personalized dashboards
Assignment submissions
Discussion forums
Collaborative tools and activities
Calendar
To access your course you will need to log in using your Username and Password.
Please keep this information safe.
System requirements for eLearning Environment
Operation system/Hardware/software
Moodle is compatible with most web browsers, including recent versions of Firefox and
Chrome. However, for the current version of Moodle the following browser versions are
recommended as a minimum:
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Mozilla Firefox 4
Internet Explorer 8 (Internet Explorer 10 is required for dragging and dropping of
files from outside the browser into Moodle)
Safari 5
Google Chrome 11
(View recommended Browser Settings for Moodle.)
For Moodle to function correctly, it is recommended that the following requirements be
met:
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Pop-ups are enabled
Cookies are enabled
Java (http://www.java.com/en/) is installed, up-to-date and enabled
Flash Player (http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/) is up to date
Quick start guide to Moodle
Instructions for accessing, logging-in, navigating, and managing your Moodle profile can
be found at
https://moodle.yorku.ca/students/documentation/quickstart_guide.html Moodle documentation and instructions on how to use different tools in Moodle can be
found in Moodle student resources at
https://moodle.yorku.ca/students/documentation/ In addition, be sure to read the course outline/syllabus for information about any
additional requirements for the course and how to access the tools and support when
needed.
eLearning policy for students at York University
Please check with your faculty and department for eLearning related guidelines,
procedures, and policies for students who enroll in blended or fully online courses.
As an example, eLearning related administrative guidelines and policies for students
enrolled in blended or fully online courses can be found online at the Faculty of the
Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS) http://www.yorku.ca/laps/disted/faq.htm
What to expect in an eLearning course
eLearning courses are primarily asynchronous
In an eLearning course, students are mostly engaged with the course asynchronously,
i.e., at different times and locations. In some courses there might be synchronous
activities requiring everyone to participate at the same time. While the asynchronous
nature of the eLearning course provides students the flexibility of self-paced study, it
does not translate into complete freedom from a schedule. Although you won’t usually
be required to attend the class in a specific geographic location and time, you do need to
be a presence in the course room regularly and schedule specific hours for study, in a
similar way you would in face to face classes. Taking a course totally online does not
mean that it is ok to procrastinate or put off studying. In an online environment, you won’t
have the benefit of instructors’ scheduled lectures in the classroom. It is therefore
important to schedule ‘class time’ every week. It would be very difficult for most students
learning in an online environment to successfully cram for exams and tasks online. An
online course requires students to make a commitment and set up a schedule to
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Purchase all required materials in advance
Be familiar with the syllabus and the course structure completely and know how
to contact the instructor
Log on to the course regularly, preferable everyday (at least every two to three
days)
Read the instructions for each learning task thoroughly and carefully
Note all due dates, including those for the drafts and discussions and plan your
work accordingly (Note whether the due time is your locale time, or the
instructor’s locale time, or the server’s time)
Read and reflect on the materials before participating in the course activities
such as posting responses and contributing to the online discussions. Keep in
mind that you might need more time reading online.
Plan to perform online tasks and submit your assignment at least several hours
before the due time to allow the internet processing time, avoid potential
problems due to the heavy internet traffic, and take into account of possible
technology fails.
Schedule any required synchronous sessions around your other commitments
Also remember:
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Do not wait until the last minute to email instructors for questions and assistance.
Do not wait until the last minute to engage with the materials, instructors, and
peers. Your active participation is not only the key to your own learning, but could
also have great impact on the learning of your peers!
The online classroom
Your online classroom is where you will normally access course materials, complete
class activities, engage with your peers and instructors, submit your assignments, and
even take tests in your eLearning course. The online classroom is usually organized in
modules by week or topic. In each module, you will be directed to module materials and
be asked to accomplish certain tasks related to the materials individually or
collaboratively with your peers. As in face to face classes, you are responsible for
completing your readings and staying on track with the tasks as instructed. Getting
familiar with the Moodle platform and knowing how to navigate your online classroom
should be on your top priority list during the first week of the class. Make sure you read
the course syllabus and instructions for each task carefully and do not forget to check
the course announcements. Whenever you have questions or problems, don’t hesitate to
ask questions either by emailing your instructors or by posting in the course Q&A forum.
Below are some examples of what you might be asked to do during a typical module:
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Read the reading materials online or in the textbook
Watch videos, animations or PowerPoint slideshows or listen to audio clips online
Perform certain tasks, such as work through online tutorials, simulations, search
for information, etc., online individually or with others
Reflect and comment on the materials
Answer discussion questions
Take a quiz or self-diagnostic test
Complete module activities or assignment online
Have real time chat with your peers and/or the course instructor in a chat room
Record and reflect on your learning process in a journal
Discuss and communicate with others on certain topics in the discussion forum
Work with peers to plan and finish certain tasks/projects
Workload
It is a reasonable expectation that you will spend more time working on an online course
than in a face to face course. Learning online in itself is a learning process, particularly
for those who are new to eLearning. Depending on what tools you will be using and your
individual confidence and technological skills, you might need to spend some time just to
get used to the interface and the technology and to download the required software and
materials.
In addition, most tasks, even communicating and interacting with your peers, take more
time to finish online! And it is common that an online course might have more materials
to read and tasks to finish than a face to face class. It would be unwise to assume online
learning means less work. In most online courses, you are expected to spend more time,
take more responsibilities, and play a more active role in your learning than in traditional
learning.
Active engagement and participation
Attending an online course does not change the fact that your active engagement and
participation is essential to your success in the course. As in a face to face class, it is
critical for participants in an online course to actively interact and collaborate with their
fellow students and instructors so that a learning community can be established and
maintained throughout the course. Though you might be contributing to the learning
community using new methods and tools, of which you might need some time to get
used to, an online course is in no way an isolated learning experience for students. Quite
the contrary, an online course is where students are expected to have more rich, indepth, and reflective interactions and collaborations with the learning communities via
multiple means.
Netiquette
As we have said, learning online is very different from face to face. You will need to
interact with an unseen group both socially and for learning, and this requires trust
between participants. The digitized learning environment brings some unique social and
psychological features to interactions, which in turn bring potential for misunderstanding
of what is acceptable behavior or miscommunication. As such, it is considered good
practice for an online course to discuss and agree on basic ‘Netiquette’. Netiquette
refers to the etiquette of communicating and participating with others in online
environments. The rules vary, but in general participants and instructors on elearning
courses are expected to treat each other with respect and to show consideration. They
are also expected to be timely in communication and completing activities, and
accessible at appointed times.
The key purpose of having rules of netiquette is to enable and guide you to fully
participate in your online course. You may be asked to contribute to discussion, respond
in a discussion, collaborate on a project, share information, or just be sociable. You may
be submitting assignments online and giving and receiving feedback. Or, you may have
questions about something, an answer to someone else’s question or need some
encouragement. There are a number of contexts in which communication is a vital
component, and the key to successful study online is in not being prevented, or
preventing others, from making optimum use of communication tools. This is especially
important when grades can be impacted.
Advice for successful participation and basic rules of Netiquette
Please refer to The Core Rules of Netiquette for a summary of expected online
behaviour http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html based on 'Netiquette' by
Virginia Shea. The premise of Shea’s book is that it is better to make friends online than
enemies. This may seem obvious, but it is easy to forget that human beings with feelings
are behind the electronic exchanges.
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Treat others as you would like to be treated. Try to minimize any possibility of
your messages being misinterpreted, remembering that there may be a diversity
of cultures on your course, and don’t escalate a bad situation – seek clarification
(i.e., the same as asking someone to repeat or rephrase what they have said, as
you would in conversation).
You have a responsibility to the others on your course. Consider how what you
do (or don’t do) impacts on others
Complete tasks on time, including responding to others within a reasonable time
Keep discussion threads clear and easy to follow and stick to the topic
Be ethical, and don’t break the law
Be aware of and comply with academic integrity policy – give credit for the ideas
of others and correctly reference where required/appropriate
Ask questions and don’t jump to conclusions
For the benefit of all, participate as fully as you can. Be helpful and support
others who may not be moving as quickly as you – this will help reinforce your
learning as well as helping others
Respect the privacy of others – seek permission to quote of forward information
sent to you
Seek guidance or assistance from instructors if you witness seriously
disrespectful or hostile behavior
How to establish the rules of netiquette for your course
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Your course instructor should set the tone and provide detailed information,
including guidance on how to resolve or report inappropriate behavior.
Have realistic expectations on communicating with your instructor and peers. It is
not realistic to expect that your instructor/peers will be available online 24/7.
Ask for clarification about when it is appropriate to chat informally and when you
should be more formal in tone and presentation.
You may have the opportunity to create your own guidelines or contract with
other participants. For example, you may wish to agree and articulate how long
you will take to respond to postings, take turns to moderate discussion, the
consequences for non-compliance, etc.
What do you need to do?
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Become familiar with relevant policies on rights, responsibilities and behavior at
York University, for example see http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/20122013/policies/ Ensure you are familiar with the netiquette for your course, and any
consequences/penalties for non-compliance. Sign agreements if required.
Create additional agreements if required, for example, for group projects online.
Example of Netiquette Agreement – (PDF – 324 KB):
http://ecampus.maseno.ac.ke/JI/MSU-JI-8%20eCampus%20Netiquette.pdf
Being a successful online learner
Experience with computer technology
Being a successful learner online does imply that students have both access and prior
experience and skills to use certain computer technology. If you need to request
adaptive technology or other disability assistance, please visit Counselling & Disability
Services http://www.yorku.ca/cds/ for more information. New skills may introduced and
opportunities given to develop these. However, it is anticipated that students should be
able to
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Have regular access to a PC or Mac computer with the internet access
(broadband internet access might be required)
Operate the basics of a PC or Mac computer (mouse, keyboard, CD-ROM).
Use the web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome to browse
the internet
Use word-processing software such as Microsoft Word
Use email to communicate with the instructors and peers
Search information using a search engine online
Post message and have discussion online with peers
Watch video clips and listen to audio clips online
Use Adobe Acrobat to access course materials
Download and upload files online
Work collaboratively with peers on blogs, wikis, and social networking sites
Learn to use new technology if necessary
The technological requirements vary from course to course depending on what tools will
be used. It is critical to read the syllabus and other important course documents carefully
and consult the course instructor if needed to make sure that you
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Know all the technical requirements as early as possible
Have access to all the required technological tools, both hardware and software
Know what to do and where to get the technological support when encountering
technological difficulties/problems
Learn the required skills if needed
Are familiar with the course policy about late submission and missed coursework
and alternative plans due to any technological issues
Contact the instructor to make arrangement for accommodations if needed
Contact the instructor for any questions/concerns as early as possible
Academic honesty and integrity
York students are required to uphold the highest standards of academic honesty and
integrity as stipulated in the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty -http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/policies/document.php?document=69.
You can also find comprehensive information about academic integrity,
http://www.yorku.ca/academicintegrity/students/
Intellectual property and copyright
There is comprehensive information about copyright at http://copyright.info.yorku.ca/
Access/disability
York University is committed to principles of respect, inclusion and equality of all persons
with disabilities across campus. The University provides services for students with
disabilities (including physical, medical, learning and psychiatric disabilities) needing
accommodation related to teaching and evaluation methods/materials. These services
are made available to students in all Faculties and programs at York University.
Student's in need of these services are asked to register with disability services as early
as possible to ensure that appropriate academic accommodation can be provided with
advance notice. You are encouraged to schedule a time early in the term to meet with
each professor to discuss your accommodation needs. Please note that registering with
disabilities services and discussing your needs with your professors is necessary to
avoid any impediment to receiving the necessary academic accommodations to meet
your needs. Additional information is available at the following websites:
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Counselling & Disability Services – http://ds.info.yorku.ca/ Counselling & Disability Services at Glendon
http://www.glendon.yorku.ca/counselling
York Accessibility Hub - http://accessibilityhub.info.yorku.ca/tools-­‐resources/
Sometimes in your online class, you will be asked to accomplish certain
projects/products which your peers will have to access as a requirement of the class. In
such situation, you will have to make your projects/products accessible to your peers
with special needs. Consult your course instructor as early as possible and use the
resources above to comply with the accessibility requirements should the needs arise.
Ethics review process
York students are subject to the York University Policy for the Ethics Review Process for
Research Involving Human Participants. In particular, students proposing to undertake
research involving human participants (e.g., interviewing the director of a company or
government agency, having students complete a questionnaire, etc.) are required to
submit an Application for Ethical Approval of Research Involving Human Participants at
least one month before you plan to begin the research. If you are in doubt as to whether
this requirement applies to you, contact your Course Director immediately.
Religious observance accommodation
York University is committed to respecting the religious beliefs and practices of all
members of the community, and making accommodations for observances of special
significance to adherents. Should any of the dates specified in this syllabus for an inclass test or examination pose such a conflict for you, contact the Course Director within
the first three weeks of class. Similarly, should an assignment to be completed in a lab,
practicum placement, workshop, etc., scheduled later in the term pose such a conflict,
contact the Course Director immediately.
Please note that to arrange an alternative date or time for an examination scheduled in
the formal examination periods (December and April/May), students must complete an
Examination Accommodation Form (PDF), which can be obtained from Student Client
Services, Student Services Centre or online at
http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/pdf/exam_accommodation.pdf
Existing university resources to help you become a successful online learner
Learners who succeed with the online courses are more likely to:
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Be self- motivated and self-disciplined Have good time management skills (e.g.,
planning their learning schedule in advance, prioritizing their tasks, meeting
deadlines, etc.)
Have a strong sense of self direction (e.g., regulating and adjusting their behavior
to course requirements)
Able to learn on their own and/or in groups without being in a traditional
classroom
Be willing to participate in online discussions (where this is course element) and
feel comfortable expressing themselves in writing
Have access to the minimum technology (e.g., computer with a fairly fast Internet
connection) and adequate proficiency with this technology
Be comfortable working without the constant presence of a professor
Take personal responsibility for learning that comes with the freedom and
convenience afforded by the online environment
Be willing to “speak up” when having a problem
The University provides a variety of assistances to students to improve success learning
courses.
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Learning Skills Services offers workshops, drop-in, and One-to-One sessions on
learning how to learn and academic skills sets. Details of the program are at
http://lss.info.yorku.ca/
SPARK, the Student Paper and Academic Research Kit, is an e-learning
resource designed to help students succeed at written academic assignments. It
focuses on the development of academic literacies, such as research, writing and
learning skills. Students can access the SPARK program online
http://www.yorku.ca/spark/
The Learning Commons (http://www.library.yorku.ca/cms/learning-commons/)
and the writing department (http://www.yorku.ca/laps/writ/centre/index.html) also
offer other workshops and one on one session to help improve students learning
and writing skills.
References
Lynch, M. (2004). Learning online: A guide to success in the virtue classroom. Florence,
KY: Routledge.
What to expect in eLearning Courses? (2013). Retrieved April 24, 2014, from
http://www.smu.ca/academics/elearning-centre-what-to-expect.html
Important Course Information for Students. (2012). Retrieved April 24, 14, from
http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/senate/committees/ascp/documents/CourseInformationF
orStudentsAugust2012.pdf
Shea, V. The Core Rules of Netiquette. Retrieved April 24, 14, from
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html